Wizards nip Celtics, force Game 7
Thanks to him and backcourt mate Bradley Beal, Washington’s season will last at least one more game. Wall finished with 26 points, Beal scored a game-high 33, and they combined for 23 of Washington’s 26 points in the back-and-forth fourth quarter.
“All we asked for was one more game,” Wall said, “and we got it.”
Game 7 is at Boston on Monday night. The winner will face LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East finals starting Wednes- day.
The host has won all 10 games between the Wizards and Celtics this season – four in the regular season and six in the playoffs.
“Two best words in playoffs is ‘Game 7,”’ Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. “Seems like it was meant to be.”
Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley each scored 27 points for Boston, the conference’s No. 1 seed.
But Bradley could do nothing defensively to stop Wall on the winning shot, coming off an inbound play that was designed to get Beal the ball. And Thomas’ heave at the buzzer clanked off the rim.
“I thought it was going in,” Thomas said. “Honestly I did.”
Like the rest of his teammates, he was left to get back into his dark outfit afterward. Wearing a black shirt, he scoffed at the idea Wall and the Wizards derived some boost from knowing about the Celtics’ choice of attire.
“Their season was on the line,” he said. “They should have been motivated by everything else.”
Boston, which won Game 5 at home by 22 points, led Game 6 by 6966 entering the fourth quarter, when a relatively blah game became much more compelling. The final period was tight throughout, featuring six ties and nine lead changes.
Boston was up 87-82, but did not hold on.