Celtics 92 - 118 Wizards
Final
  for this game

Wizards rout Celtics to clinch playoff spot

Apr 3, 2014 - 7:16 AM

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Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - The Washington Wizards earned their first playoff berth since 2008 after defeating the Boston Celtics, 118-92, on Wednesday.

Marcin Gortat tallied 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists and Bradley Beal added 19 points, while shooting 7-for-8 from the field. Trevor Ariza contributed 18 points and seven boards for the Wizards, who have won three of four. John Wall tallied 13 points and 10 assists.

"You celebrate tonight and get ready to go on the road and win another game," Wall said. "That's the main thing, try and finish the season as strong as possible for the playoffs and a great playoff seed spot."

Coming off the bench, Jared Sullinger scored a game-high 25 points and Kelly Olynyk added 14 points for Boston, which has lost 11 of 12. Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green totaled 13 points apiece, with Rondo adding seven rebounds and six assists.

Washington jumped out to a 21-6 lead 5 1/2 minutes into the game and did not look back. Boston went on a 9-3 run to come within eight and the Wizards carried a 29-21 lead into the second quarter.

The Celtics came as close as seven with 3:40 left in the first half before Washington increased the margin to 57-46 at the break.

The Wizards began the third with a 9-2 run to create an 18-point cushion, 66-48, three minutes into the second half. Washington closed out the final three minutes of the third on a 12-1 burst to stake themselves to an 89-62 advantage going into the final frame.

Washington led by as many as 33 in the fourth and the Celtics didn't come closer than 20 points through the final 12 minutes, as the Wizards cruised to the finish.

"I don't want to take anything away from [the Wizards] because it's a big night for them, clinching the playoffs and I thought they played great. But we didn't provide any fight tonight," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.

Game Notes

The Celtics have lost 11 straight on the road ... Washington is 16-0 at home when shooting a higher field goal percentage than its opponent ... The Wizards shot 62.5 percent (45-of-72) from the floor, while Boston made 39.5 percent (32-of-81) of its field goals.






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