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On Wednesday night, the Wizards (2-6) take on the first place Boston Celtics (8-1) in the first outing of a three-game road trip. The Wizards enter the game looking to buck a two-game slide while Boston holds the longest current win streak in the NBA (eight games) and has not lost since its opening night defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Game Info
TD Garden | 7:30 P.M. | NBCSW | 1500 AM
Probable Starters
Wizards: G – Isaiah Thomas, G – Bradley Beal, F – Troy Brown Jr., F – Rui Hachimura, C – Thomas Bryant
Celtics: G – Kemba Walker, G – Marcus Smart, F – Jaylen Brown, F – Jayson Tatum, C – Enes Kanter
Injury Report
Wizards: John Wall (left Achilles rehab – out), Ian Mahinmi (right Achilles strain – out)
Celtics: Javonte Green (sore right hip – probable), Daniel Theis (sprained little finger, right hand – doubtful), Gordon Hayward (left hand fracture – out)
Storylines
Thomas to make first start in Boston
For the first time since being traded from the Celtics in 2017, Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas will almost certainly hear his name called as a starter at Boston’s TD Garden. Last March, while playing with the Nuggets, Thomas saw his first game action in Boston since the trade, but played just seven minutes. Thomas played two and a half seasons with the Celtics and was named an All-Star for his performances during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. During the 2016-17 season, Thomas started in all 76 games in which he appeared, averaged a career-high 28.9 points per game, and led Boston to a seven-game Eastern Conference Semifinals win over Washington and an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals.
“The loved that they showed (when I returned the first time), you would have thought I won a championship there, or was there for 10 years plus,” Thomas said. “I was only there almost three years…The love is genuine. It’s back and forth. I appreciate their love and I love them just as much they (love me). It will be fun to go back there.”
Celtics adjust without Hayward
Wednesday’s game against Washington will be Boston’s second since losing forward Gordon Hayward to a broken hand. Prior to the injury, Hayward was averaging 18.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game and played a significant role in managing the flow of their offense. How the injury impacts Boston long term is yet to be seen, but if their first game without Hayward (Monday vs. Dallas) was any indication, the Wizards will have their work cut out for them on the defensive end. Boston shot 47.7% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in the 116-106 win over the Mavericks, led by 29 points from Kemba Walker and 25 points from Jaylen Brown. Celtics head coach Brad Stevens leaned on Brown and Marcus Smart, both starters, to carry the majority of Hayward’s missing minutes load, while Brad Wanamaker, a second-year point guard out of Pittsburgh, played 21 minutes against Dallas after averaging just 11.6 minutes in his first eight games this season.
Wizards frontcourt depth could be an advantage
The Celtics top three scorers – Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum – all average over 19.0 points per game and provide a level of lineup flexibility and ball-handling depth that not many teams in the NBA can match. The team’s weakness on both ends comes in the front court. Daniel Theis and Robert Williams III have handled the brunt of the minutes at center for Boston, while Enes Kanter, who returned Monday against Dallas, missed time with a knee injury. Theis is doubtful heading into Wednesday’s game, so the Celtics will likely rely on Williams, Kanter, and small ball. When healthy, Kanter is well-regarded as one of the more dynamic offensive centers in the league.
The Wizards, on the other hand, get most of their scoring from the four and five positions. Thomas Bryant, Rui Hachimura, Davis Bertans and Moritz Wagner are all among the team’s top six scorers. They all average at least 10.0 points per game and can stretch a defense from the restricted area out to 3-point range. Bradley Beal, who has scored 25-plus points in four of his last five games at TD Garden, will get his points, but to keep up with an offense as efficient and effective as Boston’s, the Wizards will likely need contributions from more than one of their scoring bigs.