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 The visiting Boston Celtics were woefully shorthanded in the
backcourt and entered having lost 12 of 13 games.
Apparently, Washington looked at the data pregame and believed its
win column was about to grow larger. Celtics forward Jeff Green and
several no-name guards had other plans.
Green scored a season-high 39 points with a career-best eight
3-pointers and forward Gerald Wallace hit the game-winning layup
with 2.5 seconds remaining in overtime as Celtics outlasted the
Wizards 113-111 on Wednesday night.
Guard Phil Pressey scored a career-high 20 points on five 3-pointers
before fouling out in overtime for the Celtics (15-29), who had lost
three straight and 10 consecutive road games.
Guard John Wall tallied his second career triple-double with 28
points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, but shot nine of 29 from the
field and missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Wizards (20-21), who also had an opportunity to move over .500
on Saturday against the Detroit Pistons, last posted a winning
record on Oct. 31, 2009 at 2-1. Since then, they have been mostly
scary times as evidenced by the franchise's subsequent 116-224
record.
"For some reason we don't go out there and in the first half when we
have the opportunity to go over. 500 and play as a team," Wall said.
"We get to playing selfishly and it all starts with me. That's the
reason why we lost today."
Pressey's 3-pointer with 52 seconds remaining in overtime put Boston
up 111-108. Washington scored the next three points, but center
Marcin Gortat missed one of two free throws with 13.9 seconds left.
Following a timeout, Wallace, who had nine points, drove straight to
the basket and scored.
Forward Jared Sullinger had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the
Celtics, who led 61-43 at halftime, but were outscored 30-15 in the
third quarter.
Boston made 15 of 34 3-point attempts with Green draining 8 of 16,
including one on one foot.
"I put myself in the position where I had to be the man to carry the
team, to shoot the ball, and that's what I did," Green said, who
played his college games for Georgetown at the Verizon Center.
Boston was limited in the backcourt without Rajon Rondo, Avery
Bradley (sprained ankle) and Jerryd Bayless (sprained big left toe).
Pressey made his second start while Chris Johnson and Vander Blue,
both on 10-day contracts, also received minutes.
The Wizards noticed.
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"That's what our guys think. That's exactly what our guys
think," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said when asked if his
players overlooked this version of the Celtics. "You cannot
screw with the basketball gods like that."
Rondo returned to action on Friday after missing nearly a full
year after tearing his ACL and played in Boston's previous three
games, including Tuesday's loss at the Miami Heat. However, he
did so with restricted minutes and the team chose not to use him
on back-to-back nights against Washington.
Forward Nene scored 17 points, guard Bradley Beal and swingman
Trevor Ariza each scored 14 for Washington. The Wizards had won
four of five games.
Green's seventh 3-pointer tied the game at 99-99 with 1:18
remaining in regulation. Nene missed two jumpers in the final 11
seconds including a potential game-winner at the buzzer.
"I thought they executed great in their two opportunities to win
the game," Boston coach Brad Stevens said. "They just didn't win
it. We threw in shots on one foot, fading out of bounds, and
they missed a couple of wide-open ones. Sometimes we overanalyze
this game."
The Celtics opened the game with four frontcourt players along
with Pressey. He entered shooting six of 38 on 3-pointers this
season, but made five of six against the Wizards.
"Phil did a great job, and obviously that's not what he does
every night," Stevens said.
Pressey's third and fourth 3-pointer of the first half capped an
11-0 second-quarter run for a 45-28 lead. Green also hit four
treys in the first half, the last one giving the Celtics their
largest lead at 56-37 before the crowd of 14,492.
NOTES: Celtics coach Brad Stevens said G Avery Bradley could be
out a couple of weeks after spraining his ankle in Tuesday's
loss at the Miami Heat. ... Washington F Trevor Booker returned
to the lineup after missing one game with a sprained left ankle.
... G Vander Blue made his NBA debut in the second quarter after
the Celtics signed him to a 10-day contract before Wednesday's
game. The former Marquette star, who was with the D-League's
Delaware 87ers this season, also played his final college game
at the Verizon Center last March during the NCAA Tournament. ...
The two sides have a pair of regular-season games remaining,
both in April. ...Washington opens a four-game road swing at the
Phoenix Suns on Friday, the same day Boston hosts the Oklahoma
City Thunder.
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