BOSTON – It was something we’ve seldom seen with the Celtics – on the short end of an end-of-the-game surge.
That was indeed what happened as the Washington Wizards closed out their Christmas Day matchup on a 12-0 run that secured their 111-103 victory over the Celtics.
A big part of the run was Boston’s struggles at closing out defensive possessions that end with a defensive rebound; that is, they’re supposed to, anyway.
But that was not what happened to the Celtics, who were outscored 18-9 in second-chance points with the Wizards getting 10 of those in the fourth quarter.
“Those are killer possessions when you have a stop and you just can’t finish that stop,” said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. “You know, we turned and looked instead of blocked out most of the night, and it ended up costing us.”
Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds from Boston’s 111-103 loss to Washington.
Boston Celtics
STARS
Bradley Beal
His ability to score off the dribble and finish at the rim made for some tough times for Boston’s defense. He finished with a game-high 25 points along with eight rebounds and two assists.
John Wall
It was not one of Wall’s better shooting games (he was 8-for-19), but his impact was significant. In addition to his 21 points, he also had a game-high 14 assists with just one turnover.
Jayson Tatum
NBA teams, get ready. Because this 19-year-old is going to be a problem child in this league for a number of years to come. His instincts when it comes to beating his man off the dribble and finishing strong at the rim are impressive. He finished with 20 points on 7-for-9 shooting. But in addition to scoring, the Celtics also needed him to be more of a factor on the boards (he had three rebounds).
STUDS
Kyrie Irving
He shared team-high scoring honors with Tatum, but this was not a typical Irving-down-the-stretch kind of game. He had five points on 2-for-3 shooting in the fourth but there was never a point in the quarter where you felt Irving was in control, something we’ve seldom seen this season when the fourth quarter rolls around and he’s in the lineup.
Otto Porter Jr.
His activity at both ends of the floor, not to mention being in the right place at the right time most of the game, was one of the many areas where the Celtics simply could not match the Wizards. He had 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting with six rebounds and a blocked shot.
Terry Rozier III
This was one of his better games shooting the ball this season, tallying 16 points off the bench on 6-for-9 shooting, which included 4-for-6 from 3-point range.
DUDS
Celtics rebounding
Boston’s inability to finish off defensive possessions with the rebound was a problem most of the game but was especially problematic in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. For the game, Washington out-rebounded Boston 47-45 with Washington’s 11-7 rebounding edge in the fourth quarter literally being the difference.
Marcus Morris
He sat out the past eight games with left knee soreness, and returned looking like a guy who had been out for a while. There is indeed a bit of rust he needs to shake off as he finished with just two points while missing six of his seven shot attempts. And defensively, he struggled to make a significant impact at that end of the floor as well.