National Basketball Association

Russell Westbrook leads Wizards past Pacers and into the 8-seed

Published May. 20, 2021 10:33 p.m. ET

The Eastern Conference playoff bracket is finally set.

The Washington Wizards claimed the eighth and final spot in the playoffs with a dominant 142-115 win over the Indiana Pacers.

This game was never in doubt, and here is how the Wizards blew it open to secure the eighth seed.

Key performer(s): The Wizards backcourt

It's no secret that the Wizards backcourt has been the strength of their team all season, and in their biggest game to date, their dynamic duo more than delivered.

Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook both bounced back from rough outings against the Boston Celtics in Tuesday night's play-in game to perform like the All-Stars they are in Thursday night's matchup.

Beal scored 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field, while Westbrook fell just short of another triple-double with 18 points, 15 assists, and eight rebounds.

Turning point: The start of the second quarter

The Wizards led 30-29 at the end of the first quarter but opened the second with a 20-5 run to push their lead to 50-34, and the rout was on from there.

The game would never be in doubt from that point on, with the Wizards' lead growing to as much as 35 points in the fourth quarter.

Wild Card: Daniel Gafford

No, he didn't light up the stat sheet like Beal or Westbrook, but Gafford's presence off of the bench made all of the difference in the world for the Wizards, especially in the first half.

All five of his blocks came in the first half as the Wizards would hold the Pacers to just 52 points, including a mild 23 points in the second quarter.

Role players are just as important as the stars when the postseason begins, and Gafford showed his worth, finishing with 15 points, a career-high 13 rebounds, and five blocks.

Did you know?

For the first time since 2018, the Wizards are making a return to the postseason. The drought hasn't been as long as other teams across the NBA, but it comes after the Wizards punched their ticket to the playoffs in four of the previous five seasons.

Twitter's Take:

There was plenty of praise for Westbrook's continued statistical dominance and the Wizards' resilience to fight into the playoffs.

What's next?

The Pacers' quest to make the postseason for the sixth consecutive season has come to an end. The Celtics now own the longest active streak of Eastern Conference postseason appearances with six.

The Wizards will now face the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs, with Game 1 being Sunday afternoon.

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