Round 2, Game 3: BOUNCE BACK! Pacers @ Wizards 8 PM ESPN 5/9

[dlts20]

no one ever replied to my post but I literally made like 20 different one's before the playoffs started saying that I fear Wall is going through a slump at the worst time. That I felt so confident that we had turned the corner and were clicking on all cylinders but I wondered if Wall didnt hit a wall like I felt Gil did in our 1st playoffs. He had carried the team all season that I felt he looked burnt out when the playoffs hit. He was also not use to playing all those games and all those meaningful games. It can drain on you. Then after that he was a beast in the following playoffs when healthy. Thats how I feel about Wall. Had to carry the team alot this year with the injuries and Beal not taking off. Then he missed so many games last year and played ball non stop from the 2nd half til the summer, to this whole season, and alot of meaningful games. I just wondered if he was starting to hit the Wall at the worst time but he's not a playoff choker like Harden or anything. I think like Gil, he will be a beast every year after this in the playoffs that he wiill now be use to the long seasons and meaningful games.

My one solace was that Gil kinda looked burnt out while Wall doesnt all the way. He's still had good energy and played well at everything else until yesterday so I was hoping it was a mini slump like KD went through and he would get his 2nd wind. I still hold out that hope but this is now 13 straight games he's in a scoring/shooting slump and I get the sense that no one is telling him to be more aggressive. The sad part is that I saw like 5 plays yesterday where Wall ran faster then Ive ever seen him and he's already the fastest guy in the league. West is not a good defender and Hibbert is super slow. Indy cant keep up when Wall goes that fast. He will either score or get fouled but he doesnt have that mindset right now to go like that and attack. Because his J is off, he's scared to shoot at all

[tontoz]

The free throw attempts were equal on both sides. The refs aren't the reason the Wiz shot 52% from the line and 33% from the field.

We aren't playing the Bulls any more. Indy has talent regardless of how much drama they have been going through. Sure we can still win the series but last night the Pacers gave notice that they aren't going to roll over.

I think people got a little over excited after beating a Bulls team without Rose/Deng and with a hobbled Noah (who had knee surgery right after the series). The Wizards are an average team that benefited from good fortune recently. They missed facing the Heat in the first round by a game and drew an opponent lacking talent that overachieved to win 48 games.

[montestewart]

Glad I missed this one. In Cali.

What a turd.


Series over?

The worst part was a number of failures to dribble or pass penetrate, followed by lifeless low-arcing passes stolen out of the air by the in-your-face defender. I guess the there was no wind in the sails at that point, but it looked like a college team playing a pro team on those plays.

Win or lose, game four will be very telling as to whether Wizards can dig deeper. The Pacers are a talented but flawed team. If the Wizards don't have a good answer to that kind of embarrassment, this isn't the team I was starting to think it was.

[WallToWall]

I expect a couple of blowouts from both teams. I watched both losses again. I think the Wiz will bounce back following the listless performance. Sinking FTs will make a big difference - something in the 80+% rate will do it. They need to do something about Scola...we need someone off the bench who can match up with him well. The defense is not bad. Its not to the same level as when we played Chicago, but still not bad. Wall is trying to do too much, and it appears that his concentration is off. Ariza is off as well. Nene cant get position like he did in Chi, and a lot of that is effort. The team has stopped looking for each other as much as when we played Chi.
Lastly, we need someone to light it up.

[tontoz]

Nene/Beal/Wall were a combined 5-27 on long 2s.

[pineappleheadindc]

Nene/Beal/Wall were a combined 5-27 on long 2s.

To be fair, it's what Indy is giving us easily. They're doing a good job running us off the 3-point line.

[hands11]

I expect a couple of blowouts from both teams. I watched both losses again. I think the Wiz will bounce back following the listless performance. Sinking FTs will make a big difference - something in the 80+% rate will do it. They need to do something about Scola...we need someone off the bench who can match up with him well. The defense is not bad. Its not to the same level as when we played Chicago, but still not bad. Wall is trying to do too much, and it appears that his concentration is off. Ariza is off as well. Nene cant get position like he did in Chi, and a lot of that is effort. The team has stopped looking for each other as much as when we played Chi.
Lastly, we need someone to light it up.

Trevor A was 4-8 and 2-6 from 3 with 15 rebounds 5 offensive and 3 steals.

Are you calling that off ?

The playoffs are about moves and counter moves. Like the Wiz put TA on DJ and closed out CHI

IND put Paul George on Beal. That was the move. The counter to that should not have been Beal shooting 19 shots when he was 0-4 in the first quarter.

Now, TA was covering PG and he had an ok shooting night but he was 9-10 from the line.

That was pretty much the game in a nut shell. IND took out Beal and instead on adjusting to that by shooting less and playing decoy more, Beal shot more.

He should have been running PG around away from the basket to open it up for a bombardment of Nene, Gortat and Wall attacking the paint to take out West and Hibbert. Beal shouldn't have shot no more than 12 times. Specially if he was missing the open shots he got early 0-4

I have no idea what he was thinking. Was it ego. Was he trying to be the only player ever under 21 to have 5x 25 pt games in the playoffs and stamp his name on history ? I sure hope not. But 19 shots and only making 6 of them was pure crappola.

If they are going to put PG on Beal, Wizards need to counter that with something that isn't Beal shooting 19 times while TA only shot 4-8.

They either need to spread out and attack the paint or some small ball S4 like ATL and rain 3s.

[queridiculo]

Finally, I hate what were doing offensively. I'll scream if I see another Beal led pick & roll. I was fine with it as a change up but nothing is worse than Wall becoming a spectator at the 3 pt line while Beal runs the pick & roll like a drunken sailor most of the time. How many bad entry passes to bigs does he have to make before we go away from it? I think its time to spread the floor, go small and let John iso whoever is guarding him. Live and die with your best player creating off the dribble. Implore him to attack, attack, attack no matter what. I'd live with the high TO numbers if were consistently breaking down the D and getting good shots.

This times a hundred.

[tontoz]

Nene/Beal/Wall were a combined 5-27 on long 2s.

To be fair, it's what Indy is giving us easily. They're doing a good job running us off the 3-point line.

All teams with sense give those shots because they are bad shots. Smart offensive teams look for good shots ie 3 pointers/layups and only take long 2s as a last resort. They don't take long 2s early in the clock like the Wizards have done all season.

[FreeBalling]

I missed the game last night because I was in school. Just looking at the stats what a beat down.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1q3rfvPrl4[/youtube]

[payitforward]

Hands is right that Ariza played well and that Beal shot too much. Still... we got beat by 22 points last night! Outscored by 21 in the 2d half alone! A whole lot would have to have been different for us to even have been in the game.

Put another way -- we took 73 shots and only got 52 points out of them. If 10 of Beal's missed shots had been taken by other guys (leaving Beal 6-9), those other guys would have had to make all of them for us to be in the game! But those other guys went 18-54 last night -- they didn't shoot any better than Beal!

Many of the shots Beal missed were wide open. Nene missed a bunch of shots of the exact kind he's been making lately. In fact, Nene had a much worse game than Beal did. In 34 minutes, he had 3 rebounds, 3 turnovers, shot 3-14, and went 2-6 from the line. Any questions?

We may still win this series, and if so, we might beat our next opponent and even beat the WC champ. Why? Because in a short series, a worse team can beat a better team. It's obvious.

But it's also obvious that the Indiana Pacers is a better NBA team than the Washington Wizards. They seem to have righted their ship as well. Last night they looked like they were relieved, a monkey off the back kind of thing. Just as we seemed really relaxed in the first game, they did last night.

So, if we lose the series, and our season ends -- we'll all still be delighted that we went as far as we did. It's been a lot of fun. And... it ain't over: we could still win. Start by winning the next game.

[hands11]

Hands is right that Ariza played well and that Beal shot too much. Still... we got beat by 22 points last night! Outscored by 21 in the 2d half alone! A whole lot would have to have been different for us to even have been in the game.

Put another way -- we took 73 shots and only got 52 points out of them. If 10 of Beal's missed shots had been taken by other guys (leaving Beal 6-9), those other guys would have had to make all of them for us to be in the game! But those other guys went 18-54 last night -- they didn't shoot any better than Beal!

Many of the shots Beal missed were wide open. Nene missed a bunch of shots of the exact kind he's been making lately. In fact, Nene had a much worse game than Beal did. In 34 minutes, he had 3 rebounds, 3 turnovers, shot 3-14, and went 2-6 from the line. Any questions?

We may still win this series, and if so, we might beat our next opponent and even beat the WC champ. Why? Because in a short series, a worse team can beat a better team. It's obvious.

But it's also obvious that the Indiana Pacers is a better NBA team than the Washington Wizards. They seem to have righted their ship as well. Last night they looked like they were relieved, a monkey off the back kind of thing. Just as we seemed really relaxed in the first game, they did last night.

So, if we lose the series, and our season ends -- we'll all still be delighted that we went as far as we did. It's been a lot of fun. And... it ain't over: we could still win. Start by winning the next game.

Yeah, it was more then just Beal. It was Nene as well.

Paul on Beal was the big change for that game though. That had a big effect of taking the Wizards out of their offense.

Hey, I got one for you guys.

The shot clock violation when Nene shot and they reset the clock.

So he shoots with 4 on the clock. Wizards get the rebound but the shot clock gets reset to 24.

Why in the hell was that a turnover. Had TA seen the shot clock at 2 or 1 he could have put up a shot. Instead you can see he check the clock, when he sees it is reset, he passed it out to Gortat away from the basket to reset the offense.

Then ref stop play. Check the replay and then give the ball in IND.

Would seem the right call would have been to put 2 on the clock, which is what it was when TA got the rebound, and let the Wizards inbound the ball.

[Pacers Pride]

can we sign Andrew Bynum and put him right behind the Pacers bench?

NO.

[montestewart]

can we sign Andrew Bynum and put him right behind the Pacers bench?

NO.

Welcome to the board PP!

[FreeBalling]

can we sign Andrew Bynum and put him right behind the Pacers bench?

NO.

Welcome closet Pacers fan with one post. Seems you would have broken your cherry on the Pacers board.

[montestewart]

can we sign Andrew Bynum and put him right behind the Pacers bench?

NO.

Welcome closet Pacers fan with one post. Seems you would have broken your cherry on the Pacers board.

He's getting his experience with some hood rats, then he can show up to the Pacers board as a Grizzled veteran. Let's give him some And1s.

[Deivy202]

People dont wanna admit it but beal and wall are overrated. I mean wall jump shotd are never good he hits better with threes but his threes are the longest ever to set his feet.he improved as a passer and increased his shots but imo not an allstar hes an good player visa versa with beal hes a good shooter but than again he will have a 6/19 day but ill cut him slack


I wamt cousins or melo this off season we need an elite player or a very good player in cousins who has elite potential. .....**** dude had 20 ppg11 rebounds last season

Unless wall shioting jumps shotd alot we will lose. I also dislike his buzzer beater for tje last second he isnt clutch im sorry give it to beal

I disagree...People have told me I'm wrong, but I believe Wall is and will be the best player on this team (as constructed now).

He has incredible handles.
He is an elite defender (watch beal defend...he's behind his man a lot vs Wall who is normally locked in).
He is fast (he's starting to build different gears)
He's jumpshot sucks...but it is improving.

Wall can be something special.

I agree with you but at this point as of now.hes ok and is overall a good player. Just saying hes an all star and needs to show case it this series is jump shots will improve down the road but right now we need allstar wall not decently ok wall

[BruceO]

m.espn.go.com/nba/gamecast?gameId=400489404&wjb=

not the first time this score has happened between us this season. its why I didn't want Hibbert waking up. people teasing him and massively under rating his impact on that team

I'm actually not shocked. unless we work out what we did wrong in those two games to create such an inept offense this series is over cause they'll do what they just did twice more cause it's proven to work.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

The answer is clearly go small, spread the Pacers out, and force Hibbert to cover far away from the basket.

They might want to at least see if Seraphin can score inside, too. Seems to me Gooden and Seraphin need some burn. Beal needs less FGAs if George covers him. Temple for Wall isn't absurd with Miller playing like garbage.

I refuse to believe the Wizards have exhausted all of their options.

[WallToWall]

Ariza is off as well.

Trevor A was 4-8 and 2-6 from 3 with 15 rebounds 5 offensive and 3 steals.
Are you calling that off ?

His stat line looked good/respectable in game #3. But look at the last 2 games again... he was not passing the ball like I'm used to seeing him in the wins that we've had in the playoffs. No assists. Despite the rebounds (some of those rebounds were tips) and a few steals, look at how he played D on his man. He was off. Thats not to say everyone else wasnt playing badly. They were. We need more out of him (and everyone else).