Tuesday’s game against the Washington Wizards (46-34) may be the last time the Indiana Pacers (37-43) will play at home this season. The Pacers, however, are in no mood to entertain any thoughts of an early vacation as they continue to fight for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Read on below as we preview this crucial showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our breakdown of the game between Portland and Oklahoma City here.
Already assured of a playoff spot, the Wizards would like to enter the postseason at their sharpest. After beating the Atlanta Hawks 108-99 on Sunday, it seems that they are ready for the looming playoffs.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Up next for the Wizards is a road game in Indiana, where they are 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS in their last four trips there.
In the Atlanta game, Washington got a big hand from John Wall, who scored 24 points and dished out nine assists. Wall, who is averaging 17.9 points per game this season, is apparently at his best when matched up against Indiana. In three games versus Indiana this season, Wall has averaged 27.7 points on 52.7 percent shooting. Wall’s explosiveness on offense was on full display on March 25, albeit in a 103-101 loss to Indiana, when he scored 34 points on 11-for-21 shooting.
Aside from Wall, Bradley Beal is another player Washington is counting on to deliver in the next matchup with Indiana. Beal scored just five points in the recent meeting with Indiana, but has been on a tear of late. Beal, who chipped in 17 points in the win over Atlanta, is averaging 20 points on 48.8 percent shooting over Washington’s last five games.
Indiana weathered Russell Westbrook’s 54-point explosion on Sunday and beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-104. The win helped the Pacers keep their hopes alive of clinching the last playoff ticket in the Eastern Conference.
The Pacers, who are 5-0 SU in their last five games, countered Westbrook’s production with a balanced scoring attack. C.J. Miles went off for a career-high 30 points, while David West, Roy Hibbert, and George Hill combined for 49 points. The Pacers’ bench also poured in 31 points, outplaying the Thunder’s reserves who only mustered 15 markers.
Miles has been impressive in Indiana’s last two games, scoring 24 points in the win over Detroit on Friday before his great night against Oklahoma City. He’ll have to pour it on again against Washington for Indiana to soften whatever impact the backcourt tandem of Wall and Beal will inflict.
Speaking of Washington’s backcourt, Indiana must find a way to keep Washington’s guards on a leash, especially on the open court. In the Pacers March win over Washington, Wall and Ramon Sessions combined for 23 of the Wizards’ 36 total fast break points. That was more than double Indiana’s average of 13.1 fast break points allowed per game this season.
