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With the regular season nearing its end, the Wizards take on the Pacers on Saturday at 7:00 P.M. in another game with substantial postseason implications. Washington, with wins in 12 of its last 15 games, is coming off a 131-129 overtime win over Toronto on Thursday while Indiana looks to build on a shootout win over the Hawks.
GAME INFO
Bankers Life Fieldhouse | 7:00 P.M. | NBCSW & NBATV | 1500 AM
PROBABLE STARTERS
Wizards: G – Russell Westbrook, G – Raul Neto, G – Bradley Beal, F – Rui Hachimura, C – Alex Len
Pacers: G – Aaron Holiday, G – Caris LeVert, F – Doug McDermott, F – Oshae Brissett, C – Domantas Sabonis
INJURY REPORT
Wizards: Deni Avdija (right ankle fracture – out), Thomas Bryant (left ACL injury – out)
Pacers: Malcolm Brogdon (sore right hamstring – out), Jeremy Lamb (sore left knee – out), JaKarr Sampson (concussion – out), Edmond Sumner (left knee contusion – available), Myles Turner (right toe partial plantar plate tear – out), T.J. Warren (left foot stress fracture – out)
STORYLINES
Westbrook one triple-double away from tying Oscar
On Saturday night, Westbrook gets his first chance at tying an NBA record that most thought would never be touched. With 180 career triple-doubles, he is one shy of Oscar Robertson’s 181, which has held the top spot on the NBA’s all-time list for nearly 50 years. Westbrook’s recent pace – 20 triple-doubles in his last 24 games – leaves little doubt that the record will be broken soon, but still, Westbrook has mostly declined any opportunity to claim credit for his statistical accomplishments.
“If I’m lucky enough and blessed enough to break it, then we can talk about it then,” Westbrook told the media after triple-double #180 on Thursday night.
His coaches and teammates, on the other hand, are more than willing to offer up their praise for Westbrook, his accomplishments and his approach to the game.
“It’s really awesome,” Wizards head coach Scott Brooks. “I can’t think of any words other than it is pretty cool to see him, what he does, how he leads us off the court, on the court, in the locker room, in the hotel, on the bus – he’s just been terrific for our organization. I cannot be happier for him and his family. He’s earned this.”
“He’s made different,” Ish Smith said. “He really is. Russ gives you 120, 130 percent, 150 percent, 200 percent every single night. On the defensive end, offensive end, rebounding – every aspect of the game…I’m so happy for him. Him and his family. I’ve known Russ since we were in high school. It’s a blessing, man.”
“To witness it and be on the other side of it, to see him do it night in and night out against you, that was always tough,” Bradley Beal said. “But then to be a part of it and witness him do it for your team is on a whole new level. I have a whole newfound respect for him and his approach to the game and who he is as a player.”
Wizards, Pacers meet again
Saturday’s game between the Wizards and Pacers comes less than a week since the teams met last in the one of the highest scoring games of the season and the second-highest paced game the league has on record. Washington won 154-141 led by 53 points combined from Beal and Rui Hachimura and a 14-point, 21-rebound and 24-assist triple-double from Westbrook. The Wizards scored 96 of their 154 points in the paint, the most by any NBA team since at least 1996, when the NBA began tracking the stat. Washington had nine players with at least 10 points, the most the team has had in a game since 1990.
While the Wizards’ win was highlighted by a series of statistical records and milestones, their defensive performance left a lot to be desired. Led by 65 points combined from Domantas Sabonis and Caris LeVert, Indiana shot 49.5% from the field and 51.9% from three. Washington’s 118.5 defensive rating that night is much more palatable than the 141 points allowed might indicate, but the team knows it will have to put forth a better showing on Saturday. In a Thursday night game against the Hawks, the Pacers scored big again, totaling 133 points on 62.1% shooting, again led by a combined 60-point night from Sabonis and LeVert. In what would be a significant boost to the Wizards’ defensive capabilities, Brooks said on Thursday that he expected Rui Hachimura, who missed the last two games with a non-COVID illness, to return to the lineup.
Tracking the race for the Play-In Tournament
For the second game in a row, the Wizards take on a team they border directly in the Eastern Conference standings. With five games left in the regular season, Washington trails Indiana by half a game for the nine-seed in the Play-In Tournament. While both teams would currently qualify for the tournament, the nine-seed would host the 10-seed in the first game of the play-in, which could be a decisive advantage in the single elimination format. The Wizards and Pacers, however, each have their sights set higher. The Hornets hold a one and a half game lead over Indiana for the eight-seed, a highly coveted position that would allow for one loss in the play-in and only require one win to advance.