Celtics crush the Wizards to take 3-2 lead: 3 takeaways from Game 5

A 16-0 run in the first quarter sparked the Boston Celtics’ Game 5 win over the Wizards, 123-101.

In Game 5 between the Wizards and Celtics, there was one point where the game was tied, and one point where there was a lead change. Both happened within the first four minutes.

With 10:58 left in the first quarter, the Celtics were down 4-0. Two minutes later, the Celtics went up 5-4 and that was as close as the Wizards would get in Game 5.

The Celtics went on a 16-0 run over a five-minute stretch in the first quarter. And, unlike the theme of Wizards’ run this series — double-digit runs on the road, only to see the leads evaporate — the Celtics never relinquished their early lead. The Celtics’ lead in Game 5 floated anywhere from 13 to 25 points, settling at 22 by the final buzzer.

The importance of a Game 5 is discussed every time a series is tied 2-2. For the Celtics, this win means a road loss in Game 6 in Washington D.C. doesn’t carry with it the same must-win pressure. The home team has won every game, and the Celtics are the team with four home games this series.

Not much has changed for the Wizards in their aspirations to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Their success is based off their ability to defend. In Game 5, they were a sieve defensively, giving up a 123.5 points per 100 possessions.

The Wizards have to win one game in Boston, now, on top of having to win another game at home. The Wiz haven’t won at the TD Garden in five tries this season. If they lose a sixth, their season is over.

Here are three takeaways from the Celtics’ win.

Takeaways

Avery Bradley was Isaiah Thomas in Game 5: Since Thomas’ 53-point performance in Game 2, the Celtics guard hasn’t broken 20 points in a game. Game 5 wasn’t much different, as Thomas settled into a playmaking role, driving and kicking to open teammates in the corner and facilitating the offense.

Fortunately, the Celtics didn’t need Thomas’ scoring prowess because Avery Bradley was Game 5’s I.T. Thomas’ running mate did a little bit of everything for the Celtics: Getting out in transition, hitting corner 3s, rebounding and moving without the ball.

Bradley scored 25 points in the first half — a career high for an entire postseason game — and finished the game with 29. He shot 12-19 from the field and went 4-7 from 3 and on a couple occasions attacked the Wizards’ lazy defense with back-cuts that turned into wide-open looks at the rim.

Bradley also got out in transition, somewhere the Celtics struggled in the Game 4. (More on that in a second.) The questions surrounding the Celtics’ ability to produce points outside of Thomas have been prominent throughout the season. At least for one night, Bradley was the scorer.

So is Al Horford still overpaid?: At points during the regular season, Horford found himself on the Got Paid list, reserved for players who received fat contracts they didn’t live up to. Those critiques have faded into the oblivion of all rushed hot takes in recent weeks and Horford’s Game 5 performance could have silenced them altogether.

The Celtics big man dominated on both ends of the floor, altering and blocking shots at the rim. He finished with three blocks and six boards. Offensively, Horford was everywhere, either operating out of the post or popping out to the 3-point-line. Horford hit 3 3s and finished with seven dimes.

In the second half, the Celtics ran their offense through him, and Horford’s passing ability opened up a give-and-go to Jae Crowder and nifty passes to cutters. Horford’s combination of rim protection and playmaking ability on a team full of players who move without the ball turned out to be a good fit, huh?

The Celtics got out in transition: At first glance, 19 fast break points doesn’t seem like much for a game. In Game 4, the Wizards finished with 25 points in transition.

But Game 5 comes with context and context matters. For one, in Game 4, the Celtics finished with only 10 fast break points. So they nearly doubled that output — not to mention the Celtics held the Wizards to almost half their own Game 4 total. And the game wasn’t competitive after the first half, so possessions were about maintaining the lead and eating time.

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During the first quarter when the Celtics created the lead they wouldn’t relinquish, they had 15 fast break points in the first quarter. They finished with 17 fast break points in the first half. When the Celtics play with energy, and the Wizards refuse to match their effort, things like this happen. One team played as if tonight was a Game 7 and the other didn’t. And if history is any indicator, tonight was a Game 7.