BOSTON — Apparently all the Celtics needed was a little home cooking.
Boston jumped out to a 17-point first-quarter lead Friday over a disinterested Washington Wizards squad and never looked back, coasting to a 111-78 win at TD Garden.
The Celtics, who never trailed in Friday’s contest, now have won two consecutive games after dropping three of their previous four.
Jared Sullinger was a beast on both ends of the floor, tallying 18Â points and 15Â rebounds in just 23 minutes of playing time to notch his fifth double-double of the season. Boston put five scorers in double figures — Isaiah Thomas led all scorers with 21 points — while the sluggish Wizards shot just 32 percent (27Â for 84) from the floor.
STARTING FIVE
Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Jared Sullinger, Amir Johnson
DOUBLEÂ PORTIONS
Sullinger needed just 13 minutes to earn his double-double.
The Celtics forward, who easily has been the team’s most effective big man this season, already had racked up 11 points and 11 boards by halftime in 13 minutes on the floor.
Sullinger easily could have reached 20 and 20, a feat he hadn’t accomplished since Jan. 15, 2014, but sat the entire fourth quarter with Boston up by double digits.
IN A GIVING MOOD
The Wizards’ defense has been a sieve lately, and the Celtics took advantage early with some impressively unselfish basketball.
Boston earned assists on nine of its 11 field goals in the first quarter. The club’s last assist of the frame might have been its best, as David Lee found Jonas Jerebko with a quick touch pass:
The Celtics continued their stellar passing throughout the night, finishing with 28 assists on 42 made field goals.
DEFENDING THE WALL
John Wall doesn’t care too much for TD Garden.
The Wizards point guard had a rough go of it Friday thanks in part to solid defense from Avery Bradley and the Celtics backcourt. He scored just 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting and committed three turnovers.
Wall struggled during his last visit to Boston, too, managing 13 points on 6-of-17 shooting in a Wizards loss on Nov. 6.
RIDING THE WAVE
The Celtics were in cruise control for much of the second half, and the delighted TD Garden crowd busted out a move in the fourth quarter that’s usually reserved for outdoor arenas:
PLAY OF THE NIGHT
Evan Turner absolutely threaded the needle with this full-court bounce pass to Bradley for the first-quarter slam.
UP NEXT
The Celtics begin a five-game, eight-day road trip Monday in Orlando when they take on the Magic, who own an 8-8 record after beating the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
