Washington Wizards: 3 keys to victory in Game 7 over Boston

May 12, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (left) hugs Wizards guard Bradley Beal (right) after their game against the Boston Celtics in game six of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 92-91, and tied the series at 3-3. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

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May 7, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) grabs a rebound over Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during the first quarter in game four of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

2. The Wizards’ bench must show up

The Washington Wizards’ biggest black eye in this series against the Celtics has been its bench play. The bench outplayed Boston’s in Game 6, outscoring them 13-5. However, don’t count on the Celtics’ bench scoring just five points in Game 7.

Kelly Oubre Jr. and Brandon Jennings went scoreless in Game 6, and that can’t happen if the Wizards want to win Game 7. Oubre played just seven minutes in the game and proved to be overly aggressive, getting three fouls in the process.

It’s good that the Wizards’ bench allows Wall and Beal to take a majority of the shots but when they aren’t in the game, the offense stalls every single time. Jennings is capable of sparking a run without scoring. However, he needs to be more deliberate with the ball in his hands.

Forward Bojan Bogdanovic can very easily be the best go-to option when Wall and Beal are off the floor but they’ve yet to let him loose on the road in the playoffs. He had 19 points and 10 rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting in Game 3 and 13 points in Game 4, but both were at home. Looking to get Bogdanovic shots early off the bench could pay dividends in the long run in Game 7.