As the Boston Celtics head into the half of their second round Game 7 battle with the Washington Wizards at the TD Garden trailing 55-53, here are some first half thoughts.

Kelly Green- Green Teamers have to be loving the surprisingly strong first half put together by Boston big Kelly Olynyk. Coming off the bench, as he has throughout the postseason, Olynyk has assumed the role of the C's second option so far through Game 7. In 15 minutes of play, the tall Canadian has poured in 12 points on a very efficient 5-7 from the field. It will be interesting to see if Olynyk can keep up the high level of play in the second half.

Spreading The Scoring- One of the big differences in the game so far is the the C's have just two players in double digits (both Olynyk and Isaiah Thomas have 12 points a piece), while the Wizards have four guys with 10 or more. In fact, each of Washington's starters, with the exception of center Marcin Gortat who has yet to score, has scored at least 11 points. if Boston can't find a way to slow the Wizards' heavy hitters, they could find they're way out of the postseason.

Equal Numbers- Though the Wizards hold the slim, two-point lead, both teams have shot 47.4 percent through the first two quarters. While both teams have also shot over 80 percent from the line in the early going, the Wiz have been hot from behind the three point line, shooting 50 percent. Boston has struggled from behind the arc, knocking down just three of 12 attempts.

Beaten On The Boards & The Break- Once again, the C's have gotten beaten on the boards so far in this one. Not only has Washington won the battle of the glass, but they also have the game's only three offensive boards. Washington has also dominated Boston in the fast break. the Wiz hold the 10-0 advantage through two quarters.

Thomas Takeover Time- Isaiah Thomas must take over in the second half for the C's. He'll likely need one of his big time, home playoff performances in the last two quarters, if the C's can prevail.

 

 

 

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