The Wizards lose to the Celtics for the third time without Kyle Kuzma

Boston suffers a big loss

Those three games for the Wizards have served as a measuring stick for their position in the Eastern Conference. It was a two-team matchup; Jimmy Butler and Jayson Tatum were both away, who played in the conference finals with the Heat twice in Miami and then the Celtics in Boston. Although Tatum did not play on Sunday, the Celtics sailed to a 26-point win over the Wizards despite not having Tatum. On Sunday, Kyle Kuzma was added to the Wizards' long injury list. Besides Rui Hachimura, Delon Wright, and Johnny Davis, he also missed the game due to lower back pain. Hachimura missed the game for the fourth straight time. Despite Tatum's absence, the Celtics did not back down on offence. They made 11 triples in the first half alone to shoot 55% for the night. Three straight losses are the Wizards' longest losing streak so far. They face the Timberwolves on Monday in the second of a back-to-back before playing Brooklyn on Wednesday.

The return of Morris

After missing two games due to a right ankle injury, Monte Morris returned to the starting lineup. Morris made three three-pointers on his first four shots. He shot 6-for-8 from the field and 4-for-5 from beyond the arc, finishing with 16 points and eight assists. Morris's three long-range shots were all on catch-and-shoot plays, which reminded me of how good he is at them. He made 42.1% of his catch-and-shoot threes last season in Denver, scoring 3.2 attempts per game. This year, he only shot 30.6% on those plays after shooting at least 39% in the previous four seasons. That may be the start of his turnaround.

Add Block

A margin of rebounding

Boston was not just dominant on the 3-point line but also the glass. A 38-to-29 rebounding win for Boston over Brooklyn made up for its 24th ranking in total rebounding in the NBA. Wes Unseld Jr. probably opted for Taj Gibson over Daniel Gafford as his backup centre. Gibson's ability to box out was crucial against the Celtics' lineup of players with NFL stats. In his last game, Gafford played very well, so it is likely there was nothing he did wrong. However, he played when it was over.

A difficult matchup

Even though both games were played on the road in Boston, the Wizards have now lost both games to the Celtics in a crooked fashion. The Celtics appear to be a difficult opponent for the Wizards early in the season. The Wizards had a bad shooting night against them in the first meeting, but they handled them well without their best player in the second encounter. Both games were plagued by Jaylen Brown (36 points on Sunday), and Robert Williams could not play. In addition to making the NBA Finals last season, the Celtics have the best record in the NBA at 16-4. If the Wizards have a potential playoff matchup in the future, they should keep it in mind. The Celtics and Wizards are both No. 1 seeds in the East so they may meet.

It's Dotson's time

Devon Dotson saw his first playing time this season since Jordan Schakel replaced him as the second two-way contract holder. Doston got the call during the third quarter because things were getting out of hand. Then Unseld Jr. might have been looking for a spark from a young player, perhaps some more effort defending the perimeter. Goodwin has shown that there is always time for a person to emerge. In 18 minutes, Dotson grabbed four rebounds, helped two teams, and stole a ball.