Jaylen Brown scored 35 points as the Boston Celtics erased a double-digit first-quarter deficit to defeat the Washington Wizards 136-107 on Wednesday at TD Garden. The victory ended Boston’s two-game home losing streak and marked Washington’s sixth consecutive loss.
The Wizards jumped to a 32-20 lead in the first quarter and held a 39-30 advantage early in the second. The Celtics responded with a 19-2 run, highlighted by Payton Pritchard’s 10 points, to take the lead for good.
Brown added five rebounds and five assists before leaving with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, with Boston ahead by 19 points. Neemias Queta recorded a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Josh Minott scored a career-high 21. Derrick White contributed 12 points and eight assists.
Alex Sarr led Washington with 31 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks, marking his seventh straight game with at least two rejections. Despite his performance, the Wizards have not defeated the Celtics in nine attempts since March 2023.
Boston built a 10-point halftime lead and extended it to 22 after three quarters. Even with Brown and other starters resting in the fourth, the Celtics expanded their advantage to 33 points. Boston shot 39% from three on a season-high 41 attempts and finished 54.7% overall from the field.
Pritchard added 18 points, while Sam Hauser chipped in seven off the bench. Luka Garza contributed 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting with four made three-pointers. The team displayed improved perimeter efficiency compared to recent games.
The Celtics will travel to Orlando for a pair of games on Friday and Sunday, while Washington visits Cleveland on Friday. Boston improved to 4-5 on the season, and the Wizards fell to 1-7.
