While it seemed every NBA team had a big trade to announce just before Thursday's trade deadline, the Celtics and Wizards chose to stay the course. Both teams had been thought to be pursuing moves, but didn't — or rather, couldn't — close any deals at the deadline.
Both teams showed Thursday they might be just fine despite standing pat in the trade market, as the Celtics hold off the Wizards for a tightly contested 110-104 overtime victory in Washington.
For the Celtics (40-16), which was reportedly pursuing Memphis guard Tyreke Evans as a complementary offensive threat to Kyrie Irving, offense was no problem against the Wizards. Irving led the way with 28 points and Jaylen Brown (18 points) and four other players finished in double figures. New center Greg Monroe, who'd been waived by the Suns on February 1 and was officially signed by the Celtics on Thursday, played a solid 20 minutes (five points and six rebounds).
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The Wizards was playing its seventh game without star point guard John Wall, who is expected to miss another six to eight weeks after recent knee surgery. Washington appeared to have this game won, holding a three-point lead in the closing seconds of regulation. But a couple of ill-advised fouls as Irving attempted three-pointers — one with 9.8 seconds remaining in regulation, the other early in overtime — led to six Irving points at the free-throw line that sealed the Wizards' fate.
Still, the Wizards (31-24) once again played well in Wall's absence (it's 5-2 now with him sidelined the past couple of weeks). While the Wizards had also reportedly been chasing Grizzlies guard Evans to fill the void left by Wall, Memphis apparently wanted too much in return. Washington also reportedly floated center Marcin Gortat on the trade market but couldn't work a deal.
As the cliché goes, sometimes the best deals are the ones you don't make. The Celtics and Wizards will both find out whether that applies to them in the second half and the playoffs.
STUD OF THE NIGHT
Hornets guard Kemba Walker, who was named as a replacement for Kristaps Porzingis to the All-Star Game earlier in the day, scored 40 points for the Hornets in a 109-103 loss to the Trail Blazers.
DUDS OF THE NIGHT
Raptors backcourt mates DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry have nights when they both light up the scoreboard, and the Raptors usually win. Thursday they were both off the mark, scoring a combined 15 points on 4-of-21 shooting. Yet the Raptors still won in a blowout, beating the Kristaps Porzingis-less Knicks 113-88.
HIGHLIGHT
Knicks forward Michael Beasley attacks the rim.
WHAT'S NEXT
Cavaliers (31-22) at Hawks (17-37), 7:30 p.m. ET — No team coming off an NBA Finals appearance the previous season has ever shuffled its lineup the way the Cavaliers did Thursday. The Cavs was part of three trades, involving five teams, 11 players and two draft picks. How will new Cavs Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood and George Hill fit into the Cavaliers lineup? Some of those players may see action Friday against the Hawks, but even if they don't, the team will have a totally different feel after all the trade action Thursday.
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