Celtics vs. Wizards Preview: Defending Champs Come to Town

The Washington Wizards are facing off against the Boston Celtics in their season opener.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 23, 2024

Mar 17, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill (16) goes to the basket against Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) during the second half of the game at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images / Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards offseason is officially coming to an end as they face their season opener tonight against the Boston Celtics at the Capital One Arena.

The Wizards couldn't have asked for a more difficult opponent for their first game, but they will be able to get one of their toughest matchups out of the way.

The Celtics breezed by every team in the NBA last season, winning the NBA Finals with ease in five games over the Dallas Mavericks. The Celtics never got past Game 5 in any of their four playoff series, capping off one of the most dominant runs in postseason history.

Boston was led by Jayson Tatum, who stepped up after falling short in prior years. They also had the additions of Jrue Holiday and former Wizards center Kristaps Porzingis, both of whom played major roles on last year's title team.

The Celtics proved why they were the defending champs in their season opener against the New York Knicks. After raising their championship banner to the rafters, the Celtics pulled out a 132-109 win that appeared to be over by halftime.

Tatum led all scorers with 37 points and 10 rebounds, while Jaylen Brown added 24 of his own and Olympic gold medalist Derrick White had 23.

As a team, the Celtics tied an NBA-record with 29 made 3-pointers on 61 attempts. That alone established the Celtics as a true threat from distance. The Wizards will keep that in mind in their scouting report, as defending the perimeter will be a key to victory.

The Wizards shouldn't win this game, but this will be a good test to see where they are, establish a baseline for their success, and go from there.

If the Wizards can make this game a competitive one in the fourth quarter, that should be considered a success.

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Published Oct 23, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.