Celtics roar back to take Game 1 from Wizards: 3 takeaways
By Dre Elder
The Celtics surged back from an early deficit to defeat the Wizards in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Here are three big takeaways from the game.
Isaiah Thomas lost a tooth and the Wizards began losing their grip on this game. Boston outscored Washington by a combined 29 points in the second and third quarters to flip the script. Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder led a 3-point barrage to help the Celtics secure a 123-111 victory in Game 1.
Takeaways
Isaiah Thomas’ resilience continues to charge the Celtics. We’ve all heard about the unspeakable tragedy Thomas has played through over the last two weeks. What the 5-foot-9 point guard lacks in stature, he makes up in perseverance. With the Celtics trailing 22-5 midway through the first quarter, Thomas drilled consecutive 3-pointers to ignite his team. Thomas lost one of his front teeth on the preceding possession and did not flinch. Instead, he took over the game.
Isaiah Thomas led a balanced Boston attack that overwhelmed Washington in the second half. He drew additional defenders and kicked out to open teammates. Thomas finished the game with 33 points and 9 assists. It was another inspiring performance from a guy who’s endured so much. Boston continues to be carried by its smallest player.
Washington is the playoff team least equipped to overcome the loss of a starter. The Celtics were surging in the second quarter, when Wizards’ starting forward Markieff Morris came down on Al Horford’s foot to injure his left ankle. Morris would not return to the game. Boston capitalized on the unfortunate event and exploited Washington’s limited depth in the second half.
Boston was allowed to hide Isaiah Thomas on defense in Morris’ absence. Kelly Oubre has not yet developed into a consistent offensive threat. The Wizards will need to get Morris back healthy or this could become a trend throughout this series.
A tale of two halves for Al Horford. The $113 million man was merely taking up space to begin the game. Horford did not record a single entry in the box score over his first five minutes of action. Conversely, the opposing big man Marcin Gortat was making every play for the Wizards early on. Gortat scored inside, created second-chance opportunities, and made timely passes. Celtics’ coach Brad Stevens went to reserve Kelly Olynk earlier than expected due to Horford’s inaction.
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Well, that’s why the game is 48 minutes. Al Horford came alive during the Celtics’ comeback charge and stuffed the stat sheet. Horford scored 21 points on 10-13 shooting. He also dished out 10 assists and grabbed 9 rebounds. This is the kind of effort team executives and fans envisioned when he was signed to a max contract last summer. And it will need to continue.