Several Boston players showed up wearing black for Game 6, but the Celtics weren’t able to end the Wizards’ season. The Celtics took Game 5, and the Wizards won Game 6.
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And there’s more work to be done by both of these teams. “We did a lot to push it to seven games against that team”.
Despite their status as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics remain an unfinished product, and their time is not yet here.
“They were the more physical team today”, Wall said. The home team has won each of the first six games in this series.
Bradley Beal led the Wizards, who were playing their first game seven since 1979, with 38 points, including 24 in the second half.
Otto Porter added 20 points.
These Celtics, however, passed the former Celtic’s test with Monday night’s 115-105 Game 7 win over Washington.
Throughout the first part of the third quarter, it was the same story, with Washington still clinging to a four-point lead with just over four minutes to go in the frame. Olynyk was shoved to the ground by Oubre, who was then suspended.
Crunch time is known as “I.T”.
The crowd went into a frenzy after the shot as Wall started into the stands with his chest out and his arms flexed, taking in the moment.
These two teams have had two days off prior to Game 7, so both should be somewhat fresh.
The Wizards are trying to end the second-longest conference finals drought in the National Basketball Association (only the Clippers have gone longer) and advance to that round for the first time since 1979.
Wall and Beal each were beneficiaries scoring eight and nine points, respectively in the second quarter to help the Wizards take a two-point lead into halftime. The Wizards were only 1 of 6 shooting, after four minutes.
All things considered, we think the Cavs will be headed to their third straight NBA Finals appearance. Boston is an extremely tough place to play and the Celtics have so many rotations they can use in various scenarios. That stood as the last Game 7 road win in the Finals until the Cavaliers defeated the Warriors last season.
The Wizards need to make threes and can’t avoid a repeat performance of Game 6 when they were 3-for-21 at one point late in the fourth quarter. Central (8 p.m. Eastern).
In some ways, this Celtics-Wizards series defies analysis or description but maybe what’s going on is as simple as this: these guys are all homebodies who get tummy aches when not sleeping in their own beds.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) in the first quarter at TD Garden. Russell led the Celtics to a 10-0 record in Game 7s from 1957 to 1969.
The Celtics are the favorites going into Game 7 in Boston, as bet365 Sports has posted in their favor at 1.47, while the Wizards are not too far behind at 2.75.
The three games in Washington were a different story.
In fact, nearly every home team has performed woefully in elimination games this postseason.
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Sure, Wall and Beal are the two main scoring options for this Wizards group.
