Washington Wizards: Key matchups vs Indiana Pacers
By Ethan Smith
Back-to-back bubble games for the Washington Wizards. Can they get their first win of the restart when they take on the Indiana Pacers?
Two games. Two losses. That’s how things are going for the Washington Wizards in the NBA restart. Losses to the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets, two of the Wizards’ most winnable games on their tough bubble schedule, have all but eliminated the Wizards from the playoff hunt.
Heading into their games vs. the Indiana Pacers, the Wizards need to gain at least three games on the Nets with just six games left to play. It’s a nearly impossible task, but if the Wizards are in the bubble, they’ve got a chance.
The Wizards need to win at least three of their remaining six games, and Brooklyn needs to lose all of their remaining games for the Wizards to even have a chance at a play-in scenario.
To keep their hopes alive, they’ll need a win vs. the Indiana Pacers. In this game, two matchups, in particular, could prove to be the difference.
Isaac Bonga vs. T.J. Warren
Maybe T.J. Warren wasn’t everybody/anybody’s pick to emerge as the stud of the bubble, but he has dropped the first and only 50-point game through the first weekend of action in Orlando.
The Wizards haven’t been able to stop teams from scoring all season, and it’s been no different in the bubble. Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton went off for 27 and 24 points, respectively. Then Caris LeVert blew up for 34 points. Now they have the tall task of stopping T.J. Warren.
And I mean that in all seriousness. Given that Isaac Bonga guarded Booker and LeVert in the past two games, it’s safe to assume he’ll get the Warren assignment today. He should have his hands full once again.
T.J. Warren led the Pacers in scoring when they defeated the Wizards 121-106 earlier this season. He finished with 21 points and shot 9-15 from the field.
So far during the restart, Bonga hasn’t done much that’s shown up in the box score, and his impact hasn’t been seen on the defensive end, as evidenced by the point totals of Booker, LeVert, etc. Against Indiana, it’s time for Bonga to show up.
Thomas Bryant vs. Myles Turner
Thomas Bryant did absolutely everything he could to help the Wizards take down the Nets in a must-win game, but his 30 points and 13 rebounds weren’t enough to get it done.
While Bryant’s offensive performance was one of the best of his career, maybe the final outcome would have been different had he been better defensively. Nets’ center Jarrett Allen had 22 points and 15 rebounds of his own to match Bryant’s double-double.
Riding the momentum from his stellar performance against Brooklyn, Bryant could be in for another big night if the Pacers’ last game is any indicator.
The Pacers opened up their bubble play with a 127-121 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, and while Warren was the star of the night, the Pacers did allow opposing center Joel Embiid to score 41 points and grab 21 rebounds. Bryant is no Embiid, but he should have the opportunity to make an impact. The key will be to stay aggressive against Turner, a stout interior defender.
That’s something Bryant did last time these two teams met. In November, Bryant had 20 points and 11 rebounds the only other time these two teams have played this season.
In that game, Myles Turner did not play. The Wizards had trouble with the Pacers big men that were on the court, though. Domantas Sabonis, JaKarr Sampson, and Goga Bitadze all scored at least a dozen points.
Wizards fans should keep an eye on Myles Turner. He might look good in a Wizards uniform someday.