Washington Wizards: Wizards Beat Celtics, a Tale of Two Halves

The second half is usually where the Wizards give up when the game’s close. But they got a burst of energy and they were poised throughout the rest of the game.

Perusing the Boston papers as I normally do, checking in with the Herald.

Brown was asked after the game what happened, after he only scored two more points in the second-half and Washington’s defense. “I don’t know. No comment”.

He added:

"“I don’t think Washington played nearly as well as they could have, and we still fell short. So it’s just a mindset, a level of focus that we’ve just got to get back to and understanding, like, this is it. We’ve got to come out and compete.”"

They’re playing as a team, and although it’s easier to write, they just have to keep playing as a team, and anything is possible.

Then on over to my childhood paper the Boston Globe, Gary Washburn wrote in the aptly titled article “The Celtics know this won’t cut it in the playoffs“:

"“With a chance to ensure that they would be avoiding the mercurial Wizards in the first round, the Celtics simply were inept offensively after halftime, as John Wall dominated in a 113-101 Washington win at Capital One Arena.”"

Then another comment that’s usually attributed to other teams and not the Wizards, Brown added:

"“It is obviously different hearing about [Washington’s up-tempo style] then seeing it full speed,” Brown said. “We have a lot of young guys on our team, and we are trying to get ready for that level of intensity in the playoffs, and I do not think Washington played nearly as well as they could have, and we still fell short.”"

Wait a minute – “Washington’s up-tempo style”? The Wizards didn’t play with energy on Tuesday, they played with high-octane level energy.

Tomas Satoransky and Wall giving a one-two punch. Yes, the Celtics came out swinging and hit first.

But the Wizards took the first-quarter blows, and kept hitting back for the remaining three-quarters.

Every Wizards player got into the ring. Boston may have drawn first blood, but Washington made them clean it up for the rest of the game.

Boston was shocked by the loss and underestimated their opponent.

Washburn wrote that,  “Wall displayed in the first half why the Celtics would want to avoid that first-round matchup.”

Although the Wizards lost the four previous games before beating Boston, they learned a valuable lesson–not to let their past dictate their future.

They knew that lesson before but they put it into practice. That was a concern about the Wizards that they would say after a game they lost what they needed to do. However, this time they just went out and did it.

Coach Scott Brooks took an even more measured response after the game. It doesn’t really matter who they see in the first round, the fact that they made it to this point without Wall being here most of the season is a feat in itself.

He didn’t know how the team would respond without Wall, but everyone stepped out. A lot of teams outside the playoffs would love to be in this position.

Brooks added, no matter who we play they will be a higher seed than us, but once the playoffs begins it starts 0-0.

That’s exactly right. The Wizards just have to play the game in front of them that day, and take it one game at a time.

They’re playing as a team, and although it’s easier to write, they just have to keep playing as a team, and who knows…

Part of it depends on which Wizards team shows up.

Because who they play in the first round is no longer in their hands, but which Washington team shows up is.