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The Washington Wizards will face the Boston Celtics at TD Garden for a chance to move on to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed.
Tuesday’s play-in tournament game will be crucial as it gives the winner of the contest outright entry into the postseason.
It has been a disappointing season for the seventh-ranked Boston Celtics, who were regarded as title contenders heading into the 2020-21 NBA season. They had some good moments, including a six-game winning streak in April, but were mostly a .500 team with a 36-36 record this season.
Meanwhile, the eighth-ranked Washington Wizards started the season poorly before a late-season spurt brought them back into the playoff picture. The Wizards lost the season series to the Boston Celtics 2-1, but that was before they went on an astounding 17-6 finish to their campaign.
The winner of Tuesday's game will go on to become the No. 7 seed in the East and will face the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. The loser will face the winner of the Indiana Pacers vs. Charlotte Hornets battle for the right to the No. 8 seed.
Match Details
Fixture - Washington Wizards vs Boston Celtics | 2020-21 NBA Season
Date & Time - Tuesday, May 18th, 9:00 PM ET (Wednesday, May 19th, 6:30 AM IST)
Venue - TD Garden, Boston, MA
Washington Wizards Preview
The Washington Wizards defeated the Charlotte Hornets 115-110 on Sunday and will face the Boston Celtics in the play-in tournament. Since April 7th, the Wizards were the league’s fifth-best offensive team (116.2 offensive rating) and eighth-best defensive team (110.5 defensive rating).
Bradley Beal recently made his return against the Charlotte Hornets after missing the last three games due to a left hamstring strain. He contributed 25 points for the Washington Wizards, 20 after halftime, as he finished the season second to Stephen Curry in scoring average.
The Washington Wizards have won two straight games and four of their last six matchups compared to the Boston Celtics, who lost five of their last six games.
Key Player - Russell Westbrook
The league’s all-time leader in triple-doubles with 184, Russell Westbrook recorded his 38th of the season with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists against the Charlotte Hornets.
Had he started the season healthier, the Washington Wizards would have had a better record, considering the fact that he has been playing at an MVP-level for the past month and a half.
His matchup with the Boston Celtics’ Kemba Walker is one to watch for. Walker isn’t a lock-in defender, but he will have to find a way to slow down the Washington Wizards guard for his team to win.
Washington Wizards Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Russell Westbrook l Shooting Guard - Bradley Beal l Small Forward - Davis Bertans l Power Forward - Rui Hachimura l Center - Alex Len
Boston Celtics Preview
The Boston Celtics will have to stave off the rampaging Washington Wizards in order to make it to the playoffs. Brad Stevens’ team is on the brink of elimination with only two opportunities to avoid a horrendous season.
Since April 7th, the Boston Celtics went 11-10, with eight of those losses coming from their last 13. Offensively, they were just 18th in the league (112.8 offensive rating) and 11th defensively (112.0 defensive rating).
To match the Washington Wizards’ intensity, particularly that of Russell Westbrook, the Celtics will have to get into an offensive rhythm early in the game.
However, the loss of Jaylen Brown to a season-ending injury has hurt the Boston Celtics a lot, and his absence could determine the outcome of the play-in tournament.
Key Player - Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum may have to perform at superhuman levels for the Boston Celtics to appear in the postseason for the seventh straight time.
Tatum is certainly capable, as evidenced by his 60-point performance back in April 30 when he rallied his team from a 32-point deficit to win 143-140 in overtime against the San Antonio Spurs.
In his last four games, Tatum has been averaging 29.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. He’s literally doing everything on the court but he shouldn’t have to. It’s a good thing that Kemba Walker has also been on fire lately, averaging 29.8 points in his last four games this season.
The two stars have to step up their games even more during the play-in tournament.
Boston Celtics Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Kemba Walker l Shooting Guard - Marcus Smart l Small Forward - Evan Fournier l Power Forward - Jayson Tatum l Center - Tristan Thompson
Wizards vs Celtics Match Prediction
The Boston Celtics are in for a rude awakening. They have been sloppy and lacking in focus all season, and it doesn't look like they will get their act together in time.
The Washington Wizards will win this game as Westbrook and Beal are more ready to take their team into the playoffs in their first season together.
Where to Watch Wizards vs Celtics
The Washington Wizards vs Boston Celtics game will be shown on national television by TNT. International audiences can watch the game live via an NBA League Pass.
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