Celtics pulled off a rare “ugly” 20-point win

“Winning ugly” is usually a phrase used when a team isn't playing well statistically but still manages to fight their way to a W. The Boston Celtics' 122-102 victory over the Washington Wizards was ugly.

It was also a whiplash.

Normally you don't get to see both things at the same time, but I guess it's #DifferentHere.

Boston's start to this game was the exact opposite of everything we saw from them on opening night. They lacked energy, the ball wasn't moving, and they found themselves in a battle with the Jordan Poole-led Wizards.

Despite all this, they still finished the first frame one point ahead of the hosts. For that they can thank Jayson Tatum, who got off to another good start with 14 points in the first quarter.

After another period, the Cs were shooting just 46.7% from the field (not the worst, but not great by their standards) and had turned the ball over six times, which was twice as many as Tuesday.

“I expected a little (low) just because I was coming off such a high,” Joe Mazzulla said of his team’s lackluster start. “It took us a while to get used to the emotions… We just needed a while to get used to the speed of the game.”

Oh yes, and at halftime their lead was double digits.

When play resumed, the value continued to grow to 32 points.

Sure, there's a level at which Washington is just an objectively bad NBA team. Boston was still adjusting its intensity on the fly, making better decisions and playing to its strengths.

From top to bottom, the team did a great job finishing the game with 19 second chance points and 12 offensive rebounds.

Four of those came from Neemias Queta, who brought great energy from Boston's bench. He scored 12 points and seven boards in 14 minutes.

Mazzulla paid tribute to the big man after the win, reminding reporters that he was instrumental in a few different victories last season.

He wasn't the only one either. CS guard Derrick White also called out Queta, saying it felt like he caught “every offensive rebound.”

Listen, this isn't the kind of win you'll be telling your kids or grandkids about one day. But it was a great example of how Boston plays and functions best as a team. They used Queta's hustle and great energy with better ball movement and more focused defense to change the entire course of the game.

Boston's star pair of Tatum and Jaylen Brown (happy birthday) also had their respective moments, but there's something truly satisfying about seeing a team come together and collectively decide on the right play to take control.

It was also pretty special to watch the Wizards, not named Jordan Poole, go a combined 1-for-25 from distance.