Jayson Tatum scored 35 points and spurred a third-quarter rally to help the NBA-leading Boston Celtics defeat the Washington Wizards, 133-129, on Friday night.
Kristaps Porzingis contributed 34 points and 11 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday added 20 points for the Celtics (40-12), who won 40 games in the fastest season since the 2008-09 team did so in 49. It was Tatum’s 20th game of the season with 30 or more points.
“We are working on playing very intentional basketball,” said Jaylen Brown, who scored 18 points. “It is a complete voyage in a season. There will be highs and lows. There will be games where bullets do not go through at all. We have to stick together. And that is exactly what we have been doing.
Deni Avdija had 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Corey Kispert also had 24 for the Wizards, who have lost five straight. Bilal Coulibaly finished with 21 points.
The Wizards stayed in the game for the majority of the night, shooting 20 of 47 from the three-point line. Washington led by as many as eight in the third quarter before pulling within 131-127 in the final minute. But Boston was able to seal it at the foul line.
Boston has seen lulls this season, but coach Joe Mazzulla downplayed the notion that his squad is developing negative habits.
“I don’t think these are harmful habits. “I believe there have been some moments of slippage throughout games,” Mazzulla remarked. “What I care about more is our approach to those slippages.”
Friday, the team responded by playing one of its greatest third quarters of the season.
Boston trailed by six at halftime, but opened the third period on a 15-8 surge, regaining the lead at 79-78 with a three by Porzingis. Tatum’s spree included a driving one-handed slam over Kyle Kuzma.
They were two of Tatum’s 13 points in the quarter, as the Celtics outscored the Wizards 36-16, limited Washington to 7-of-22 shooting from the field, and forced six turnovers to lead 100-87 entering the fourth.
“We knew they were going to try to come out in the third quarter and get physical with us and affect us a little bit,” Wizards interim coach Brian Keefe admitted. “We fought back, and that resiliency has contributed to our success…. We end up winning three out of the four quarters. Only a rough third.”
It ruined what had begun as a promising night for the Wizards.
Washington led 71-64 at halftime, thanks to 19 points from Poole and 26 fast-break points against the NBA’s top-ranked defense. Boston began the night allowing only 13.6 fast break points per game.
Poole’s surge came just one game after he was held scoreless for the first time since 2021.
In the first half, the Celtics shot 4 for 19 from three-point range. They shot only 11 of 24 from the field in the second quarter, with seven of their 13 missed field goals coming within the paint.
