The time in the Chinatown village of Washington, D.C. was about a minute and a half into the 3rd quarter. The Wizards army had trailed for much of the game thus far, by as many as 12 even. This, despite having taken a commanding 8-0 lead to start the battle.
The Wizards had seen that movie before. They've risen up over the Celtics before only to find themselves lying down later. They were spotted the first 16 points in Game 1 but lost the game by 12. They went on a 14-0 run in Game 2 only to lose by 10 in overtime.
On this May evening, we witnessed some of the same. A 12-point lead was now a 3-point deficit. Shots were falling for Washington but at an unfavorable rate. General John Wall managed to score 14 points but on 17 shots. The DC army had forced six turnovers but committed 10 of their own.
That's when the Washington army decided it was time for a revolution.
That's when everything went blurry for Boston.
Like a pummeling freight train, Wall's army rolled over every Bostonian in their path, beginning with their most unstoppable weapon: the steal and rapid finish in transition.
When a Washington soldier misfired a shot, another was there, locked and loaded. Watch Markieff Morris grab the offensive board and kick it back out to Bradley Beal for a 3. Pay specific mind to the screen set by Otto Porter on Jae Crowder, freeing Beal for the perfect look.
Freezing your enemies out of position is known to be a powerful war tactic. The way General Wall does it could be considered a war crime. Watch this no-look dish to Marcin Gortat for an open reverse layup, a play that capped off an 11-0 run in 3 minutes and left the Bostonians retreating to a timeout.
With the Boston army reeling, Washington proceeded with what was now considered an onslaught. Boston was looking for answers on offense, but the Wizards were just too overbearing. Here, Boston's General Isaiah Thomas was mauled by two DC defenders before being picked off by Sir Otto Porter who darted the other direction for an uncontested dunk. Once trailing by 3,Washington was now leading by 12.
On their heels, the Bostonians tried revving up the force on the defensive, yet the Wizards still plowed through. Consecutive and-1's were converted by the formidable duo made up of General Wall and Colonel Beal, further bloodying the scene. The Wizards were now on a 19-0 run, and up by 17 points.
And then came the most brutal strike of them all. General Wall finds himself face-to-face against a mismatched Private named Marcus Smart. General Wall dances around Private Smart, luring him into a daze before slashing him with the tip of his bayonet.
The Bostonians figured this to be a favorable matchup. They felt confident they could overcome any setback, and rightfully so based on their resilience in Battles 1 and 2. But on this night in Chinatown Washington's army would be the ones to charge back. Twenty-six unanswered points in just five minutes of burn, flipping what was once a 12-point deficit into a 21-point lead; a whopping 33-point swing.
When the smoke cleared, a battered General Thomas staggered back on his feet, shell-shocked by the relentless assault on his army.
