Washington Wizards vs. Boston Celtics: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread & More

After locking horns in the capital city on New Year's Day, the Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics are back at it on Monday with a battle in the TD Garden Arena. 

The Wizards are still trying to find their style in the early going, which is really just a nice way of saying that they aren't very good. At 0-4, they are the only winless team in the Eastern Conference. To make matters worse, John Wall's shot has completely abandoned him thus far.

The Celtics are still trying to find some balance between their young players and veterans, which has led to a slow start this season. Everyone knows they have to keep The Big Four healthy if they are going to have any chance to compete for a championship. 

Where: T.D. Garden Arena in Boston, MA.

When: Monday, January 2 at 7:30 p.m. EDT

Watch: Comcast Sportsnet Washington; Comcast Sports Net New England (Boston)

Live Stream: NBA League Pass available for $29.95/month. Free preview through January 8. 

Listen: 106.7 The Fan (Washington); 93.7 FM and 850 AM WEEI (Boston)

Betting Line: Boston (-12)

Wizards Injury Report (via ESPN.com)

Day-to-Day: SF Maurice Evans (Knee)

Celtics Injury Report (via ESPN.com)

Day-to-Day: C Jermaine O'Neal (Hamstring), PF Chris Wilcox (Shoulder)

What's At Stake?

The Wizards are approaching desperation mode, and we are only four games into the season. They have yet to win a game and they rank at or near the bottom of the league in key statistical categories. They need to find something, anything to build on soon. 

The Celtics need to have a dominating performance in front of their fans. They hear everything that is said about them being old and unable to keep up with teams like Miami and Chicago in the East, and this is a game they could use to make a statement.

What They Are Saying

Rajon Rondo has led the Celtics back after their slow start, and his triple-double against the Wizards on Sunday was his best performance of the season. He even had Doc Rivers and John Wall talking about it after the game. 

From ESPN:

"

"I just knew he played great. He was sensational all night. He had one of those nights—he had this last year in stretches—where he just called a good game, you know, like he's a great catcher," Rivers said.

"He does the little things. He's sneaky at rebounding," Wall said. "He does a great job of trying to steal the ball. He can score in various ways."

"

Wizards Player To Watch: PG John Wall

Everything starts with the second-year point guard. He is supposed to control the offense with his shooting and passing ability, but this season has been a struggle for him to say the least. 

He is averaging just 13 points, six assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. The more troubling stat, though, is that he is shooting just 27 percent from the floor. That is unacceptable for a starting point guard—even on the worst team in the league. 

Celtics Player To Watch: PF Kevin Garnett

It is still early, but Garnett is on pace to have the worst season of his career since he was a rookie. He is averaging a career-low 5.8 rebounds, and the 10.8 points he is scoring per game would be the second-worst of his storied career. 

His body has a lot of miles on it, so perhaps this is just the kind of player he is going to be from now on. But for the Celtics to be true contenders, they need him to be closer to the player that he was the previous two seasons (14 points, eight rebounds).

Key Matchup: John Wall vs. Rajon Rondo

Unlike Wall, Rondo has improved his play so far this season. He is scoring more while simultaneously getting his teammates involved in the offense. Everything the Celtics do runs through him. If he struggles, so do they. 

Wall will have to step up his defensive play as well as his offensive contributions if the Wizards are going to have a chance in this game. He has to prove that he belongs in that elite class of point guards, and this is as good a place to start. 

Prediction

I do think that playing on back-to-back nights is going to hinder Boston's performance more than Washington's. But when push comes to shove, the Celtics are still the better team and should walk away victorious. 

Celtics 90, Wizards 85

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