Wizards drop an ugly one in Indiana.
Watching the NBA Playoffs last year, it was clear that Indiana Pacers’ offensive identity centers around playing with pace, and moving the ball to the open shooters. This allows them to get many players involve offensively, and tonight was no different.
For the night, the Pacers put six players in double figures, while racking up 27 assists.
This game really got ugly in the 3rd quarter. The Wizards struggled with their defensive rotations all night. The constant cutting and ball movement put the Wizards’ defense in rotation often. The Pacers also thrived on live ball turnovers which allows them to get in transition and start their offensive flow. For the night, Pacers got 21 points off of the Wizards’ 16 turnovers.
Wizards also were cold for much of the night, scoring under 90 points and shooting sub-40 percent. This is not a recipe for winning.
Pacers outscored the Wizards 30 -21 in the 3rd quarter to extend their 12-point halftime lead to 21-points.
On the bright side, Alex Sarr had a strong game. He had 24 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. There were times where the team was looking to him for baskets, as he was the most consistent performer on that end.
Wizards drop this one 119-86 and lose the last NBA Cup Qualifier Game of the season. Washington will be back in action on Monday, at home, as they go to face the Milwaukee Bucks at home in Washington, DC.
