John Wall was clearly miffed when several Celtics players arrived for Game 6 at the Verizon Center wearing all-black.
The Celtics' unstated message: "We're going to bury the Wizards."
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The Wizards definitely didn't get the message, as John Wall's clutch 3-pointer with just over three seconds remaining buried the Celtics, 92-91, to force Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Boston will host the series finale Monday, with the winner advancing to face the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
After hitting the game-winning shot, Wall was clearly still upset about the Celtics pre-game attire. (To be fair, the Wizards pulled a similar stunt earlier this year against Boston).
"Don't come to my city wearing all black talking about it's a funeral," Wall told ESPN after the game. All we asked for is a Game 7 … all we have is one game left before we go to the conference finals. We couldn't ask for more."
Wall (26 points) came up huge many times down the stretch for the Wizards, as did backcourt partner Bradley Beal, who scored 33 points. The two combined for 42 of Washington's 51 second-half points.
Surprisingly, ESPN points out that game-winning shot was Wall's first career go-ahead 3-pointer in the final 10 seconds of an NBA game; he'd gone 0 for 6 in previous attempts.
Wall and Beal's brilliant showing overshadowed a great outing by Boston's dynamic backcourt. Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley each had 27 points. But Thomas's 3-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark, and the Wizards lived to see another day.
Surely, the Wizards wouldn't sport a "Back in Black" look for Game 7 in Boston to send a message, would they?
Highlight
Boston big man Al Horford runs the floor and gets an easy dunk as his reward.