The starters got some early relaxation, sitting out the fourth quarter with a 33-point lead.

 

The Boston Celtics were due for a less dramatic night after two hard-fought victories to start the 2023-24 season. In Monday night’s game against the rebuilding Washington Wizards, they found just that. They ran the Wizards off the floor in the first quarter and never let up on the scoring, despite a rough fourth quarter from the bench unit. The Celtics won by a score of 126-107.

Jaylen Brown was on fire this evening, scoring 36 points and threatening Marcus Smart’s franchise record of 11 three-pointers made through three quarters of play. Alongside him came Tatum, who scored 33 points, his second 30-point game in three games. The Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma led the way with 21 points, but Washington’s depleted squad simply didn’t have enough weapons to keep up.

It didn’t take long for the Celtics to grab control of this game. They started the game on a 13-5 run, prompting a Wizards timeout, and added a couple more shots to push the lead to double digits and beyond when play resumed. Brown seemed particularly at ease in the first quarter, shooting 6-of-9 from the field and leading the Celtics with 16 points. The Celtics appeared to be playing a whole different game than the Wizards, who appeared to be flat-footed. Boston lead by a massive 42-19 edge going into the second half.

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Porzingis, who was playing his first game against his former team, also appeared at ease. Due to the absence of Daniel Gafford due to injury, the Wizards made the unusual decision to go small, starting Kuzma at center over longtime pals Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala. It was a poor decision against Boston’s 7-foot-3 offseason addition. In the first half, Porzingis scored 13 points and blocked a shot.

In the second quarter, the Jays reversed places, with Tatum picking up the pace and hitting a pair of three-pointers to keep the Celtics’ offense humming. The Celtics’ lead continued to grow, crossing the 30-point mark midway through the third quarter, as the Celtics threatened to double up the Wizards, 60-30. The double-up didn’t last long, as the Celtics appeared to go into “prevent defense” gear, allowing 32 points in the second quarter. Nonetheless, they followed a 42-point opening quarter with a 35-point second, leading 77-51 at halftime.

Any momentum the Wizards gained late in the first half did not carry over into the second. The Celtics went on a 9-2 run in the first few minutes of the third quarter to reclaim a 30-point lead. Brown maintained his game-high scoring total, passing the 30-point mark early in the fourth quarter. He and Tatum threatened to outscore the Wizards on their own, scoring 69 points to Washington’s 75 through three quarters. The Celtics led by 33 points going into the fourth quarter.

The bench was the most concerning aspect of the Celtics’ play tonight. This evening, Boston’s reserves continued to provide little on the offensive end of the floor. Al Horford scored X points on the offensive boards, but no other bench player tallied a point through three quarters of play. Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser combined to go 0-for-3 from beyond the arc.

As the fourth quarter began, the bench saw an opportunity to sort things out, as both sides chose to empty their benches to end the night. The Wizards took advantage of the opportunity to rescue some face, as their substitutes went on a 19-4 run against Boston’s deep bench team. The Wizards’ surge wasn’t quite enough to force Boston’s starters back into the game, but they came within 15 points. Tonight’s Celtics bench performance was difficult, and it may raise some concerns about the team’s depth.

The Celtics will return home this Wednesday to face the Indiana Pacers at 7:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Boston.