Houston (USA), May 18 (EFE) .- The figure of leader and All-Star was felt in the individual game of power forward Jayson Tatum that allowed the Boston Celtics to win in the second game of the tournament. Eastern Conference playoff entry and the Indiana Pacers claimed great team basketball that kept them in the competition.
While the Celtics beat the Washington Wizards 118-100 and secured seventh place in the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Pacers destroyed the Charlotte Hornets 144-117 to stay alive, while eliminating the team owned by the legendary Michael Jordan.
Tatum rolled with 50 points, including 32 in the second half, and the Celtics achieved their goal of being in the playoffs despite all the losses they have suffered during the regular season, including that of star guard Jaylen Brown, who will not play again. until the next league.
The Celtics began to think about the Brooklyn Nets, second classified in the Eastern Conference, with whom they will face, starting Saturday, in the first round, being the visiting team and without having the advantage of the field.
Tatum played 41 minutes in which he scored 14 of 32 shots from the field, including 5 of 12 3-point attempts, and was perfect from the personnel line (17-17).
In addition, he also played a leading role in the inside game with eight rebounds, including six defenders, he distributed four assists, recovered a ball, lost another two, put two blocks and was barely called a personal foul.
Tatum has scored 40 or more points five times this season. They outscored the Wizards 38-26 in the third quarter. He scored 14 points on Washington’s 11 turnovers in the first half.
Despite losing the game, the Washington team will have the opportunity to play the third play-in against the Pacers and have the field advantage.
The duel will be on Friday, in the nation’s capital, and will define the team that occupies the eighth place in the Eastern Conference playoffs and will have as a rival in the first round the Philadelphia Sixers, the best record during the regular season.
Guard Bradley Beal with 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists finished as the leader of the attack for the Wizards, who also did not have his best inspiration as a team.
The All-Star point guard, Russell Westbrook, could not be a winning factor either, despite the fact that he had a double-double of 20 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, recovered three balls, lost four, put two blocks and committed five personal fouls.
Better to do things on Saturday when they host the Pacers who had Canadian forward Oshae Brissett as their surprise leader who chipped in 23 points and topped the list of eight players who finished in double-digit numbers.
The landslide victory of the Pacers, who had the field advantage as ninth classified at the end of the regular season, allowed them to remain in the competition and fight for eighth place in the playoffs against the Wizards.
Along with Brissett, who has become the winning factor of surprise for the Pacers, Lithuanian power forward Domantas Sabonis was untouchable in the inside game with a double-double of 14 points, 21 rebounds – 20 defensive – and nine assists.
While forward Doug McDermott reached 21 points, including four triples, and finished as the second highest scorer for the Pacers, who in the next game will seek to reach the playoffs in the Eastern Conference for the sixth consecutive time.
Sabonis and McDermott scored 16 of their 21 points in the first quarter and the Pacers snapped the franchise’s worst nine-game losing streak in the postseason.
The victory was Indiana’s first in the postseason since they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in April 2018, and they got it despite the removal of their starting guard, Caris LeVert, from Covid-19 health and safety protocols. the league.
Guard Terry Rozier, a key player for the Hornets with triples, missed all nine attempts he had and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists, which did not prevent the defeat and elimination of the Hornets, who remain unsuccessful in the fight to be in the postseason after finishing the competition with the sixth consecutive loss.
Rookie point guard LaMelo Ball finished his first year in the NBA with 14 points and four assists, but gave his worst shooting image, missing 10 of 14 shots from the field, including four of six attempts from outside the perimeter, in his postseason debut. .
Tomorrow, Wednesday, the first two games of the Western Conference entry tournament will be played between the Memphis Grizzlies (9th) against the San Antonio Spurs (10th) and the Los Angeles Lakers (7th) will host the Golden State Warriors (8th) .
(c) EFE Agency