On the morning of February 17, 2022, Beijing time, the NBA Eastern Conference Showdown staged a wonderful game, Pacers vs Wizards. Through the fourth quarter, the Pacers narrowed the Wizards 25-25, 31-26, 28-25, 29-32 on aggregate, 113-108 on aggregate. Halliburton played well, with 21 points and 14 assists, while Taylor also had nine rebounds.
Currently, the Pacers are 13th in the East with 19 wins and 40 losses, and the Wizards are 11th in the East with 26 wins and 30 losses. In the previous nine meetings between the two teams, the Pacers were slightly at a 4-5 loss. However, in the most recent meeting between the two teams, the Pacers won 116-110.
In recent games, the Pacers have suffered a rare 7-game losing streak that has also brought their rankings steeply to 13th, leaving them largely hopeless for the playoffs. The situation of the talent team is not optimistic, after the team suffered 6 consecutive losses, it has achieved a record of 3 wins and 3 losses in these last 6 games. The last round beat the Pistons 103-94, which made the team a little better.
Let's take a look at the starting lineups of the two teams: The Wizards: Neto, Bryant, Keyspert, Kuzma, Pope; Pacers: Brisette, Taylor, Smith, Hield, Halliburton.
In the first quarter, Pacers forward Smith and Wizards center Thomas Bryant jumped the ball, Smith made a mistake, the ball was snatched by Kuzma, and Pope missed a three-point shot. Kuzma and the Pacers' Halliburton played eye-catching, and the two competed for each other, and finally in the first quarter, the two teams fought 25-25.
In the second quarter, the Pacers' Halliburton was even better, scoring consecutive points while assisting teammates Sid and Bilester to score, and the score was always in the lead. At the end of the half, the Pacers led 31-26 on aggregate, 56-51 on aggregate.
Half-time scoring:
Pacers: Brisette 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, Halliburton 8 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, Hield 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, Smith 6 points and 1 assist, Taylor 5 rebounds, Thompson 12 points and 5 rebounds, Stephenson 7 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists, Washington 6 points and 2 assists.
Wizards: Pope 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals, Kuzma 11 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, Neto 8 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists, Keyspert 4 points, Smith 6 points, Avdia 5 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists, Gill 3 points and 1 rebound.
In the third quarter, the Pacers continued to expand their scores, reaching a maximum score of 10 points. Not to be outdone, the Wizards came on the bench and replaced Hield to tie the score. After the timeout, the Wizards played with Corey Keyspert, replaced Pope, and finally fixed the score at 28-25 in the third quarter, with an aggregate score of 84-76.
In the fourth quarter, the Wizards launched a Jedi counterattack, Kuzma scored and scored 15 rebounds, and with the final minute of the game remaining, the Wizards chased the score to 101-103. At the crucial moment, thanks to Taylor's solid play, the Pacers saved the victory, and the score in the fourth quarter was 29-32, and finally won the Wizards 113-108 on aggregate.
The game also set 2 big records. First, the Pacers beat the Wizards twice in a historic row at home; second, the Pacers broke their seven-game losing streak and ended their four-game losing streak at home.