Wizards return to Boston

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The Wizards return to Boston for a nationally televised game against the Celtics.

Game Info

TD Garden | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN | 1500 AM

Probable Starters

Wizards (38-30): G - Satoransky, G - Beal, F - Porter Jr., F - Morris, C - Gortat 

Celtics (46-21): G - Rozier, G – Larkin, F - Tatum, F - Morris, C - Baynes

Wizards: John Wall (Knee - Out)

Celtics: Kyrie Irving (Knee - Out), Gordon Hayward (Ankle - Out), Jaylen Brown (Concussion - Out), Marcus Smart (Thumb - Out), Daniel Theis (Knee - Out), Al Horford (Illness - Questionable)

Storylines

While the Wizards will be without their All-Star point guard John Wall, the Celtics will not only be missing their All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving tonight, but will also be without four other key members of their team. They've played nearly the entire season without Gordon Hayward, but they just recently lost reserve big man Daniel Theis for the season. They also will be missing guards Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, two of their best defenders and two key pieces to their backcourt. Al Horford, their All-Star center, didn't play on Sunday with an illness and has been listed as questionable for tonight's game.

Even with all the injuries, the Celtics will still put out a roster capable of winning games, so the Wizards can't look past the depleted roster and will need to bring energy on the second night of a back-to-back. The Celts have been off since Sunday, but the Wizards got into Boston late Tuesday night after losing at home to the Wolves. The Wiz are 1-5 in their last six games playing on the second night of a back-to-back, most recently getting routed in Miami on Saturday after beating the Pelicans the night before.

The Wizards have already beaten the Celtics once in Boston and will look to sweep the road portion of the series for the first time since the 2013-14 season. After the Wizards beat the Celts on Christmas Day, Boston returned the favor by beating the Wiz in overtime back in February in D.C. The two teams will play for the fourth and final time on April 10th in Washington. Last season, the home team won every game in the regular season series and in the seven-game playoff series.

The Wizards allowed the Wolves to score 64 points in the paint last night, the fourth straight game they allowed a team to score at least 60 points in the paint. They gave up a season-high 76 paint points in Saturday night's loss to the Heat, but Boston ranks last in the Eastern Conference in paint points, averaging 39.1 per game. The Wizards will look to get back to playing the type of interior defense needed to win games down the stretch as they take on a shorthanded Celtics team tonight.

Up next, the Wizards play a crucial Eastern Conference game with the Pacers on Saturday night in D.C. (7:00 p.m.).