Playoff basketball continued to entertain millions across America Thursday night. The Washington Wizards hosted the Boston Celtics in a must-win playoff scenario. Washington trailed the Celtics 2-0 in the eastern conference series and they needed to steal a win at home in order for their playoff hopes to stay alive. The goal for the night was to stop the explosive play of Boston’s star point guard isaiah thomas. If the Wizards could play an aggressive defensive game, they would have a chance to snatch a win in Game 3.
Football or basketball game?
The matchup between the two eastern conference teams began differently from the previous two games.
The Wizards were able to go on a 22 point run in the first quarter. The Celtics tried to answer back but they were unable to knock down shots and protect the ball. The Celtics finished the game with a total of 16 turnovers. They were also only able to shoot 35 percent from the field. Their on-the-court struggles began to eat away at the team's composure. The Wizards' Kelly Oubrey Jr. was ejected after he charged at Boston’s Kelly Olynyk, knocking him down after he was the victim of a hard screen. The game began to experience tension as the Wizards began to blow out the Celtics. At the end of the game, there were a total of eight technical fouls and three ejections. It was clear that the Celtics lost their composure and were unable to focus enough to solidify a victory.
Teamwork and defense
The Wizards were able to put Isaiah Thomas in a box. The star point guard was held to 13 points, 7 of which were earned at the free throw line. Thomas shot a poor 3-8 from the field which ultimately hurt the offense of Boston. The top scorer for the struggling Celtics was the veteran center Al Horford. He attempted to lead a comeback charge as he contributed 16 points.
The Celtics finished the night with only three players in double-digit scoring. The real magic was possessed by the Wizards. They were able to shoot the ball effectively when they had to and were not afraid to trust their teammates. Washington had 26 assists on the night and it showed as they had a total of six players score more than 10 points.
John Wall was able to get the job done as he scored 24 points but he was not alone. The teams starting small forward Otto Porter Jr. was able to drain 8 out of his 13 shots for a total of 19 points on the night. Bojan Bogdanovic came off the bench and was also able to provide 19 points as well while which helped the Wizards secure the victory.
Trying to tie the series
The Washington Wizards definitely came up big Thursday night. The big test will come on Sunday when the team hosts the Celtics again in game 4. Isaiah Thomas will come ready to play understanding that game 3 was not a desirable performance. Although Bradley Beal was able to walk off the floor with a win, he will need to step up. In the last two games, Beal did not live up to expectations. With a series-tying opportunity on the line, Washington will need all hands on deck.
