Of course, the significance of that season-opening 132-109 win over the Knicks cannot be understated, but the Celtics had to match that with the same intensity in Washington, even if they didn’t have to in 48 minutes.

Capital One Arena was half full at tip-off, as enthusiasm for a team with the express purpose of competing for the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes is lukewarm at best. The Wizards/Bullets haven’t won 50 games since the 1978-79 season and haven’t reached the conference finals since losing to the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA finals a year later.

This is indeed how the other half lives and the Celtics players, who have all won a championship and appeared in multiple conference finals, should be grateful to be part of an organization that has made a concerted effort to achieve a win championship. Brown and Jayson Tatum arrived.

The Wizards start over, filling their roster with promising first-round picks, holding on to Poole and Kuzma to maintain some semblance of respectability, then adding Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon for a veteran presence. Unfortunately for the fanbase, it will be a losing combination.

But midway through the second quarter, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla had to call a timeout after the Wizards went on a 6-0 run to cut the Boston lead to 47-46. It was a ball game as the Celtics didn’t quite play with the same precision as they did on Tuesday night. They quickly corrected that with a 17-8 quarter-ending run and then scored 16 of the first 20 points in the second half to restore order.

“Again, I think this is a good team,” Mazzulla said. “From that point of view, they’re well-coached, they’re fast and they’re physical. That’s going to take time and I think you have to adjust your expectations of how a game should go. Once we got into the game it was great. There was a bit of the malaise of a few days ago, but we responded well to it.”

Two games later, the Celtics are just trying to continue developing the rhythm and consistency that was so impactful last season. And it’s actually not that difficult. The whole team is back and the roles have been set. Sam Hauser sat out with back pain and Mazzulla opted for more big men to replace him. It worked. Neemias Queta finished with 12 points and seven rebounds in almost 14 minutes.

Brown, on his 28th birthday, hit two 3-pointers to start the fourth quarter and give the Celtics a 31-point lead, then it was off time. The atmosphere in Washington was, as usual, largely a pro-Celtic crowd. Former Wizard Kristaps Porzingis made the trip and received cheers every time he walked from the tunnel to the end of the bench.

After the Celtics clinched the victory, Tatum and Brown were applauded as they left the court, with Brown signing a huge cardboard cutout of his new signature shoe. They were always welcomed by large groups of fans along the way. But now they are rock stars because of their status as reigning NBA champions.

And they seem prepared for the responsibility of being defending champions, especially against younger teams like the Wizards, who had a handful of young players looking to prove themselves against the Celtics’ veterans. In one stretch of the second quarter, Tatum hit a stepback 3-pointer in the face of No. 2 pick Alex Sarr, then had something to say to a fan sitting courtside.

Tatum may only be 26, but players like Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George are up-and-comers looking for the respect and fame that Tatum already has.

“It really shows how time flies,” Tatum said. “Guys coming into the league at 19 and probably watching me play for seven years. In perspective, I remember being in the top three and coming into the league and playing against guys I knew growing up. I know that as a 19 year old you want to earn the respect of your peers and the guys you look up to. I’m not going after (Sarr) because he’s a rookie. Nobody took it easy when I was 19 and that’s how you get better.”

The Celtics may not have taken the big step forward like they did in Tuesday’s opener, as the opponent and atmosphere were significantly different, but they did take a step forward on Thursday and squeezed all the hope out of an undermanned team that brought the same enthusiasm to Opening Night entered. other 29 teams.

The Celtics took care of business and now it’s time for Detroit, the sign of a mature team.

Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.