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The Indiana Pacers will battle it out with the Washington Wizards for the final Eastern Conference playoff seed in play-in tournament action at Capital One Arena.
The do-or-die affair on Thursday will pit the No. 9-ranked team (Pacers) against the No. 8-ranked team (Wizards) in the East to determine who will take the eighth seed and face the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Indiana Pacers defeated the Charlotte Hornets 144-117 on Tuesday in an offensive clinic that saw All-Star Domantas Sabonis get a near triple-double with 14 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists. Doug McDermott led the Pacers with 23 points, while Oshae Brissett added 21.
In the other play-in tournament on Tuesday, the Washington Wizards were routed 118-100 by the Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum scored 50 points to propel Gang Green to the playoffs.
Russell Westbrook struggled from the field for the Wizards, making just 6-of-18 from the field to finish with 20 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. Bradley Beal had 22 points but shot just 10-of-25 from the field in a lackluster performance.
Indiana Pacers Injury Report
The Indiana Pacers have several players on their injury report for Thursday's matchup with the Washington Wizards.
Malcolm Brogdon continues to deal with a hamstring issue and is questionable for the play-in game. The 28-year-old guard missed the last 10 games of the regular season due to the injury. However, he was able to take the court on Tuesday and played 21 minutes. He produced 16 points and eight assists to aid in the Pacers' win.
Edmond Sumner, who has a bruised left knee, is also questionable to play against the Washington Wizards. He was able to play against the Charlotte Hornets for seven minutes because of the lopsided nature of the contest. Under normal circumstances, he might not have gotten any playing time and will likely see little to no action against the Wizards.
Caris LeVert was entered into the league’s health and safety protocols on Tuesday and will miss 10 to 14 days. If the Indiana Pacers lose, he could be done for the season. Should they advance to the playoffs with a win on Thursday, he has a shot at returning either late in the first round or early in the second (if they go on a deeper postseason run).
Another Indiana Pacers player who has been ruled out is Jeremy Lamb, who is nursing a sore left knee that hasn’t completely healed. He’s been sidelined since April 19, and there is no timetable yet for a potential return to action.
Meanwhile, Myles Turner is dealing with a partial plantar plate tear in his right big toe. He started shooting again but is far from making a return to action any time soon, regardless of the result of Thursday’s game.
T.J. Warren was declared out for the season more than a month ago. The Indiana Pacers forward underwent season-ending foot surgery in January.
Washington Wizards Injury Report
The Washington Wizards are relatively healthier than the Indiana Pacers based on the injury report they submitted to the league.
Rookie forward Deni Avdija and veteran Thomas Bryant are out for the season.
Avdija suffered a hairline fracture in his right ankle in late April. He doesn’t need to undergo surgery but won’t recover in time for either the play-in tournament or the playoffs, even if the Washington Wizards advance to the latter rounds of the postseason.
Bryant underwent season-ending surgery in February to repair an ACL tear in his left knee.
Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards Predicted Lineups
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers will likely start Brogdon again, as they did on Tuesday. Justin Holiday and Oshae Brissett have taken starting positions, with LeVert and Turner out. Sabonis slid into Turner’s center spot to accommodate Holiday and Brissett.
T.J. McConnell, JaKarr Sampson and Goga Bitadze have also seen their playing time increase with injuries to their key players.
Washington Wizards
Avdija’s absence has allowed Davis Bertans and Chandler Hutchison to play more minutes.
Meanwhile, Bryant’s injury made the trade for Daniel Gafford from the Chicago Bulls a reality. He has been a boon to the Washington Wizards ever since and will continue to back up Len at the center position.
Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards Predicted Starting 5s
Indiana Pacers
Point Guard - Malcolm Brogdon l Shooting Guard - Justin Holiday l Small Forward - Oshae Brissett l Power Forward - Doug McDermott l Center - Domantas Sabonis
Washington Wizards:
Point Guard - Russell Westbrook l Shooting Guard - Raul Neto l Small Forward - Bradley Beal l Power Forward - Rui Hachimura l Center - Alex Len
Guess the Lakers players!
