The Pacers were on the opposite end of a historic performance from Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal, as Indiana lost a key matchup to the Washington Wizards in overtime, 133-132. Despite a brilliant performance from Domantas Sabonis and an all-around effort from Caris LeVert, the Pacers fell to 10th in the standings and are now being hunted by the Chicago Bulls in a last-second race for the play-in tournament.
Sabonis led the way with a triple-double of 30 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists, while Malcolm Brogdon had 35 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists. The Pacers are 2.5 games ahead of the Bulls with four games remaining in their regular season, and a win over the Cavaliers will go a long way towards firming up their spot in the next round.
Despite injuries to key players sustained over the course of the season, Indiana has found a way to survive and are still in control of their playoff destiny.
Cleveland, on the other hand, is playing out the remainder of their season, currently at 21-47 and 14th place in the Eastern Conference. They are in a freefall, having lost 10 straight games, the latest of which was a 124-97 drubbing at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. Collin Sexton led the way for Cleveland, as he notched 24 points.
This 10-game losing streak has tied the Cavaliers’ longest skid this year, a disappointing finish to a season that began with so much promise.
Sabonis and company are determined to pick up a big win and firm up their spot in the play-in tournament. Can the Pacers get a crucial victory and extend the misery of the Cavaliers?
