The Boston Celtics easily defeated the Washington Wizards 130-104, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in front of a crowded Capital One Arena.
Starting with Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Sam Hauser, Oshae Brissett, and Al Horford, the Celtics were shorthanded without Jaylen Brown (back), Kristaps Porzingis (hamstring), and Derrick White (hand).
Tatum took over right away, with three of their best four scorers sitting on the bench. JT scored 18 of Boston’s 45 points in the opening quarter, then in the next three quarters, he scored 30 points (5-of-10 from 3). Horford made his 27th start of the regular season and finished with 14 points and 4 rebounds.
In the capital of the country, the Stay Ready group remained steadfast. Hauser went on a tear, making 10-of-13 shots from beyond the arc, including 7 of 9 in the opening frame. Sadly, Hauser damaged his left ankle backpedaling into the Washington bench halfway through the third quarter, just as Marcus Smart’s record of eleven threes in a game was about to be surpassed. He was greeted with a standing ovation as he made his way to the locker room. He scored a career-high thirty points in the end.
With a double-double of 14 points and 13 assists (a career high), Payton Pritchard contributed. Luke Kornet scored 14 and 6 with two blocks for another strong performance.
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The Celtics have the luxury of prioritizing rest and health over their final sixteen games, since they lead both Oklahoma City and the Bucks by six games and 9.5 games, respectively, for the #1 overall seed in the playoffs. They haven’t lost their edge—if anything, they’ve gotten even sharper. Prior to tonight, they had a 7-2 March with a net rating of 17.8, their historically strong offense reaching a high of 127 points per 100 possessions, and a defense that has improved each month since December.
The Celtics will play their final game of the season, a home game against the Wizards on April 14 in Boston. However, before that, they will play the Detroit Pistons in TD Garden tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. EST, the first of two games in a homestand that comes right before they leave for their final, lengthy road trip.