The Celtics notched another win at Capital One Arena, beating the Wizards 112-98. It’s pretty wild - we’ve now got more wins in Washington’s home arena than they do. I mean, that’s just objectively funny for everyone except Wizards fans. But hey, they’re probably cool with it if it helps their chances at Cooper Flagg.
The game wasn’t exactly a nail-biter. We jumped out to a 21-point lead in the first half, thanks to a 28-8 run spanning the end of the first quarter and start of the second. After that? Let’s just say the second half wasn’t exactly highlight reel material.
The big story of the night was Kristaps Porzingis leaving the game early with heel pain. Now, before anyone panics, it doesn’t seem too serious. KP couldn’t even pinpoint when it happened, just that it got a bit sensitive later on. He says he feels fine and doesn’t expect to miss time. With three days off before we host Chicago, it’s probably nothing to lose sleep over.
Luke Kornet stepped up big time in Porzingis’ absence. The guy was a plus-20 on the night, grabbing 11 rebounds (5 offensive) and dishing out 4 assists. One of those was a sweet alley-oop to Jayson Tatum - you don’t see that combo every day. Kornet’s really showing why he’s a key part of our big man rotation.
Speaking of Tatum, he casually dropped 28 and 12. I say “casually” because at no point did I think, “Wow, Tatum’s dominating tonight.” That’s just how good he is - he can put up those numbers without it feeling like a standout performance.
Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser provided some timely shooting, combining to go 9-for-19 from the field. Pritchard, in particular, seems to be on a mission to improve his defense. He and Jordan Poole got into it a bit, with Pritchard telling the bench he was gonna “lock this (guy) up.” While he didn’t exactly shut Poole down, he made him work for his shots.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Celtics’ win over the Wizards, tune into the Locked On Celtics podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Celtics Podcast:
• Jaylen Brown’s off night
• Derrick White’s all-around contribution
• Jordan Poole’s questionable decision-making
