Earlier this month, the Washington Wizards frittered away a 23-point lead against the Boston Celtics but hung on for a grueling double-overtime win.
There was no repeat of that on Saturday night.
The Wizards ran off 13 consecutive points and took a 15-2 lead in the game’s first four minutes as they beat the Celtics 101-88.
Boston, which has lost four in a row, is a much different team than it was 19 days ago, when it dropped that wild 133-132 game. The Celtics traded longtime point guard Rajon Rondo to Dallas on Dec. 18, and are struggling to find their way.
“They weren’t going to let us back tonight,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “You could feel it, you could see it.”
Kris Humphries who played for Stevens last season led Washington, which has won eight of 10, with 18. Paul Pierce, the longtime Boston mainstay had 17.
With Rondo gone, none of Pierce’s teammates who won a championship with him in 2007-08 remains.
“They moved on. They’re in a rebuild phase,” Pierce said. “It’s a new era now.”
These Celtics were led by Jeff Green, who scored 23 points. Jared Sullinger, who twisted his right ankle late in the game, wasn’t pleased with Boston’s lack of aggression.
“Teams are just coming out and smacking us in the mouth. People feel like we’re sweet, we’re soft. We’ve just got to play tough,” Sullinger said.
By the time the Celtics’ nightmare first quarter ended, they were behind 30-12, out-rebounded by 16-6 and had eight turnovers.
For the second consecutive game, John Wall scored on a spectacular spinning lay-up. Instead of the third quarter, this one was over in the first as the Wizards took their decisive lead.
His moves are now expected by some of his teammates.
“Everyone’s waiting for it now. If he doesn’t do it, the fans might not be satisfied,” Humphries said.
The Wizards begin a season-long five-game road trip on Monday. They’ll play at Houston, Dallas, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and New Orleans.
“It is a test. We get a chance to play against some of the upper echelon Western conference teams. It will be a great measuring stick of where we are. We know we’re one of the upper-echelon teams in the East,” Pierce said. “This is an opportunity with the East being wide open for us to get to the finals. It gives us an opportunity to gauge where we are as an elite team in the league.”
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