Six weeks in the past, the Washington Wizards have been cemented within the lottery with a 17-32 report and thirteenth place within the Japanese Convention. The playoffs have been however a dream.

However with a barrage of Russell Westbrook triple-doubles and Bradley Beal buckets, the Wizards completed the common season 17-6 and in eighth place with a spot within the play-in event.

Now, the once-woebegone Wizards are within the playoffs because the No. 8 after beating the Indiana Pacers 142-115 within the win-or-go-home play-in sport on Thursday.

Washington will play top-seeded Philadelphia within the first spherical of the playoffs. Sport 1 is Sunday (1 p.m. ET, TNT).

“Now we’ve received an opportunity to play towards probably the greatest groups in basketball, and we’re enthusiastic about it,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks mentioned. “We all know what we are able to do and what we’re about. We’re a significantly better crew than we have been within the first month of the season. We all know that.”

The Wizards, in fact, relied on their star guards.

Westbrook rebounded from a sub-optimal efficiency in Tuesday’s play-in loss to the Celtics with an environment friendly close to triple-double: 18 factors on 6-for-13 capturing, 15 assists and eight rebounds. Beal, who continues to play with a sore left hamstring, scored 25 factors on 9-for-17 capturing.

It wasn’t only a two-man present.

Rui Hachimura had 18 factors, Raul Neto added 14 and Daniel Gafford, a key commerce deadline acquisition, had 15 factors and 13 rebounds for Washington. Massive males Alex Len and Robin Lopez mixed for 13 factors and 10 rebounds.

The Wizards have been 3-0 towards the Pacers through the common season, piling up factors in every victory: 132-124 on March 29, 154-141 on Could 3 (no time beyond regulation in that one) and 133-132 in time beyond regulation on Could 8.

The Wizards exploited Indiana’s protection once more within the play-in sport. Washington scored not less than 30 factors in every quarter, together with 48 within the third. It broke the sport open within the second quarter. With the rating tied at 34, the Wizards took off on a 16-0 run. Nothing Indiana tried slowed the Wizards.

Story continues

By the top of the third quarter, Washington led 114-83. The Wizards shot 58.1% from the sphere and 50% (14-of-28) on 3-pointers.

The victory might have bigger implications for the Wizards and coach Scott Brooks, whose future with the crew stays undetermined past this season. He’s within the remaining yr of his five-year deal.

Washington was battered by well being and security protocols early within the season. Off to a 3-8 begin, the Wizards didn’t play a sport from Jan. 12 to Jan. 23, and by mid-March they have been simply 14-25. In a stretch from early March by means of early April, they misplaced 12 of 15 video games and have been 17-32.

Even when the season appeared hopeless, Westbrook gave an impassioned locker room speak and informed his teammates he wasn’t lacking the playoffs.

“I simply needed to let the crew know that this season — on the time we have been struggling and all people was doubting us on the skin — we simply needed to discover a option to knuckle up and make the playoffs, easy as that,” Westbrook mentioned. “We needed to look within the mirror, beginning with myself, and I made it clear to the fellows that we’ll make it.”

To get there, he wanted to play higher than he did in Tuesday’s loss to Boston. What have been the 48 hours between video games like?

“You’ll be able to ask my spouse, my mother, my dad, my brother — they’re so aggravated with me proper now,” Westbrook mentioned. “I used to be so pissed at my efficiency and simply wasn’t feeling the most effective when my crew wanted me essentially the most. …

“After I was Oklahoma Metropolis, Mo Cheeks informed me, ‘Nice gamers don’t have two back-to-back dangerous video games.’ I’ve all the time stored that in my thoughts.”

Amid a troublesome schedule with back-to-backs or taking part in each different day, the Wizards began successful. Brooks deserves credit score for that — a sign that he can win when this roster is wholesome and full.

“What we’ve been by means of — I’ve mentioned it, documented it, talked about it sufficient — however it nonetheless feels nice,” Brooks mentioned. “Any time you possibly can stick collectively by means of some robust instances and preserve preventing for each other, that’s what sports activities is all about and that’s what groups are all about.

“We’ve received a very good group of men. That’s why I really like teaching this crew as a result of they’re all the time difficult one another and pushing one another. They deserve a whole lot of the credit score, if not all the credit score, by doing that. It hasn’t been straightforward for lots of causes. However the straightforward a part of it was teaching this group. That’s what makes my job gratifying.”

Additionally, Westbrook and Brooks are shut, and Beal has freedom below Brooks and Wizards normal supervisor Tommy Sheppard, who has made the roster higher by means of trades (Westbrook, Gafford, Chandler Hutchison), free company (Len, Lopez, Neto, Ish Smith) and the draft (Hachimura, Deni Avdija). Thomas Bryant, the Wizards beginning middle, and Avdija, a rookie, are out with accidents.

Brooks may very well be in line for an extension, however that will probably be addressed after the season.

Now, it’s on to Philadelphia.

Observe Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.

This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: NBA play-in: Wizards rout Pacers to clinch No. 8 seed in East