Marcin Gortat stole the show with a monster performance to keep the Wizards alive on the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Pacers.
The big man had a spectacular game with 31 points and 16 rebounds while also displaying some solid defense on Roy Hibbert. John Wall added 27 points and the Wizards made history on their 102-79 win against the Pacers that maintained them alive on the postseason.
Washington dominated on all areas of the game tonight and their performance was almost perfect on both sides of the court. Sparked by a third quarter where they won 31-14, the Wizards out-rebounded the Pacers 62-23, showed aggressiveness on defense and were very accurate with their shooting. Washington shot 50 percent from the game, led by as much as 30 points and had four players – Gortat, Wall, Trevor Ariza and Bradley Beal – scoring on double-digits.
As for Indiana, Paul George – 15 pts on 33 percent from the field – and Hibbert – four points and two rebounds – struggled mightily. David West was the most important man for the Pacers and he seemed like the only one who gave some kind of effort. West led his team on several statistical categories – finishing with 17 points, six rebounds and three assists – and while his numbers weren’t nowhere near flashing, his performance was clearly a step forward for a team that has continuously struggled in the playoffs.
The series will return to Washington for the sixth game on Thursday. The Wizards will try to even the matchup against the Pacers while Indiana will look to put the final nail in the coffin on their quest to advance to the Conference Semifinals.