BOSTON — The Boston Celtics are learning the hard way.
Jeff Green scored 25 points, reserve Marcus Thornton had 21 and the Celtics nearly blew a 25-point third-quarter lead before beating the Washington Wizards 101-93 Sunday in Paul Pierce’s return.
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WHO: Boston Celtics at Washington Wizards
WHEN: 7 p.m. Monday
TELEVISION: CSB
After blowing a big lead earlier in the week and winning in overtime against Detroit, they hung on in the final minute against the Wizards. Boston blew out the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.
“That’s twice this week that we’ve handled it better, once we didn’t,” Boston Coach Brad Stevens said. “I just thought we played gutsy at the end.”
In a handful of games earlier this season, the Celtics squandered big leads and ended up losing.
Rajon Rondo had a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for the Celtics, who won their third straight after a season-high five-game losing streak.
“We got to do what we did to get the lead,” Rondo said. “I think we stopped running – (when) they score every time down it’s hard to run – and (when we’re) able to get stops and push the ball up, that’s how we got the lead.”
Rasual Butler scored 14 of his 22 points in the final quarter for the Wizards, who failed to match the franchise’s best start since 1968-69.
Pierce, who played for the Celtics for 15 seasons and was a member of their 2008 championship team before being traded to Brooklyn prior to last season, scored 16 points. He signed with Washington as a free agent during the offseason.
“This place will always have a place in my heart – always,” he said.
John Wall had 17 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds for Washington, which had won its last four.
“For whatever reason, after winning four in row and playing the way we have, moving the ball and sharing the ball, we came out tonight as individuals,” Wizards Coach Randy Wittman said.
The Celtics opened their 25-point lead midway through the third quarter before the Wizards made a furious fourth-quarter rally.
Washington, which struggled with its shooting, didn’t get into an offensive rhythm until the beginning of the final quarter when Butler nailed three 3-pointers during a 14-3 spree.
Butler’s fourth 3-pointer of the quarter helped the Wizards make it 94-93 with just over a minute to play.
Pierce front-rimmed a 3 before Avery Bradley nailed one from deep in the right corner for Boston with 37 seconds to play, and Green’s breakaway layup sealed it.
The Celtics led 63-38 after Rondo’s fast-break layup and were ahead 77-59 entering the final quarter.
Pierce got a nice hand during pregame introductions. The crowd near the Wizards bench chanted his name during the third quarter. “It’s always probably going to be weird just coming up in this arena,” he said before the game. “Even just landing in the airport and driving through the city, taking a left instead of a right into the locker room. It’s always going to be weird coming in here.”
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