Boston Celtics: Avery Bradley the Difference Maker in Win Over Wizards

Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley shined on both ends of the court in the team’s big victory over the Washington Wizards.

Isaiah Thomas returned to the Boston Celtics lineup to help spark a big 110-102 victory over the Washington Wizards Monday night at TD Garden.  But, it was Avery Bradley who was the difference maker in the defeating the sudden Eastern Conference rivals.

Bradley did it on both ends of the court.  He played stout defense against Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal and stepped up offensively with 20 points.  But the defensive pressure he applied to Beal was the key.

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The sharpshooting guard scored just 19 points in the game on 6-for-15 shooting.  Limiting him was the key to keeping Washington in check and helping the Celtics improve their lead over the Wizards to 2.5 games for the No. 2 see in the East.

Thomas, who led the game with 25 points, valued the intensity of Bradly as the key to the team’s success on Monday night.

"“He was motivated; you could tell in his eye he wanted this game,” Thomas said, via CSNNE.com.  “He was ready and he was the spark for us at the beginning.”"

Making a difference

Avery Bradly missed the two previous battles between the two teams due to an Achilles injury.  In this game, his presence was recognized from the start of the game.  He scored seven of the team’s first 14 points and showed why he was named to the First Team All-NBA Defensive Team last season.

Following the game coach Brad Stevens noted Bradley’s performance on both sides of the court as well as his leadership.

"“Avery, obviously, is a leader in that (playing great defense), Stevens told reporters.  And then he came out and made those first few shots, made some really tough shots off screens, and as much as you have to chase Brad (Bradley Beal) around we wanted to run our guys around a little bit too and I thought he set a good tone for us.”"

With the victory, the Celtics improved their record to 45-26 and remain 2.0 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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