#1- The Jays shook off sluggish shooting nights to seal the deal
Neither Jaylen Brown nor Jayson Tatum could generate much in terms of scoring power in the first half, shooting a combined 7/24 entering the break. Despite that poor shooting, the Celtics only trailed by two, giving the Jays ample time to right the ship.
It was far from perfect, but the star pairing was huge down the stretch, with Brown scoring seven of his 17 second half points in the fourth quarter, including a last-minute dagger in the form of a mid-range rainbow that sailed into the net for a seven-point lead.
Tatum found ways to contribute outside of his scoring on arguably his biggest shooting off-night of the season, dishing out eight dimes and grabbing nine boards, but the jumper did come around in time for the fourth quarter, with the MVP candidate finding his touch in the mid-range.
Only Jayson’s 5/16 shooting night against Atlanta in the NBA Cup opener had a lower FG%, but this time, the Celtics were able to move past an off-night to finish the job with a 2-1 record in tournament play.
#2- Derrick White is a model of consistency in the fourth quarter
Speaking of fourth quarter play, not many players are as consistent in the final 12 minutes as Derrick White.
Also suffering a shooting off-night, White entered the fourth quarter having scored just one basket, which came at the 7:57 mark of the first quarter. In the fourth quarter, White made an immediate impact, connecting on a highly contested three from the slot and a baseline floater in the first two minutes.
With 8:35 to play, he found space off a Luke Kornet screen to hit his second 3-pointer of the night, extending Boston’s lead to five.
This is nothing new for White, who is averaging 4.8 points on 51/48/87 splits in the fourth quarter. He finished with eight of his 10 points in the fourth against Washington, connecting on three of his four attempts.
#3- Washington’s veterans kept it interesting
It’s a young man’s game over in the nation’s capital this season, but it was the veterans of the roster that kept the Celtics on upset alert.
In his first game against the Celtics since being traded, Malcolm Brogdon had a strong outing against his former team, connecting on 7/13 shot attempts for 18 points to go with 10 boards. He was aggressive getting to the cup and tough on the glass, showing that plenty was still left in the tank despite an injury-riddled post-Celtics run.
Productive shooting nights from Kyle Kuzma (21 points, 10/19 FG) and Jordan Poole (23 points, 9/19 FG) didn’t help Boston’s case. Kuzma was hot in the first half, shooting a perfect 5/6 by halftime before cooling off for the rest of the night.
#4- Transition defense was a concern
The Celtics are 19th in transition points allowed this season, allowing 22 per game. The Wizards, 11th in transition scoring with the fourth fastest pace in the league, posed a good challenge for Boston. The results mostly favored Washington.
The Wizards were particularly effective off misses, scoring 41 points off missed shot attempts. One of the worst examples came just before the end of the first half, when the Wizards pushed the pace off a missed Tatum three that saw him jog back with his head turned toward the other side of the court, unaware of Corey Kispert sprinting down the floor.
Oddly enough, the Wizards weren’t able to take advantage of their six steals, scoring just four points off those turnovers.
#5- Pritchard and Hauser’s continued success against the Wizards
Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard really like playing Washington. Last year, both achieved career highs in scoring, first with Hauser dropping 30 points on 10 threes and later Pritchard with a 38-point explosion to close out the season. In eight career games against the Wiz, Hauser has knocked down 44% of his triples, while Pritchard entered the night with 45/42/89 splits in 14 games.
The trend continued in this most recent matchup. Entering the game together at the 4:47 mark of the first quarter, Hauser knocked down a pair of triples, Pritchard added six points and the Celtics closed the quarter outscoring the Wizards 18-12 to lead 29-27.
Hauser continued to make an impact offensively in the second half, scoring five third quarter points, including a fast break catch-and-shoot three that came on the heels of an emphatic Xavier Tillman block.
It’s a nightmare for the Wizards to deal with, but when it comes to this particular matchup, it’s hard to bet against a productive shooting night from either of Boston’s primary bench options.
#6- Kornet’s minutes top Queta’s
Neemias Queta may have gotten the start on Friday night, but it was Luke Kornet who was the relied-upon big man in the closing minutes.
Queta’s free throw shooting was a bright spot, but it was an otherwise rough night, finishing just 1/3 from the field for seven points and two rebounds in 18 minutes. The Celtics were a -10 with Queta on the floor.
Kornet, meanwhile, was a productive presence in his 23 minutes. Finishing a +15 in his minutes, Kornet joined Pritchard and Hauser as the first bench players inserted into the rotation, immediately breaking a near five minute drought to give Boston life early in the first quarter.
He came out with the starters in the second half, immediately making his impact felt with a shot block and a dunker spot dish to Brown that generated a trip to the line.
#7- Paint defense struggles continue
Boston’s defense at the rim has been a hot topic lately, and Friday’s game will do little to suppress those worries.
Opponents shoot 62% inside of 6 feet against Boston this season, and in the restricted area yesterday, the Wizards shot 65% (19/29).
It’s likely not something we’ll see significant improvement on until Kristaps Porzingis returns, but for a Wizards team that’s not particularly great near the rim to have that kind of success just adds further concern to a rare weak spot for a title contender.
#8- Mazzulla successfully manipulated the environment
Joe Mazzulla didn’t hide his frustration throughout a slog of a game that saw his team shoot 42% from the field and go down to the wire against a lowly Wizards team. It provided him a perfect opportunity to light a fire under the guys, particularly with an emotionally displeased display in the third quarter that drew a technical foul with under five minutes to play.
“I thought it was what the environment needed at the time,” he said.
The team responded, going on a 12-4 run after he received the tech. It turns out Jaylen Brown isn’t the only Celtic capable of shifting the energy.
#9- Keeping the turnover count low
The Celtics have been fantastic at avoiding turnovers so far this season. Combined with unselfish play and ball movement that forces teams into rotation, it’s a key ingredient to their offense’s success.
Despite an off shooting night from many of their rotation players, the team did well in avoiding live-ball giveaways, with just 12 total turnovers on the night. That’s right on their usual number throughout the season, averaging just 12.1 TOVs, second only to OKC’s 11.8.
Considering Washington was itching to get out on the fast break, Boston’s offense was able to move the ball around, generate shots and avoid too many mistakes that could have lead to easy finishes down on the other end.
#10- Late scoring plays a part in NBA Cup scenarios
The NBA Cup presented a unique close to a game that was wrapped up in Boston’s favor in the final 30 seconds.
After getting a stop on a Kuzma layup attempt with a 10-point lead, the Celtics opted to call timeout….with six seconds left on the clock. Drawing up a play with the game in-hand feels strange to watch, but it may end up a deciding factor depending on how things shake out in Group C.
The play never fully materialized after a Kuzma foul sent Jrue Holiday to the line, but turning the game into a 12-point win gives the Celtics a 2-1 record and a +14 point differential heading into their final group stage matchup versus Chicago on Nov. 29.
