Washington Wizards vs. Indiana Pacers: Postgame Grades and Analysis
The Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards needed a pair of overtimes to decide an important playoff matchup Tuesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
But man was it ugly. Indiana (38-43) squeaked out a 99-95 double-overtime victory that could only make a mother proud.
George Hill drilled a game-sealing triple and finished with 24 points for the Pacers, whose 33 first-half points tied a season low. Indiana escaped the must-win game on top despite shooting just 38.1 percent on the night.
However, Washington (46-35) didn't finish any better behind poor outings from John Wall and Bradley Beal. The Wizards converted a meager 35.6 percent from the field.
Consequent to the victory, Indiana needs one more triumph or a Brooklyn Nets loss to reach the postseason.
| John Wall | D+ |
| Bradley Beal | D |
| Paul Pierce | F |
| Marcin Gortat | B |
| Rest of Team | D+ |
| George Hill | B |
| Roy Hibbert | D |
| C.J. Miles | C+ |
| Paul George | B- |
| Rest of Team | C- |
Washington Wizards
John Wall: D+
As a jump-shooter, Wall couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat. The point guard missed 14 of his 16 attempts from beyond 10 feet. However, that didn't stop Wall from guiding the fast-break offense to a 16-2 advantage.
The Kentucky product recorded two steals, a game-high 11 assists and the go-ahead bucket with less than a minute remaining in overtime. But it wasn't enough. Wall needs to eliminate the jumper from his repertoire and attack the paint.
Bradley Beal: D
Wall was consistently off the mark, but Beal is the team's sharpshooter anyway, right? Well, he couldn't find the range, either, and was a significant part of Washington's subpar three-point shooting.
Beal watched seven of his nine trifectas bounce off the rim, though he did connect on an important trey in OT2. His 24 shots were a season high, but seven made buckets and 19 points were unfortunately not.
Paul Pierce: F
Wait, Paul Pierce played Tuesday? The veteran swingman logged 18 minutes and grabbed five rebounds, but he was practically invisible before getting benched—or rested, or whatever. Pierce missed both of his shots and was a nightmare on defense.
The 17th-year pro might elevate his game during the postseason, a place he knows very well. But that doesn't change how bad Pierce's performance was against the Pacers.
Marcin Gortat: B
Washington held out starting power forward Nene, and his replacement, Drew Gooden, assembled a forgettable outing. So, Marcin Gortat stepped up for the depleted frontcourt.
The 6'11" center contributed in pick-and-roll sets, and he neutralized Roy Hibbert on the defensive end for a strong majority of the tilt. Gortat tallied 19 points on an 8-of-13 mark from the field and snatched 10 rebounds.
Rest of Team: D+
After draining a pair of three-pointers early on, Otto Porter received Pierce's clutch-time minutes. He chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds during 43 minutes of action. Rasual Butler also connected on two shots from long distance.
Kevin Seraphin and Kris Humphries each netted four points during the fourth quarter, and the latter brought down nine rebounds. Ramon Sessions registered seven points, four boards and three assists.
Indiana Pacers
George Hill: B
Had it not been for Hill, Indiana wouldn't have remained close to the Wizards. But the point guard carried the team. Pacers not named Hill or C.J. Miles struggled mightily, knocking down just 20 of their 58 attempts.
Although Hill was unable to connect from long distance until the final frame and clanged eight triples, he controlled the offense, dished 10 assists and snared nine rebounds. Most importantly for Indiana, Hill delivered the dagger.
Roy Hibbert: D
The mercurial center entered the contest 1-of-17 against the Wizards this year. It didn't get much better for Hibbert in the season's final matchup—until he tipped in a critical shot late in the fourth and swished a jumper in overtime.
Granted, Hibbert still trudged to a 3-of-10 clip and offered some ugly, ineffective post moves. The 7'2" space-occupier reeled in 12 boards to go with six points.
C.J. Miles: C+
Fresh off a 30-point outburst, Miles displayed the offensive confidence of a superstar. The shooting guard was at his best inside the arc, throwing down a powerful slam and splitting two defenders for this nifty layup:
The problem, however, was the lefty's shaky shot selection and subsequent lack of efficiency. Miles hoisted 13 three-point attempts and nailed just four, but he ended the tilt with a game-high 25 points and eight rebounds.
Paul George: B-
Minutes limit be darned, Paul George sparked the home crowd. Though he still wasn't comfortable regularly attacking the rim, the small forward continued to show improvement in that regard, finishing once in traffic.
George's next step is passing up contested jumpers in favor of closer looks, but that's certainly not an overnight process. Nevertheless, Indiana desperately needed him on the court—no matter the capacity—and George even hit a game-tying jumper in OT1.
He tallied 10 points throughout his season-high 18 minutes.
Rest of Team: C-
Rodney Stuckey, who has typically supplied a decent scoring option behind Hill, misfired on all five first-half shots and finished 3-of-11 overall.
While David West added 15 points and eight boards, the Pacers' backup bigs were flat-out terrible. Luis Scola, Ian Mahinmi and Lavoy Allen combined to shoot 1-of-8 and allowed what once appeared to be the game-changing run early in the fourth.
What's Next?
Washington (46-35) concludes the regular season on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers (52-29) on Wednesday, April 15. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, and CSN Baltimore will broadcast the tilt.
The Wizards are locked as the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and will challenge either the Chicago Bulls (49-32) or Toronto Raptors (48-33) during the first round.
Indiana (38-43) closes its year on the road opposite the Memphis Grizzlies (54-27) on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET. ESPN will nationally televise the matchup. The Pacers need a victory or a Nets loss to secure a playoff spot.
Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR
