The Boston Celtics defeated the Washington Wizards 123-101 to take Game 5 in the series, as they now lead 3-2. The series between the Celtics and the Wizards is the only one remaining in the NBA Conference semifinals. Boston will have a chance to close out the series on Friday night in Washington.
Avery Bradley dominated the game
The Celtics opened the game strongly and led 67-51 at the half. They didn't slow down in the second half, as they won all four quarters in the game. They also shot efficiently -- 53 percent from the field and 49 percent from the three point line.
As a team, they had 33 assists on 46 field goals made. Surprisingly, the Celtics out-rebounded the Wizards 48-45 and scored 23 points off of turnovers.
Avery Bradley led all scorers with 29 points, as he scored 25 of them in the first half. Bradley was amazing with his shot, as he made 12 of his 19 field goal attempts and 4 of his 7 three point attempts. He also added six rebounds and three assists to his stat sheet in 30 minutes on the floor. Al Horford finished the game with 19 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three blocks, as he shot an outstanding 8 of 9 from the field and 3 of 4 from downtown in 28 minutes on the floor.
Isaiah Thomas added 18 points, three rebounds and nine assists for the home team, while shooting 5 of 13 from the field, 2 of 5 from the outside and 6 of 7 from the foul line.
Jae Crowder also had an efficient night with 18 points and eight rebounds in just 26 minutes of play, while shooting 6 of 15 from the field, 2 of 5 from the outside and 4 of 4 from the Free Throw Line. Marcus Smart had a solid all-around performance off the bench with nine points, eleven rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block in 26 minutes on the floor.
The Wizards struggled from the field
The Washington Wizards shot just 38 percent from the field and 24 percent from the three point line. They took 29 three point shots as a team and made only seven of them.
John Wall was the leading scorer for the Wizards with 21 points, while shooting 7 of 17 from the field, 2 of 3 from downtown and 5 of 5 from the free throw line.
Wall also grabbed four rebounds and had only four assists in 32 minutes on the floor. Bradley Beal added 16 points and four assists, while shooting 7 of 19 from the field and 0 of 4 from behind the arc. Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 13 points each, while Marcin Gortat finished the game with seven points and 11 rebounds.
The next game is on the schedule for Friday at 8:00 pm, as the series will move back to Washington.
