WASHINGTON — In their inaugural road game of the season, the Boston Celtics showcased their dominance with a 122-102 win over the Washington Wizards on Thursday night. Jayson Tatum led the charge with an impressive performance, amassing 25 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in just 29 minutes of play. His teammate Jaylen Brown shone brightly with 27 points, while Derrick White contributed 19 points, and Payton Pritchard chipped in with 15 as well. This victory marked the Celtics’ fifth consecutive win against the Wizards.
On the other hand, the Wizards’ season opener saw Jordan Poole making a strong impression, scoring 20 out of his total 26 points before halftime. Jonas Valanciunas also had a noteworthy debut for Washington, adding 18 points to the scoreboard. The Celtics took control of the game by establishing their first significant lead just before the halftime break, and they further extended the gap with a powerful third-quarter performance, outscoring the Wizards 34-19, effectively sealing the game.
Observations from the game showed that as Boston continues its title defense, they have not faced major challenges in their two wins so far. Tatum was rested during the fourth quarter, while Brown and White were the last of the starters to leave the floor, doing so with 8:04 remaining in the game. Conversely, the Wizards featured a very young starting lineup, including rookies Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington. The first half included promising performances, but they struggled in the third quarter, which pointed to lingering issues from the previous season. Carrington’s night was cut short due to a potential injury following an unfortunate fall in the fourth quarter.
A pivotal moment of the match occurred just before the halftime buzzer when Boston ended the first half on a 10-1 run to take a commanding 64-54 lead. Tatum was instrumental, sinking two three-pointers and assisting Brown on consecutive fast-break layups.
A noteworthy statistic emerged, highlighting Washington’s youthful roster. The starting five averaged 22.72 years of age, making it the youngest in the league this season, and the youngest for the franchise since 1970, according to records from the Elias Sports Bureau.
Both teams will be back in action on Saturday; the Celtics will head to Detroit, while the Wizards will welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers to their home court.