Through the first round, there was one constant for the Celtics. When the role players play up to the standard of isaiah thomas, the Celtics are a really good team. This was true in game 1 of the second round. Isaiah Thomas exploded for 33 points and 9 assists on 11 of 23 shooting.
John Wall had 20 points and 16 assists, and Bradley Beal had 27 in the loss. The wizards' Markieff Morris left the game early due to a leg injury. His return for the series is unknown at this point.
Team shooting
The Celtics came to play today. The Wizards started the game with a 16-0 lead but the Celtics didn't give up.
They shot 51 percent from the field and 49 percent from three. Their 19 makes from the three point line is one of the highest of this postseason for the group. Team shooting was really the key for Boston. Jae Crowder shot 6 for 8 from the three-point line, Bradley knocked down three, and Horford was money down the stretch in the pick-and-roll.
The Wizards shot the ball particularly well, so it's hard to critique their offensive play, but down the stretch, they struggled a bit. Free-throws were a huge issue for them in game 1. They made just 59 percent of their attempts, and in these critical playoff games, free-throws matter.
Wizards defense
The Wizards' perimeter defense was not very good in game 1.
The Celtics were getting wide open looks off of pin downs, pick and pops, and even just casual ball movement. This is a huge issue that the Wizards need to fix by Game 2. Their perimeter defense almost looked so rough that it was a gameplan to make the Celtics shoot. This clearly didn't work and the Wizards need to fix this soon.
This is the Celtics team that got them the 1-seed in the Eastern Conference. Other than their first two games against the Bulls, this team has looked really good, and a real threat to move forward in the playoffs.
Isaiah Thomas
One thing that needs to be said is how inspiring Isaiah Thomas has been in these playoffs. Going through some of the worst news of his life, and then getting his tooth knocked out, his ability to step up to the plate and dominate is wonderful to see.
The Celtics as a team have all embraced this and they look like a team on a mission.
Game 2 will be on Tuesday at 8:00 PM EST. This is still a winnable series for the Wizards, they've shown how resilient they are from their series against the Hawks. The Celtics will be ready, and hopefully we will get another good game.
