Just days after the Indiana Pacers handed the Oklahoma City Thunder one of the most embarrassing losses in NBA history, Indiana got a taste of its own medicine. The Pacers set records in their 152-95 win on Saturday night but gave up a staggering 154 points to the Wizards in their next contest just two days later.
That’s right, the Pacers saw two of the highest numbers you’ll see in an NBA game in back-to-back outings, a feat that deserves a lot of discussion. The Pacers, who have been shown that they can beat bottom-tier teams all season, proved that they are too good to actively tank in their dominant in over OKC.
Indiana Pacers suffer staggering loss to the Wizards
Unfortunately, they have also shown far too often that they are not capable of contending this year as they are not afraid to get decimated by playoff teams. In a potential play-in preview against the surging Washington Wizards, the Pacers got a glimpse of what’s to come in the postseason.
Washington was firing on all cylinders on Monday and put up 154 points with so many impressive performances. Rui Hachimura scored 27 points on 12-of-19 shooting and had a ton of easy attempts at the rim thanks to a less-than-ideal defensive effort from Indiana.
Russell Westbrook dominated the game with 14 points, 24 (!!) assists, and 21 assists. Westbrook took control of the ballgame just as he did in the previous matchup between the two teams met in March. Westbrook had 35 points, 21 assists, and 14 rebounds in that affair.
Bradley Beal did his thing, adding 26 points and six assists to help carry the weight offensively. In total, nine Wizards scored at least 11 points as the Pacers had zero answers defensively.
Washington exploded for 154 points, shot 61.2 percent from the field, and dominated with their starters on the floor. Washington’s starters were all at least +13 on the night while no Pacers starter was higher than -10.
Domantas Sabonis filled the stat sheet with 32 points, 19 rebounds, and nine assists. Caris LeVert continued to score, dropping 33 points (game-high), with seven rebounds and five assists. Unfortunately, those two also had the lowest +/- numbers of the night – Domas at -20 and Caris at -16.
As much as injuries have slowed this team down, the playoffs are not going to care. If Indiana is forced to play the Wizards in the play-in tournament, we have a good idea of what to expect. The two teams will meet up once more on May 8 before the season wraps up.