For a few minutes in the first quarter, the Washington Wizards played well, Jordan Poole kept hitting shots, and the Wizards stayed close to the defending champion Boston Celtics. Then Boston awoke in the second and third quarters, built a 30-point lead, and coasted home to a comfortable 20-point win.
It’s about the best that could have been reasonably hoped for given the wildly divergent expectations for the two teams. Boston is the favorite to repeat as champions. The Wizards will have one of the league’s worst records.
The Wizards started three kiddos, including first round picks Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington — both 19-year-old rookies, and Bilal Coulibaly, a 20-year-old second year man.