May 6, 2014
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
“We won one game here in Indiana, but we still have to get three more. We have to be more desperate each and every game.” — Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
On Monday, updated odds on the likelihood of each of the remaining eight playoff teams winning a title were released. Despite knocking off the Chicago Bulls in the first round, the Washington Wizards, at 35-1, were ranked dead last. Both the Nets and Trailblazers, who had to win, deciding game 7’s, to advance in the playoffs, had a 15-point advantage (20-1).
Washington’s odds reflect the fact that many people still doubt their abilities. But the number of doubters may be dwindling after their performance on Monday night. The Wizards, led by strong performances by Trevor Ariza and Bradley Beal, had a 102-96 victory over the Pacers in game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Monday night. The win kept Washington undefeated on the road this postseason, and also snapped their 12-game losing streak in Indianapolis.
“We know it’s a tough building to play in,” Ariza told reporters. “We haven’t won here in a while. Why wouldn’t this be the best time to come here and get a win—in the playoffs?”
And that’s exactly what they did. Washington outshot and outplayed Indiana, especially dominating 53-36 on rebounds.
“We know this is going to be a war, and winning the board is important for us. When we rebound, we can get out and run and our pace was important tonight,” Washington coach Randy Wittman said afterwards.
The Wizards started the scoring quickly, as they had done during their impressive five-game series against the Bulls. They scored 28 points in each of the first two periods, leading Indiana 56-43 at the half. Though the Pacers started to stage a comeback in the third period — even outscoring the Wizards 19-13 — it wasn’t enough to overcome Washington’s explosive offensive or strong rebound game.
Ariza was on fire, making all six of his 3-point shot attempts, finishing the night at 22, while Beal scored a team-high 25 points on the night. Their night tallies were higher than both Paul George and George Hill, who scored just 18 apiece for the Pacers. Indiana All-Star center Roy Hibbert had an especially miserable night, failing to score a single point or rebound during his 18 minutes of play. It was Hibbert’s third scoreless game in the last four. If he continues to be fruitless on the court, it will be a major advantage to Washington this series.
Indiana made a rally late in the fourth, and pulled within five when Hill hit a third with just 23.6 seconds to go. The Pacers then fouled both Beal and John Wall, with both players making all four free throws to extend the lead. When Hill hit another jumper with eight seconds left, the game already belonged to Washington.
“We won one game here in Indiana, but we still have to get three more,” Beal said. “We have to be more desperate each and every game.”
The series continues with game 2 in Indianapolis on Wednesday, before it moves to Washington for games 3 and 4 this weekend.
