Indiana Pacers: Biggest key to defeating the Wizards to advance

The Indiana Pacers could be heading into their final game of the 2020-21 season as they travel to Washington to play the Wizards. Washington has caused problems for Indiana all season long but hope is not yet lost for the Pacers.

Washington swept Indiana in the regular season, winning all three games in explosive fashion. The fewest points scored by the Wizards against the Pacers on the season was a staggering 132 points. For the Pacers, scoring has come pretty easy against the Wizards as well, scoring at least 124 in each matchup.

What is the biggest key to victory for the Indiana Pacers over the Wizards?

The backcourt for Washington is going to cause problems for the Pacers, that’s been the case all season. Bradley Beal scored 50 points back on May 8 as the Wizards won in overtime. Russell Westbrook, on the other hand, has been a menace of his own.

In the three previous matchups, Westbrook averaged 27.3 points, 20 assists, and 18 rebounds. Yes, those are real numbers. If the Pacers want to advance to the playoffs with a win, they have to step up and limit Westbrook’s impact in some capacity.

Beal has been hampered by a hamstring injury that he suffered in his 50-point outing less than two weeks ago. In the season finale against the Hornets, Beal really struggled to get his shot going. He finished that contest with 25 points but connected on just eight of his 27 shot attempts and was 3-of-11 from three.

He dropped 22 points against Boston in Washington’s first Play-in game but once again shot the ball poorly. Beal shot 10-of-25 from the field and 1-of-6 from deep as the Wizards crumbled down the stretch.

With an injured Beal, Indiana has to do whatever it takes to stop Russell Westbrook. The bulk of the workload will be on the first-year Wizard when this game tips off. The best bet for Indiana is to force those two to attack from the perimeter and make life difficult as they drive to the basket. Of course, that will not be an easy task for Indiana without Myles Turner.

This could be a big game for Oshae Brissett and Malcolm Brogdon on the defensive end while Domantas Sabonis should have no problem handling the work on offense. Sabonis averaged 32.3 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 9.3 assists against the Wizards this season.