The Washington Wizards went to a "funeral" and left uplifted.
The Wizards showed some teeth and some swagger as they predicted a victory against the Boston Celtics by wearing black before the game Jan. 24. Not some players -- all the players. They were all mad over a confrontation with Boston two weeks earlier that left guard John Wall fined.
Washington wanted retribution on its home court. The Wizards made it personal, and guard Bradley Beal led the intense 123-108 victory with 31 points. With a 14th straight win at the Verizon Center, the Eastern Conference's best team at 23-12 since an awful 2-8 start is now showing it can compete. Aside Golden State and Cleveland, Washington is now equal to anyone leaguewide.
