Thanks to a total team effort, the Boston Celtics were able to defeat the Washington Wizards 115-105 in Game 7 of their second-round series on Monday. The Celtics now take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics were able to get past the Wizards, in large part because the lack of scoring down the stretch from All-Star point guard John Wall. He made a difference offensively by getting his teammates involved and racking up assists, yet Wall couldn't find his shot in the second half.
Celtics backup combo guard Marcus Smart believes that Wall didn't make an impact scoring-wise because he simply wore down.
From MassLive's Jay King:
“He definitely did,” Smart said. “He took (eight) 3s and hit one. We played them at their place, he hit a couple, the game-winner. His legs were just gone. That's what we just kept telling our guys, our coaching staff kept telling us, ‘Just keep playing. Make sure he sees two or three. He's going to wear down. In Game 7, legs are gone.' And it does play a role and a big factor.”
Whether or not Wall actually wore down is hard to say. Wizards coach Scott Brooks said postgame that fatigue wasn't a factor for Wall. Either way, that's what Smart believes and it is his team not Wall's that is advancing to the next round of the NBA playoffs.
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