NBA Series Preview: These two teams do not like each other as the Battle in Boston begins with the Celtics hosting the Wizards.
#4 Washington Wizards (53-35) vs. #1 Boston Celtics (57-31).
Series Odds: Celtics -180, Wizards +158.
Series schedule (courtesy of nba.com):
Game 1 – Sunday, April 30, Washington at Boston, 1 p.m., ABC
Game 2 – Tuesday, May 2, Washington at Boston, 8 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Thursday, May 4, Boston at Washington, 8 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 – Sunday, May 7, Boston at Washington, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Game 5 – Wednesday, May 10, Washington at Boston, TBD, TNT
Game 6 – Friday, May 12, Boston at Washington, TBD, ESPN
Game 7 – Monday, May 15, Washington at Boston, 8 p.m., TNT
Regular season series: Tied 2-2.
ATS records: Boston 44-42-2, Washington 45-42-1.
Over/under records: Boston 41-44-32, Washington 53-33-2.
Prediction: Wizards in 7 games.
John Wall has something to prove in this series.
He averaged career highs in scoring (23.1 points per game), assists (10.7 assists per game) and field goal percentage (45.1%) this season. However, he struggled against the Celtics this season. Wall averages 17.8 points per game, 8.3 assists per game while shooting 37.3% from the field against Boston.
Things got chippy between Wall and the Celtics this season. Wall got into a scuffle with Marcus Smart for an alleged cheap shot on the first meeting between these two team this season on November 9. Smart got a technical foul for jawing, while Wall was ejected after being assessed a flagrant two foul.
The chippy play led to a worse incident during their next meeting on January 11. Jae Crowder and Wall got into it after the game, leading to a scuffle between players on both teams. Crowder pointed his finger at Wall up close and ended up poking him in the nose. Consequently, Wall took a swing at Crowder and the escalation began. Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier had to be held back as they got into it with Wizards’ players. Security had to break things up and at least four Boston police officers had to stand between both teams’ locker rooms after the game.
Wall has never been to a conference final with the Wizards. However, he did make it to the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2014, losing in six games to the Pacers.
Many of the talking heads on television have the Wizards playing the Cavaliers in the conference finals. Furthermore, some of them have the Wizards knocking off Cleveland and going to the NBA Finals.
The Celtics are slight favorites to win this series. They certainly have the firepower and depth to outlast the Wizards. Smart and Crowder have scored in double-digits against Washington three times apiece this season and both of them have scored 20 once. Gerald Green has only played 25 minutes against Washington this season in two games, scoring a total of 5 points. However, Green has emerged as a postseason threat since being inserted into the starting lineup in Game 3 of the Chicago series. Green averaged 11 points per game in the final four games of that series, all Boston wins.
Isaiah Thomas has averaged 27.8 points per game (PPG), 8 assists per game (APG) and 4 rebounds per game (RPG) this season against the Wizards. Avery Bradley has averaged 20.5 PPG, 3 APG and 6 RPG in the two games he has played against Washington. He missed two games with a strained right Achilles tendon. Al Horford has averaged 18 PPG, 4 APG and 6.7 RPG in the three games he has played against the Wizards. He missed one game due to a concussion.
Wall’s backcourt partner, Bradley Beal has played well against Boston. Beal has averaged 28.3 PPG, 3.3 APG and 2.7 RPG in the three full games he has played against the Celtics. Beal left the first meeting after playing almost 11 minutes with tightness in his right hamstring.
The home team has won all four games between these two teams in the regular season.
However, the X factor that has me picking the Wizards to narrowly win this series is Chyna Thomas’s funeral in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday. Thomas and Bradley, at minimum, were supposed to attend the funeral on Saturday for the Celtics. Hence, this means the two of them took the red-eye across the country to Tacoma late Friday night and will be flying back to Boston some time Saturday evening for a 1 p.m. start time for Game 1 of this series. The funeral service started at 12 noon local time on Saturday.
This bit of news compels me to pick the Wizards to win Game 1. Consequently, this gives them a slight edge to win the series. If Boston prevails in Game 1, then they will probably win the series.
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