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The Indiana Pacers will take on the Washington Wizards at the Capital One Arena on Thursday in the final play-in game in the 2020-21 NBA Eastern Conference. In a 'winner takes all' matchup, the victor will become the eighth and final seed in the playoffs.
The Washington Wizards seem to have the Indiana Pacers' number, having beaten the Pacers in all three regular-season games. Nevertheless, the Pacers remain a formidable opponent, but they'll need to pull out all the stops to emerge victorious on Thursday.
Match Details
Fixture - Indiana Pacers vs Washington Wizards | NBA Play-in Tournament 2021.
Date & Time - Thursday, May 20th, 8:00 PM ET (Friday, May 21st, 5:30 AM IST).
Venue - Capital One Arena, Washington, DC.
Washington Wizards Preview
The Washington Wizards are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Boston Celtics in the first play-in game in the Eastern Conference.
Jayson Tatum caught fire, dropping 50 points to carry the Celtics to the 7th seed in the playoffs. The Washington Wizards now have another shot at making the playoffs, as they get to face the winner of the 9th vs 10th play-in game - the Indiana Pacers.
The Wizards led by two points at half-time. But the Celtics pulled away in the second, despite Bradley Beal scoring 22 points on 10-25 shooting and Russell Westbrook contributing 20.
Davis Bertans got 33 minutes off the bench and went 1-8 from the field, including 0-7 from the three-point range, scoring just four points. Ish Smith contributed 17 points off the bench in 26 minutes, going 6-8 from the floor, but couldn't help his team win the game.
Key Player - Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook, surprisingly, did not post a triple-double in one of the most important games of the year.
He is adept in setting up plays for his teammates, but he recorded just five assists in the loss against the Celtics. Westbrook scored 20 points but went 6-18 from the floor, something he'll need to improve massively on Thursday.
Washington Wizards Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Russell Westbrook | Shooting Guard - Bradley Beal | Small Forward - Davis Bertans | Power Forward - Rui Hachimura | Center - Alex Len.
Indiana Pacers Preview
Indiana Pacers' Caris LeVert, who averaged almost 20 points per game during the regular season, did not play in his team's play-in game against the Charlotte Hornets. That's because he is sidelined due to the league's health and safety protocols.
Premier shot-blocker Myles Turner is also absent from the lineup, along with Jeremy Lamb and TJ Warren. However, the short-handed Indiana Pacers team did the unimaginable by blowing out the Charlotte Hornets in a 144-117 rout.
As many as eight players scored in double-digits as the Indiana Pacers eked out a significant early lead which the Hornets couldn't recover. The Pacers now need to win against the Wizards to advance to the 8th seed.
However, they'll need to be particularly wary of Westbrook, as he tends to erupt against the Pacers.
Key Player - Domantas Sabonis
Many believe Domantas Sabonis should be in the MVP conversation, as he has almost led an injury-plagued Indiana Pacers to the playoffs, averaging stellar numbers like 20.3 points and 12 rebounds per game.
He stepped up once again for the Indiana Pacers in their last play-in game, dropping 14 points, 21 rebounds, nine assists, one steal and a block. Sabonis could be a key player on Thursday against the Washington Wizards too.
Indiana Pacers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Malcolm Brogdon | Shooting Guard - Justin Holiday | Small Forward - Doug McDermott | Power Forward - Oshae Brissett | Center - Domantas Sabonis.
Pacers vs Wizards Match Prediction
The Washington Wizards start as the favorites, as they dominated the Indiana Pacers during the regular season.
They also boast a relatively healthier squad compared to the Pacers, and they'll be extra motivated to avoid back-to-back losses in the play-in tournament. However, the Indiana Pacers cannot be underestimated, as they had a blowout victory despite playing with a depleted roster.
Where to watch the Pacers vs Wizards game?
The third and final game of the Eastern Conference play-in tournament between the Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards will be nationally televised on TNT and can be live-streamed with an NBA League Pass. Fans can tune in to the radio to follow the game at 1500 AM and 93.5/107.5 The Fan.
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