The Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards will meet on Thursday, with the winner claiming the #8 seed and a date with the Philadelphia 76ers. The loser will obtain a lottery pick in the draft and will be sent home for the summer. For the Pacers, a victory here would mean a lot, given the tough circumstances they have had to deal with. There has been a lot of infighting on that club.
The Pacers managed to trounce the Hayward-less Hornets to open the play-in tournament, which came as a shock to almost everybody. They found out earlier in the day that Caris LeVert had entered health and safety protocol and would be out 10-14 days. That, on top of not having TJ Warren or Myles Turner, did nothing to derail them. Malcolm Brogdon’s return helped push them into the win column.
Washington, on the other hand, is in this game because they fell short against the Boston Celtics. They had played well for most of the first half but ran out of gas. They could not make any shots. And they allowed Jayson Tatum to drop 50 points on them. Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook did not do enough to inspire their guys to step up. And Rui Hachimura spending 3/4 of the game in foul trouble did them no favors.
ODDS
The spread for the game is set at WSH -3.5. The IND moneyline is +160, while the other side is WSH -135.
Pacers Seeking Move to No. 8
One more win and Indiana will be the #8 seed in the West. How impressive would that be, given all that they have had to overcome? They would probably struggle with Joel Embiid on the interior if they did manage a win on Thursday, but a chance to be in the first round would mean a lot to a team that has been swept multiple years in a row.
If they want to beat the Wizards, they will have to key in on Bradley Beal. They need to make sure that Davis Bertans is accounted for at all times. And they would be wise to again play through Domantas Sabonis on the interior. Let him pass to shooters and show his post-moves against the three-center rotation.
Wizards Looking to Enter Playoff Picture
After losing to Boston, the Wizards probably hung their heads a bit. By the time they got to the locker room, they were ready to come together and discuss how to win the next game. They can very much come away victorious here, but they have some work to do.
The regular-season numbers in the earlier battles between these teams should go out the window. The stakes are higher. This being the second game in three days for each side, they know what they are capable of doing. The Wizards need Westbrook to be at his best. They need 35-40 from Beal, at least.
They need Rui Hachimura out of foul trouble, and they need Gafford to cover Sabonis whenever possible.
Wizards Are Moving Ahead!
Sorry Pacers, but you’re done. Let’s see if Nate Bjorkgren gets fired (?)
FREE PLAY: WSH -3.5
MONEYLINE: WSH -135
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