#1- The Jays shake off slow shooting nights to complete the deal

Neither Jaylen Brown nor Jayson Tatum could generate much scoring power in the first half, with a combined 7/24 going into the break. Despite that poor shot, the Celtics trailed by just two, giving the Jays ample time to right the ship.

It was far from perfect, but the combination of stars was huge, with Brown scoring seven of his seventeen second-half points in the fourth quarter, including a last-minute rainbow dagger from mid-range sailed. a net lead of seven points.

Tatum found ways to contribute beyond his scores on perhaps his biggest off-night shooting of the season, dishing out eight dimes and grabbing nine boards, but the jumper came around in time for the fourth quarter, with the MVP- candidate found his feet. in the middle segment.

Only Jayson’s 5/16 shooting night against Atlanta in the NBA Cup opener had a lower FG%, but this time the Celtics were able to move past an off night and finish the job with a 2-1 record in tournament play.

#2- Derrick White is a model of consistency in the fourth quarter

Speaking of fourth quarter play, not many players are as consistent in the final 12 minutes as Derrick White.

White also suffered from off-night shooting, entering the fourth quarter having scored just one basket, which came at the 7:57 mark of the first quarter. In the fourth quarter, White made an immediate impact, connecting with a highly contested three from the slot and a baseline floater in the opening two minutes.

With 8:35 to play, he found space off a Luke Kornet screen to hit his second 3-pointer of the night, extending Boston’s lead to five.

This is nothing new for White, who is averaging 4.8 points on 51/48/87 splits in the fourth quarter. He finished with eight of his 10 points in the fourth against Washington, connecting on three of his four attempts.

#3- Washington’s veterans kept it interesting

This season, the young men’s game in the nation’s capital has ended, but it was the veterans of the squad that kept the Celtics on their toes.

In his first game against the Celtics since being traded, Malcolm Brogdon had a strong outing against his former team, connecting on 7/13 shot attempts for 18 points to go with 10 boards. He was aggressive in getting to the cup and hard on the glass, showing there was still a lot left in the tank despite an injury-riddled post-Celtics run.

Productive shooting nights from Kyle Kuzma (21 points, 10/19 FG) and Jordan Poole (23 points, 9/19 FG) didn’t help Boston’s cause. Kuzma was hot in the first half, scoring a perfect 5/6 at halftime before cooling off the rest of the night.

#4- Transition defense was a concern

The Celtics rank 19th in transition points allowed this season, allowing 22 per game. The Wizards, 11th in transition scoring with the fourth-fastest pace in the league, provided a good challenge for Boston. The results were mainly in Washington’s favor.

The Wizards were particularly effective on misses, scoring 41 points on missed shot attempts. One of the worst examples came just before the end of the first half, when the Wizards slowed the pace on a missed Tatum three, which saw him jogging back with his head turned to the other side of the court, unconcerned aware that Corey Kispert was sprinting down. floor.

Oddly enough, the Wizards couldn’t capitalize on their six steals, scoring just four points off those turnovers.

#5- Pritchard and Hauser’s continued success against the Wizards

Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard love playing Washington. Last year, both reached career highs in scoring, first with Hauser dropping 30 points on 10 threes and later Pritchard with a 38-point explosion to end the season. In eight career matches against the Wiz, Hauser has knocked down 44% of his triples, while Pritchard entered the night with 45/42/89 splits in 14 matches.

The trend continued in this most recent matchup. Hauser teamed up at the 4:47 mark of the first quarter, knocked down a pair of triples, Pritchard added six points and the Celtics closed the quarter by outscoring the Wizards 18-12 and leading 29-27 to stand.

Hauser continued to impress offensively in the second half, scoring five points in the third quarter, including a fast break catch-and-shoot three that followed an emphatic Xavier Tillman block.

It’s a nightmare for the Wizards to deal with, but when it comes to this particular matchup, it’s hard to bet on a productive shooting night from one of Boston’s top bench options.

#6- Kornet’s minutes exceed Queta’s

Neemias Queta may have started on Friday evening, but it was Luke Kornet who was the reliable big man in the final minutes.

Queta’s free throw was a bright spot, but it was otherwise a tough night, finishing just 1/3 from the field for seven points and two rebounds in 18 minutes. The Celtics were a -10 with Queta on the floor.

Kornet, meanwhile, was productive in his 23 minutes. Kornet finished with a +15 in his minutes and joined Pritchard and Hauser as the first bench players entered the rotation, immediately breaking a nearly five-minute drought that gave Boston life early in the first quarter.

He came out with the starters in the second half and made his impact felt immediately with a shot block and dunker spot dish to Brown that set up a trip to the line.

#7- The paint defense battle continues

Boston’s defense has been a hot topic lately, and Friday’s game will do little to quell those concerns.

Opponents are shooting 62% inside six feet against Boston this season, and in the restricted area the Wizards shot 65% yesterday (19/29).

It’s probably not something we’ll see significant improvement on until Kristaps Porzingis returns, but for a Wizards team that isn’t particularly good near the rim, that kind of success only adds worry to a rare weak spot for a title candidate.

#8- Mazzulla has successfully manipulated the environment

Joe Mazzulla didn’t hide his frustration during a tough game that saw his team shoot 42% from the field and go all out against a lowly Wizards team. It gave him a perfect opportunity to light the fire among the boys, especially with an emotionally dissatisfying performance in the third quarter that saw a technical foul with less than five minutes to play.

“I thought this was what the environment needed at the time,” he said.

The team responded and went on a 12-4 run after receiving the technology. It turns out Jaylen Brown isn’t the only Celtic capable of shifting the energy.

#9- Keeping sales numbers low

The Celtics have been fantastic at avoiding turnovers this season. Combined with unselfish play and ball movement that forces teams into rotation, this is a key ingredient to the success of their offense.

Despite an off night from many of their rotation players, the team did well in avoiding live-ball giveaways, committing only 12 total turnovers on the night. That’s exactly the usual number throughout the season, with an average of just 12.1 TOVs, second only to OKC’s 11.8.

Considering that Washington was eager to get out on the fast break, Boston’s offense was able to move the ball around, generate shots and avoid too many mistakes that could have led to easy finishes on the other end to lead.

#10- Late scores play a role in NBA Cup scenarios

The NBA Cup provided a unique ending to a game that ended in Boston’s favor in the final 30 seconds.

After getting a stop on a Kuzma layup attempt with a 10-point lead, the Celtics elected to call a timeout… with six seconds left on the clock. Drafting a game with the match in hand feels strange to watch, but it could ultimately be a deciding factor depending on how things play out in Group C.

The game never fully materialized after a Kuzma foul sent Jrue Holiday to the line, but turning the game into a 12-point win gave the Celtics a 2-1 record and a +14 point differential en route to their final group match against Chicago on November 29.