Getty Jayson Tatum vs. Washigton Wizards, Boston Celtiocs
On March 28, the Boston Celtics fell to a shock defeat at the hands of the Washington Wizards, who won the game 111-130.
For Boston, their loss was compounded by yet another poor shooting night from deep, as they struggled to find their rhythm and generate high-quality shooting opportunities.
When speaking to the media after the game, Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. discussed what his team was expecting coming into the game and credited them for overcoming a physical Celtics team down the stretch.
“It’s a make or miss on nights that they missed, some they probably normally make,” Unseld Jr. said. “There were other possessions where we forced them to miss, which is good. We knew going in we’re gonna run some guys off the line, not let them just tee it up. Obviously, Tatum got going early, and (we) tried to cool him off a bit. Some guys were open. And, you know, maybe some nights they make those, but I was just proud of our resilience, that they made the run. We knew that at some point, they’re going to amp up the physicality and try to put us back on our heels; we were able to respond in kind and keep them at bay.”
With this loss, the Celtics have fallen 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks with just seven games remaining on their schedule, meaning they’re most likely going to end the regular season as the second seed in the East for the second straight season.
Kristaps Porzingis Believes Celtics Had No ‘Rhythm’
After ending the contest as the highest scorer, Kristaps Porzingis discussed the Celtics’ lack of offensive potency, sharing how they were fighting an uphill battle from the opening whistle.
“We started with good energy, we knock down some shots, and they were missing a lot of shots, a lot of open ones, a lot of good looks for them, they were just missing,” Porzingis said. “And they were just playing uphill the whole game against us. We were rolling. Everything was happening for us. And they were just playing uphill. So took advantage of that, and they had no rhythm offensively.”
Porzingis ended the game with 32 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists while shooting 66.7% from the field and 60% from deep, as he put the Celtics’ defense in some tough spots and took advantage of a poor night from Boston.
Jayson Tatum Urges Celtics to Move On
The Celtics’ goals are bigger than simply finishing atop of their conference, as they continue to push for a championship after falling at the final hurdle against the Golden State Warriors in last season’s NBA Finals.
When speaking to the media after the game, Jayson Tatum was vocal in his belief that his team needs to accept the loss and move on.
“You never want to have these moments,” Tatum said. “But somehow, someway, they tend to happen throughout the course of 82 games. And you know, they count as one whether it’s right now or whether it was in December, it’s still a loss and honestly, you just got to move on”
The Celtics will now face the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, March 30, in what will be a difficult test of their champion caliber against their biggest threat in the Eastern Conference.