Despite Allen's milestone, this one wasn't always pretty. Boston blew all of a 14-point halftime lead and coughed up a nine-point advantage in the fourth before surviving to improve to 10-1 on the road.
Rajon Rondo had a season-high 21 points and Allen chipped in 18, including two free throws with 14.6 seconds left.
Celtics 104, Wizards 102
Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Dec. 10, 2009
Headliner: While Ray Allen will get all the congratulatory handshakes, and deservedly so, Rondo was the catalyst throughout. He had just one turnover against 11 assists and showed absolutely no shyness in putting up his shots — Rondo's 20 field goal attempts ties a career high.
It was Rondo's emphatic baseline dunk with just over a minute left that snapped a 98-98 tie and gave the Celtics the lead for good.
Unsung Hero: In his second game back from ankle surgery, Tony Allen scored eight points, grabbed three boards and recorded two steals in 17 minutes to lead the bench.
The sixth-year pro had a couple of rough turnovers in the second half but really provided a spark in the second quarter, which saw the C's score 37 points.
Scrub: Although he led all scorers with 25 points and paced Washington with eight assists, Gilbert Arenas made only 1-of-6 free throws and bricked two with 26.7 seconds left and his team trailing 100-98.
Turning Point: There were multiple ties down the stretch, but the Celtics never trailed after Ray Allen hit a mammoth 3-pointer midway through the third quarter.
Not only did the shot push Allen to the 20,000-point mark, it snapped an 11-0 Washington run that had given the hosts their first lead since the end of the first quarter. Allen followed it up with another jumper and within minutes Boston was back up nine.
Up Next: The Green's three-game road trip continues in Chicago on Saturday night. The last time the Celtics met the Bulls in the Windy City, it took three overtimes for Chicago to come out on top and force a seventh game in their memorable first-round playoff series.
