Celtics bested

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The Boston Celtics' beatdown tour of the NBA had to end sometime. Last night, the Washington Wizards handed the league's best team its second loss in three games.

The Wizards held the Celtics to their lowest point total of the season in an 85-78 win at Verizon Center, limiting Boston to just 13 fourth-quarter points.

Washington (19-16) ended Boston's 10-game road winning streak. The Cleveland Cavaliers handed the Celtics (30-5) their last road loss Nov. 27 in overtime.

"We have been tested a lot this year and I think for the most part we've come through," Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. "We've got good leadership, good character, good pros on the team. There were some character issues, but on a night like this you have to put everything in the pot. There were a whole slew of things going on tonight."

The Wizards were 27-for-30 from the free throw line and outrebounded the Celtics 49-30. In a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, the Wizards made 22 of 24 free throws.

Washington also downed the Celtics with their two best players — Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison — combining to shoot just 9-for-32, including going 0-for-9 from 3-point range.

But most impressive was that the Wizards turned the tables on the Celtics late in the game, doing to them what they have done to the rest of the league this season: shutting them down with defense.

In the fourth quarter, Washington held Boston to just 26.7 percent shooting. The Wizards came back from a 67-60 deficit early in the fourth, when it looked like the Celtics were going to close them out.

Washington went ahead to stay with 1:51 to play, when Antonio Daniels (nine points) put the Wizards ahead 75-74 with a 3-pointer. And they rebuffed the Celtics' attempts to get back in the game by making eight out of their last nine free throws.

DeShawn Stevenson scored nine of his team-high 19 points in the fourth quarter, including hitting all three free throws after Paul Pierce (15 points) fouled him on a 3-point attempt. That gave the Wizards a 78-74 lead.