The Celtics and Wizards have a little rivalry brewing:
- Marcus Smart hit Bradley Beal with his forearm, causing a concussion
- John Wall and Smart had a heated exchange
- Jae Crowder told Al Horford not to sign with Washington, because it couldn’t beat Boston
- Crowder and Wall got into a postgame scrum
- Otto Porter said the Celtics try to play dirty
The latest chapter comes for tonight’s game, with the Wizards – imitating a commonly used fashion for closeout playoff games – wearing all black to the arena.
Kelly Oubre Jr.:
We’re wearing all black to the game. So you know where we’re going with that.
Round three. Let’s get it.
Wall (as Beal yells encouragement in the background):
All black everything. A funeral.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN Mid-Atlantic:
When Jae Crowder was asked about the Wizards all-black gear, his initial response...“That’s cute!”
Isaiah Thomas, via Blakely:
“This is definitely not Game 7 or the playoffs,” said Isaiah Thomas. “But if they want to take it that serious, they can.”
Gotta agree with the Celtics here. This is an absurd level of motivational showmanship for a January game.
But I also love it! These petty feuds are fantastic and spice up a long regular season.
My favorite part of the Wizards’ funeral motif: Even if they “bury” Boston tonight, these teams meet again in March.
