Late Tatum drive seals Celtics win over Wizards, 111-110

In a season already packed with lows, none may have been as demoralizing as the St. Valentine’s Day massacre in Washington.

The Celtics lost by 13 points to a Wizards team that launched a 7-1 streak — one of the hottest in the league — leading up to Sunday night’s rematch in the Garden. And as the Celtics can wearily now attest, the Wizards’ streak has hit the wall.

The Celtics, after leading by 11 points in the first half and losing their edge down the stretch, rebounded to beat Washington, 111-110, and withstand a 46-point explosion by Bradley Beal.

Jayson Tatum, who finished with 31 points, won the night when he spun past Beal for a game-winning drive with 4.7 seconds left.

Down the stretch it was a back-and-forth affair. Tatum’s rainbow turnaround with 1:34 left cut Washington’s lead to 106-105. Robin Lopez came out of the timeout with a lay-in, Kemba Walker missed, and with 46.9 seconds left Beal burst in off the right wing for a 110-105 lead.

Tatum scored out of the ensuing timeout, Russell Westbrook missed out of the left corner, and with 16 seconds left Tatum drove with a reverse finger roll, cutting the Washington lead to a point.

Beal stepped out of bounds on the inbounds play — a turnover upheld by video review — and Tatum, isolated on his good friend in the post, spun around the Washington star for a fall-down reverse layup and a 111-110 Celtics lead with 4.7 seconds left.

Beal took the inbounds pass from Westbrook, and trapped by Tatum and Semi Ojeleye on the baseline, rimmed out a jump shot at the buzzer.

The fourth quarter was hard-fought by both teams. Beal’s four-point play gave Washington a 95-94 lead with 5:18 left, only for Walker to take the lead back with a drive.

Tatum picked off a Raul Neto pass, only for Daniel Theis to travel down the other end, setting up a Beal 3-pointer for a 98-96 Washington lead with 4:21 left.

Ojeleye missed from the corner and Beal steamed in off the break, this time for a three-point play and a 101-96 Wizards lead.

Walker lost the ball in traffic and Robin Lopez, fouled by Tatum, hit twice for a seven-point edge. Theis cut it to 103-98 with 3:21 left from the line, but Westbrook answered with a left corner 3-pointer.

Javonte Green scored off a Walker feed, Tatum blocked Westbrook, and this time Ojeleye hit his corner trey attempt. Beal missed, and Tatum spun into the lane to hit a rainbow turnaround.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3012Zhe