Celtics dominate Wizards 146-101

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2025/12/05/jordan-walsh-celtics-wizards/
AP Photo/ John McDonnell
The Celtics cruised to an easy 45-point win over the Wizards to improve to 13-9 and the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference. The lead was only 7 at halftime, but they would dominate in the second half, scoring 80 points to get their largest win of the season. 
Jaylen Brown was ruled out with an illness before the game, giving Sam Hauser the 5th spot in the starting lineup. In the first quarter, Neemias Queta and Derrick White would do much of the damage, scoring 20 of the 32 points. On defense, they allowed just 26 points while forcing 5 turnovers.
In the second quarter, Payton Pritchard and Jordan Walsh do most of the scoring, combining for 25 of the 34 points on 10/16 shooting. The defense, however, was much worse, allowing 33 points on 50% shooting. Going into halftime, the Celtics led 66-59. 
Coming out of halftime, the game would begin to unravel, with the Celtics taking a 23-point lead after three quarters. They would win the quarter 43-27 off the back of 16 points in the paint as well as hitting 12/14 free throws, something the Celtics have struggled to do all season. The lead was now 109-86. 
In the fourth quarter, only 2 starters, Payton Pritchard and Neemias Queta, would play, giving the bench most of the minutes. They took full advantage, winning the quarter 37-15 with Hugo Gonzalez and Anfernee Simons combining for 23 points. On defense, they would force 8 steals and hold the Wizards to just 5/17 from the floor to cruise to an easy 146-101 victory. 
The good
The offense was incredible the entire game, scoring 146 points with the lowest-scoring quarter being 32 points. They got easy shots all night, racking up 35 assists, and finished the game shooting a blistering 54% from the field and 42% from three. 
Derrick White led the way with 30 points and 9 assists and appears to be slowly getting back on track, shooting over 50% from the floor in three of his last four games. 
The two biggest surprise players of the season, Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh, played outstanding, combining for 39 points on 15/17 shooting. Jordan Walsh in particular had a career game, shooting a perfect 8/8 from the floor, and the Celtics are now 8-2 in games that he starts. Payton Pritchard did not have his best scoring night but managed to contribute in other areas, grabbing 5 offensive rebounds and dishing out 8 assists. 
The defense was suffocating, holding the Wizards to 101 points on 41% shooting, forced 18 turnovers, and had 14 steals. This was a game where defense led to offense, scoring 29 points on the fast break. 
Conclusion
This was the most dominant win of the year for the Celtics, and it came without their best player. This win now puts them at the 5th seed and 8-2 in their last 10 during arguably their toughest stretch of the season. They will fly back to Boston to host the Lakers without Lebron James or Luka Doncic on a back-to-back, looking to continue their winning streak and climb the standings.