Celtics 108-96 Wizards (Nov 22, 2024) Game Summary

WASHINGTON — — Jaylen Brown scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics overcame an off night for Jayson Tatum to beat the Washington Wizards 108-96 in the NBA Cup on Friday night.

The Celtics improved to 2-1 in East Group C in this contest with one game remaining. Washington is 0-2 and has lost 10 straight overall.

The Wizards hung in there in front of a crowd that included recently injured Capitals star Alex Ovechkin. Washington trailed by five in the final minute when Brown made a jumper to make it 99-92 with 46 seconds left.

Tatum went 0 for 10 from 3-point range and scored 16 points, although a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left allowed him to extend his streak to 55 consecutive games with at least 15 points.

Jordan Poole led Washington with 23 points. Neither team shot well from 3-point range, with Boston finishing 11 of 46 and the Wizards 7 of 28.

Takeaways

Celtics: Boston was missing Al Horford due to a non-COVID illness, and with Kristaps Porzingis also out, it was up to players like Luke Kornet to provide size. Kornet had six points and six rebounds without missing a shot from the field.

Wizards: Washington outshot Boston 52-30, but this was a missed opportunity on a night when the Celtics weren’t at their best.

Key moment

Down by six in the fourth, Washington’s Kyle Kuzma broke free but missed a close shot. Tatum’s jumper at the other end completed a four-point swing that gave the Celtics a 97-89 advantage.

Key state

Only Luka Doncic (84 games entering Friday) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (61) have longer active streaks of scoring 15 points than Tatum.

Next

The Celtics return home to face Minnesota on Sunday. Washington plays at Indiana on the same day.

——

AP NBA: