Boston’s bench blows bubble tilt as Washington Wizards win 96-90

The battle of the benches didn’t go the Boston Celtics’ way as the Washington Wizards picked up their first win of the Disney restart in their last game of the season.

With both teams without their best players, the Boston Celtics facing the Washington Wizards for each team’s eighth and final regular season seeding game started every bit as sloppy as one might expect.

The ‘Zards won the tip and sunk the first bucket, a Jerome Robinson hook shot, and center Enes Kanter answered back on the next possession.

The two teams went back and forth before a series of sloppy possessions allowed Washington to jump out to an early 12 – 5 lead, forcing a time out by Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.

Wing Javonte Green hit his second trey out of the time out to cut the lead to two, and guard Romeo Langford tied it up at 12 soon after. Neither team could get much separation, though, with the Wiz up 26 – 21 to end the frame.

The second quarter began with a Carsen Edwards make from deep, and Boston would cut the lead to to one twice with Brad Wanamaker and Langford scoring as well.

Washington kept their foot on the gas to keep a multiple possession lead, but just barely; a trip to the stripe for Grant Williams cut the lead to to three, and a Time Lord dunk and Williams trey cut it even further to 41-39 with just under six minutes left in the half.

The Celtics would take the lead back twice in short order — first off of a Tremont Waters 3-pointer, then again with a Robert Williams make as both teams traded blows.

Wizards center Thomas Bryant sparked a 12 – 4 run for Washington while Boston had trouble finding the bottom of the net, pushing the lead to 53 – 46 off a Troy Brown Jr. layup. The Celtics fought back, but ended the half down 56 – 51.

Boston began the penultimate frame with a trey from Semi Ojeleye, with Kanter tying it up at 59 with 10 minutes to play in the quarter, with Green and Kanter putting the Celtics up 66 – 61.

The Wizards swung back to take the lead off of a Bryant trey, but Boston wrested back with another Ojeleye 3-pointer, and a hustle play from Green kept the Celtics close moving forward., tying the game up at 72 with three to play.

Center Tacko Fall checked in shortly after, and quickly got a block, but then got called for a foul trying another. He’d pick up another soon after, but was left in the game anyway.

The two teams traded blows yet again with Fall clearly bothering Washington, who took a 78 – 77 lead into the fourth quarter off of a Jarrod Uthoff 3-pointer.

The final frame started out with a Johnathan Williams make to push the lead to 3, but Edwards and Langford quickly erased it, putting Boston up 81 – 80 with 10 to play.

Bryant started attacking after Fall and Langford sat, the latter having sprained his wrist, and the Wiz taking a five point lead in their absence on an 11 – 2 run.

Green would cut the lead to 5, but a trey from Brown pushed the lead back to 7. An and-1 from Ojeleye would cut the lead back to 4, but a turnover by Edwards effectively sealed the game, the Wizards winning it 96 – 90.

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