WASHINGTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum had 28 points and 12 rebounds and the Boston Celtics cruised to a 112-98 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday night.
Tatum had missed two of Boston's previous four games with a knee issue. He helped the Celtics win their seventh straight over the Wizards and third in Washington this season.
Payton Pritchard added 15 points on five 3-pointers, and Derrick White also had 15 points.
Jordan Poole led Washington with 21 points, and Bilal Coulibaly added 19. The Wizards have lost three in a row and 16 of 17.
Takeaways
Celtics: Kristaps Porzingis scored 11 points in 11 minutes before he was forced out with right heel pain. The 29-year-old forward was making his seventh appearance of the season, all of those coming since Nov. 25.
Wizards: Justin Champagnie had 13 points and 14 rebounds, and Bub Carrington added 11 points and 10 rebound.
Key moment
Tatum hit three baskets during a 15-0 run that spanned across the first and second quarters, including a pull-up 3 with four seconds left in the first to stretch Boston’s lead to 11 points. White’s 3-pointer early in the second completed the run, making it 39-23.
Key stat
The Celtics had a 16-1 free-throw advantage in the first half and finished at 24-8.
Up next
Both teams are back in action Thursday night. Boston hosts Chicago, and Washington hosts Charlotte.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Ian Nicholas Quillen, The Associated Press
