Celtics vs. Wizards Preview & Predictions

Washington and Boston are playing their second game against each other in as many nights, with the Celtics upsetting the Wizards 101-93 Sunday night. Now the teams travel to Washington, with the Wizards looking to get revenge.

Projected Starting Lineups

Washington Wizards (13-6)

G John Wall – 17.6 ppg, 10.0 apg, 2.1 spg

G Bradley Beal – 14.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg

F Paul Pierce – 12.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg

F Nene – 10.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg

C Marcin Gortat – 13.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg

Boston Celtics (7-11)

G Rajon Rondo – 8.8 ppg, 11.2 apg

G Avery Bradley – 13.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg

F Jeff Green – 19.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg

F Jared Sullinger - 15.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg

C Tyler Zeller - 7.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg

What to watch for:

Rajon Rondo vs. John Wall

Rondo put up a triple-double last night against Wizards (13 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists) in leading the Celtics to a win, while Wall's 17 points and 14 assists weren't enough to put his team over the top. That said, Wall did not have a good game offensively, shooting 5-13 from the field while being obviously bothered by Rondo's defense. If Rondo can duplicate his performance on that side of the ball and limit Wall's production, they'll get another victory.

How will Bradley Beal rebound from his 4-18 shooting performance?

That's right - Beal shot 4-18 from the field against the Celtics last night, while being primarily guarded by Avery Bradley and Jeff Green. It's hard to imagine him having another night of poor shooting, but if Bradley and Green force him to shoot less that his usual 43.4 percent on the season, they'll have a good chance of winning two in a row against Washington.

Prediction: Wizards 105-92

Washington has looked like one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and could be dark horse candidate to make the NBA Finals. Boston is coming on strong having won three games in a row, including Sunday night against the Wizards, but they're not good enough to get it done against a team this talented two nights in a row.

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