The Boston Celtics bounced back from a frustrating loss to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night by beating the Washington Wizards 117-108 on Wednesday night at TD Garden.
Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas bolstered his All-Star candidacy with another great fourth-quarter performance to lead the Celtics to an important victory. Jae Crowder (20 points) and Al Horford (16 points, nine rebounds) also played well for Boston.
The C’s improve to 23-15 with the win, while the Wizards drop to 19-18.
Here’s how it all went down.
INJURY BUG
STARTING 5
PG: Isaiah Thomas
SG: Marcus Smart
SF: Jae Crowder
PF: Jordan Mickey
C: Al Horford
FAST SHOOTING START
The Celtics got off to a red-hot start from beyond the arc in the first quarter. They hit 72.7 percent (8 of 11) of their 3-point shots and 72.2 percent (13 of 18) from the floor overall. C’s forward Jae Crowder hit all four of his 3-point attempts.
A strong shooting performance from the Wizards left Boston with just a slim 36-35 lead at the end of the quarter. They were 14 of 29 from the field and 5 of 7 from downtown. Washington guard Bradley Beal was 4 of 4 from 3-point land and scored 16 points in the quarter to lead all scorers.
Unfortunately for Boston, it shot 3 of 15 from beyond the arc after starting 8 of 11, which helped Washington take an 85-83 lead into the fourth quarter.
DIFFERENT OTTO
Otto Porter was the third overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, but he’s yet to live up to his potential.
The Celtics, for whatever reason, seem to bring out the best in Porter and Wednesday night was no different. He had 13 points on 6 of 6 shooting in the first half.
Porter finished with 20 points, six rebounds, five points and three steals in 37 minutes.
4th QUARTER IT
Thomas, arguably the best fourth-quarter performer in the league, scored 11 points in the first five minutes of the quarter. After hitting a 3-point shot to give the C’s a 98-94 lead with 6:37 remaining, Thomas turned to the sideline and high-fived boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, who’s one of IT’s best friends.
Thomas finished with 20 points in the quarter and a team-high 38 overall. He totally outplayed Wizards point guard John Wall, who scored just nine points on 4 of 19 shooting. These two players are fighting for a potential starting spot in next month’s NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans.
PLAY OF THE GAME
This is why coaches teach kids to follow their shots.
UP NEXT
The Celtics hit the road for a Friday night matchup with the Atlanta Hawks. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
