BOSTON — It was clear from the jump that Neemias Queta was poised for a big night. The Washington Wizards consistently left him open in the pick-and-roll, and the Boston Celtics kept finding him.
If Queta was in the paint, it was a bucket. If he got the offensive rebound, it was a bucket. He looked like an unstoppable force against Washington's porous defense.
The Celtics big man finished the first half with 22 points and six rebounds on 10-of-12 shooting.
Derrick White was right behind him, and his impact was a two-way street.
He put up 12 points, six rebounds, and two assists in the first half, but his defensive influence far outweighed anything he did on the offensive end of the court.
White flew around like a madman on defense. He blocked mid-range jumpers, closed off driving lanes, and managed to chase a ton of Washington's shooters off the three-point line.
Wherever he went, the Wizards struggled to get into a rhythm. It was a masterful defensive performance.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown got off to relatively slow offensive starts, but for different reasons.
Tatum's offense looked off. He wasn't hitting shots he typically does, and it seemed as though he was just a step behind his usual pace. Perhaps it's all part of his reconditioning process.
Brown was efficient, and he passed the ball well. However, the Wizards sent a little extra pressure to the ball, so it turned Brown and Tatum into passers. Queta was the beneficiary of that defensive decision by Washington.
The Wizards kept things close through the first quarter, but a 35-14 second-quarter advantage gave Boston a massive lead.
And they maintained that lead in the third.
After the first quarter, Tatum started to find his rhythm, and he really exploded in the third. In the third, he put up 11 points, six rebounds, and two assists on 5-of-9 shooting.
Baylor Scheierman and Luka Garza chipped in with solid games, too. Scheierman's rebounding and hustle defense were complemented by his ever-improving off-the-dribble game. Meanwhile, Garza added some playmaking to his usual screening, offensive rebounding, and scoring skills.
The Wizards made the Celtics think in the fourth quarter. What was once a 30-point lead quickly shrank to 14. And then 13. And then 12.
Boston lost all semblance of offensive flow, and it helped the Wizards get out in transition. Boston endured long, fruitless offensive possessions as the Wizards put them in rotation and found open shots.
But in the end, the Celtics' monstrous lead was too much for the Wizards to overcome. Tatum, White, Queta, and Brown did just enough to keep Boston in front, and they still ended the night with a comfortable, double-digit victory. (Though it did look scary for a few minutes in the fourth.)
Big winner: Despite having a pretty quiet second half, Queta was still the story of Saturday night's game.
His first half was unbelievable. Washington stepped up in the pick-and-roll to pressure Boston's ball handlers, but in doing so, left the roll wide open. All Queta had to do was fill the space on the floor and finish the play from there.
It was a straightforward mission for the big man, but one he tackled with perfection.
Washington adjusted in the second half, and Queta went quiet. But even that can't take away from just how dominant he was through the first two quarters on Saturday night.
Ouch, tough one: This was one of those nights. The Wizards just played dreadful basketball.
There were multiple possessions in the first half where Brown got an offensive rebound, but didn't even have to jump to get it. It happened for a couple of Celtics players. Washington just wasn't quick to the ball.
And while Queta definitely played well, a big reason for his success was the Wizards' complete lack of an interior presence. Queta made Alex Sarr look invisible.
As far as Washington's shiny new addition, Trae Young? He put up okay numbers in his limited minutes, but the Celtics wiped out any potential impact on winning he may have had.
Maybe Anthony Davis can help save them next year, but right now, it's a tough time for Wizards basketball.
The big picture: There's not much to be taken from a game like this. Queta showed off his improved skills once again, Tatum shook off some more rust, and White continued to cement his case for All-Defensive First Team.
But it was the Wizards. This was the expectation.
Even so, after a tough two-game losing streak against the two best teams in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, Saturday night gave the Celtics a perfect chance to bounce back. And they did just that.