NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking points from Washington Wizards vs Boston Celtics

#3 What this win means to the Celtics' plummeting camaraderie

The Celtics crammed the Wizards for room down the stretch.

Carrying the fifth best defensive rating in the league, the Celtics held their opponents scoreless across a four-minute stretch in the fourth quarter. The Wizards committed seven turnovers in that window, as the defensive intensity proved to be pivotal in closing the game for Boston.

"That one stretch of defense separated the game and that was fun to see," Boston coach Brad Stevens said.

The effort on the defensive end showed that this team can still put aside all the background noise and dial-up the vigor when needed to create separation in close games. Undoubtedly, the recent chatter and locker-room spats have deviated their focus to a large extent, however, their ferociousness on both ends of the floor in crunch situations is still unmatched.

Kyrie Irving and his high-powered group can finally take a deep breath and focus on things that matter - one of them being bridging the gap from last year and making it to the NBA Finals.