Wizards Use 26-0 Run To Rout Celtics In Game 4, Tie Series
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bradley Beal scored 29 points and Washington Wizards used a 26-0 third-quarter run to beat the Boston Celtics 121-102 on Sunday night to tie the second-round series at two games apiece.
John Wall added 27 points and 12 assists for Washington. Wall had seven points, three assists and two steals during the third-quarter spree that featured eight Celtics turnovers. Otto Porter scored four of his 18 points in the dominant six-minute span that also included five points from Markieff Morris.
Trailing 53-48 before the run, Washington led 74-53 on Porter's layup with 5 minutes left in the third. The Wizards led by as many as 26 and outscored the Celtics (237-191) in the two games in D.C.
Isaiah Thomas had 19 points for Boston, but scored 17 in the first 15 minutes and was held to 1-of-6 shooting after.
Game 5 is Wednesday in Boston. The series winner will face Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Though nothing compared to eight technical fouls and three ejections in Game 3, tensions bubbled up late after the result was no longer in doubt. Thomas was called for a technical foul in the fourth quarter, but the situation did not escalate.
TIP-INS
Celtics: F Amir Johnson was back in the starting lineup after Gerald Green got the nod in Game 3. Green checked in during Boston's disastrous third quarter. ... Johnson had the first five points of the third quarter for Boston before the Wizards' run. ... G Avery Bradley and F Jae Crowder each shot 2 of 9.
Wizards: Improved to 5-0 at home in the playoffs. ... Had 21 points off turnovers in the third quarter alone. ... Wall has 20-plus points and seven-plus assists in 10 consecutive playoff games, the most in a single postseason in NBA history ahead of Michael Jordan's eight. ... Morris finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
I.T. INVISBLE
Thomas opened the game 5 of 5 on 3s and was a nonfactor after that. He attempted only one more 3-pointer and was on the wrong end of post-ups by the Wizards on defense.
It's the first time in Thomas' playoff career that he has fallen short of 20 points in consecutive games.
OLYNYK BOO BIRDS
In the aftermath of Kelly Oubre Jr.'s suspension, Celtics big man Kelly Olynyk was booed every time he touched the ball or went to the free throw line. Olynyk set the illegal screen that incensed Oubre, and the Wizards forward charged at him and knocked him down, getting ejected and subsequently suspended.
The incident generated talk from the Wizards that Olynyk was a dirty player.
"I'm not sure where that narrative starts," Boston coach Brad Stevens said. "He set a screen, it was called a common foul, it was reviewed by the league, the league determined it was a common foul and another guy rushed him and chucked him on the ground."
In Washington, of course, Olynyk was the villain. Fans chanted "Kelly Oubre!" on a few occasions as Olynyk finished 5 of 9 for 14 points.
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