Celtics Beat Wizards 116-110 To End Regular Season
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bradley Beal became the first player in Washington Wizards franchise history to average at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists for a season, reaching the numbers he needed in a 116-110 loss to the playoff-bound Boston Celtics in a finale Tuesday night that was meaningless to both clubs.
Eliminated a while ago and bound for the draft lottery, the Wizards wound up 32-50, their most losses since going 29-53 in 2012-13. Team president Ernie Grunfeld was fired last week after 16 years in charge.
John Wall and Dwight Howard both missed most of the season with injuries.
Beal, a two-time All-Star, finished with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists — all before halftime — on Tuesday as he played in all 82 games for the second consecutive season.
The Celtics already were assured of finishing as the No. 4 team in the Eastern Conference and facing the No. 5-seeded Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. They finished 49-33.
So there was no reason for Boston to care about the outcome Tuesday — or, therefore, use any of its best players.
Seven prominent members of the roster were ruled out: Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Aron Baynes and Marcus Morris. That group includes six of the top seven Celtics in scoring and assists, the club's six leading rebounders.
The starting lineup was Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier, Semi Ojeleye, Guerschon Yabusele and Robert Williams. Ojele, Yabusele and Williams had a combined three starts this season before Tuesday.
Game 1 of the Celtics' first-round series against the Pacers will be in Boston; day and time to be announced.
(© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
