The final Eastern Conference NBA play-in tournament game is Thursday night as the Indiana Pacers visit the Washington Wizards, with the loser’s season finished. The Wizards opened as 3.5-point favourites on the NBA odds with a massive total of 241.

Pacers vs. Wizards NBA Playoff Odds

Thursday’s winner will be the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and a big first-round series underdog against Joel Embiid and the No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers. That series will start Sunday in Philly.

It’s very possible the losing team’s coach will be fired. We have touched previously on how first-year Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren, a former Raptors assistant, is on thin ice because of some locker-room issues with communication and his coaching style. Washington’s Scott Brooks was nearly fired earlier this season before the Wizards suddenly turned things around.

Both the Wizards and Pacers were terrible defensive teams in the regular season, and Washington won all three meetings in the series, each with very high scores, hence the crazy total for this one. The Wizards scored a whopping 419 points in the three games to sweep the Pacers for the first time since 2006-07.

Indiana is 11-4 against the spread in their past 15 games in Washington. The over is 4-1-1 in the past six meetings overall.

Indiana Pacers

Indiana got terrible news ahead of Tuesday’s home game versus Charlotte, as starting guard Caris LeVert was placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and won’t return for at least 10 days. LeVert came to Indiana from Houston back in January as an offshoot of the James Harden-to-Brooklyn trade and he had been playing spectacular basketball of late.  He averaged 24.8 points, 7.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds over his past 10 games. That news dropped Tuesday’s spread versus the Hornets from -3 to -1.5, but Indiana was hot right out of the gate and never threatened in a 144-117 blowout.

All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis and starting guard Malcolm Brogdon had both been questionable with injuries, but eventually played. Sabonis had 14 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists, while Brogdon had 16 points and eight assists. Toronto native and former Raptor Oshae Brissett, who only signed with the Pacers on April 1, continued his late-season surge with a team-best 23 points. Indiana had eight players score at least 12 points and they shot 55.2 per cent from the field.

Washington Wizards

This writer predicted Washington to lose 120-115 in Boston on Tuesday and the Wizards fell 118-100 despite leading by two at halftime. The Celtics dominated the third quarter behind Jayson Tatum, who scored 23 of his 50 points in the third and nearly outscored Washington (26 points) by himself. The Wizards were last in the NBA in scoring defence this season but actually held the Celtics to 39.6 per cent shooting.

However, Washington was just 3-for-21 from three-point range, had 16 turnovers and were called for 31 fouls. Triple-double machine Russell Westbrook had 20 points, 14 rebounds and five assists, but the Wiz were outscored by 19 with him on the court. Bradley Beal, who finished second in the league in scoring during the regular season, said before the game he is less than 100 per cent with a hamstring injury and wasn’t sharp in shooting 10-for-25 overall and 1-for-6 from deep for 22 points. Davis Bertans, usually one of the NBA’s best from deep, was 0-for-7.

NBA Playoff Prediction: Who Will Win Pacers vs. Wizards?

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Pacers Team Leaders

IND

Points	Malcolm Brogdon 21.18
Assists	Domantas Sabonis 6.69
Rebounds	Domantas Sabonis 11.97
FG%	Amida Brimah 62.5
Steals	T.J. McConnell 1.86
Blocks	Myles Turner 3.38

WAS

Points	Bradley Beal 31.3
Assists	Russell Westbrook 11.74
Rebounds	Russell Westbrook 11.54
FG%	Daniel Gafford 68.1
Steals	Russell Westbrook 1.37
Blocks	Daniel Gafford 1.78

IND

Points
Assists
Rebounds	Did not qualify
FG%
Steals
Blocks

WAS

Points	Bradley Beal 30
Assists	Russell Westbrook 11.8
Rebounds	Russell Westbrook 10.4
FG%	Daniel Gafford 84.6
Steals	Ish Smith 1.4
Blocks	Daniel Gafford 2

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Wizards Team Leaders

IND

Points	Malcolm Brogdon 21.18
Assists	Domantas Sabonis 6.69
Rebounds	Domantas Sabonis 11.97
FG%	Amida Brimah 62.5
Steals	T.J. McConnell 1.86
Blocks	Myles Turner 3.38

WAS

Points	Bradley Beal 31.3
Assists	Russell Westbrook 11.74
Rebounds	Russell Westbrook 11.54
FG%	Daniel Gafford 68.1
Steals	Russell Westbrook 1.37
Blocks	Daniel Gafford 1.78

IND

Points
Assists
Rebounds	Did not qualify
FG%
Steals
Blocks

WAS

Points	Bradley Beal 30
Assists	Russell Westbrook 11.8
Rebounds	Russell Westbrook 10.4
FG%	Daniel Gafford 84.6
Steals	Ish Smith 1.4
Blocks	Daniel Gafford 2

Injuries

Indiana

Malcolm Brogdon (SG)

Ques Thurs Hamstring - 19 / 05 / 21

Edmond Sumner (PG)

Ques Thurs Knee - 19 / 05 / 21

Caris LeVert (SG)

Out Thurs Illness - 16 / 05 / 21

T.J. McConnell (PG)

Ques Sat Thumb - 14 / 05 / 21

Caris LeVert (SG)

Prob Sat Knee - 13 / 05 / 21

Aaron Holiday (PG)

Ques Tues Foot - 11 / 05 / 21

Edmond Sumner (PG)

Ques Tues Knee - 11 / 05 / 21

Goga Bitadze (C)

Prob Thurs Ankle - 06 / 05 / 21

Edmond Sumner (PG)

Ques Sat Knee - 05 / 05 / 21

Malcolm Brogdon (SG)

Out indefinitely Hamstring - 02 / 05 / 21

Washington

Russell Westbrook (PG)

Prob Wed Ankle - 01 / 06 / 21

Davis Bertans (PF)

Ques Wed Calf - 31 / 05 / 21

Ish Smith (PG)

Prob Mon Groin - 30 / 05 / 21

Russell Westbrook (PG)

Prob Mon Ankle - 30 / 05 / 21

Russell Westbrook (PG)

Ques Sat Ankle - 27 / 05 / 21

Garrison Mathews (SG)

Prob Sun Wrist - 15 / 05 / 21

Raul Neto (PG)

Prob Tues Hamstring - 14 / 05 / 21

Chandler Hutchison (SF)

Prob Thurs Knee - 06 / 05 / 21

Rui Hachimura (PF)

Prob Sat Illness - 05 / 05 / 21

Robin Lopez (C)

Prob Wed Ankle - 26 / 04 / 21

Injuries

Indiana

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Malcolm Brogdon (SG)	Ques Thurs	Hamstring - 19 / 05 / 21	0-0	0-0	+ -
Brogdon is dealing with a sore right hamstring, and it remains to be seen if he will be available for Game 3 of the East Conference Play-In versus the Wizards.
Edmond Sumner (PG)	Ques Thurs	Knee - 19 / 05 / 21	0-0	0-0	+ -
Sumner is bothered by a left knee contusion, and it is unclear if he will be active for Game 3 of the East Conference Play-In versus the Wizards.
Caris LeVert (SG)	Out Thurs	Illness - 16 / 05 / 21	2-0	2-0	+ -
LeVert is following the NBA's health and safety protocols, and he will not be active for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Play-In versus the Wizards.
T.J. McConnell (PG)	Ques Sat	Thumb - 14 / 05 / 21	3-0	3-0	+ -
McConnell was removed from the last contest with a thumb injury, and it has yet to be determined if he will take the court against the Lakers on Saturday.
Caris LeVert (SG)	Prob Sat	Knee - 13 / 05 / 21	4-0	3-1	+ -
LeVert sat out the last game due to a right knee contusion, but it is anticipated that he will face the Lakers on Saturday.
Aaron Holiday (PG)	Ques Tues	Foot - 11 / 05 / 21	4-0	3-2	+ -
Holiday is dealing with a sprained right toe, and it is undetermined if he will be in the lineup against the Hornets for game 2 of the Eastern Conference Play-In.
Edmond Sumner (PG)	Ques Tues	Knee - 11 / 05 / 21	4-0	3-2	+ -
Sumner is bothered with a knee injury, and it remains to be seen if he will be available versus the Hornets for game 2 of the Eastern Conference Play-In.
Goga Bitadze (C)	Prob Thurs	Ankle - 06 / 05 / 21	6-1	5-3	+ -
Bitadze is dealing with an ankle injury, but it is likely that he will face the Hawks on Thursday.
Edmond Sumner (PG)	Ques Sat	Knee - 05 / 05 / 21	6-2	6-3	+ -
Sumner has missed the last two games with a left knee contusion, and it remains to be seen if he will dress for Saturday's tilt against the Wizards.
Malcolm Brogdon (SG)	Out indefinitely	Hamstring - 02 / 05 / 21	7-2	7-3	+ -
Brogdon is sidelined with right hamstring soreness, and it remains to be seen when he will be active again.

Washington

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Russell Westbrook (PG)	Prob Wed	Ankle - 01 / 06 / 21	1-0	1-0	+ -
Westbrook is nursing a ankle injury, but he is likely to be in the lineup for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first round versus the 76ers.
Davis Bertans (PF)	Ques Wed	Calf - 31 / 05 / 21	1-1	2-0	+ -
Bertans is battling a right calf strain, and it is undetermined if he will suit up for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first round versus the 76ers.
Ish Smith (PG)	Prob Mon	Groin - 30 / 05 / 21	1-1	2-0	+ -
Smith is bothered by a left groin injury, but it is likely that he will face the 76ers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first round.
Russell Westbrook (PG)	Prob Mon	Ankle - 30 / 05 / 21	1-1	2-0	+ -
Westbrook is hindered by a right ankle sprain, but it is anticipated that he will be active for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first round versus the 76ers.
Russell Westbrook (PG)	Ques Sat	Ankle - 27 / 05 / 21	1-2	2-1	+ -
Westbrook is bothered by a right ankle injury, and it remains to be seen if he will be in the lineup for Game 3 of the Eastern conference first round versus the 76ers.
Garrison Mathews (SG)	Prob Sun	Wrist - 15 / 05 / 21	3-3	3-3	+ -
Mathews is managing a wrist injury, but he is expected to face the Hornets on Sunday.
Raul Neto (PG)	Prob Tues	Hamstring - 14 / 05 / 21	4-3	3-4	+ -
Neto is dealing with a hamstring injury, but he is likely to be active for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Play-In versus the Celtics.
Chandler Hutchison (SF)	Prob Thurs	Knee - 06 / 05 / 21	6-4	7-4	+ -
Hutchinson was lifted from the last game due to a left knee contusion, but it is projected that he will play against the Raptors on Thursday.
Rui Hachimura (PF)	Prob Sat	Illness - 05 / 05 / 21	7-4	8-4	+ -
Hachimura has been sidelined while going through the NBA's health and safety protocols, but it is projected that he will return against the Pacers on Saturday.
Robin Lopez (C)	Prob Wed	Ankle - 26 / 04 / 21	11-5	11-6	+ -
Lopez missed the last game with a left ankle sprain, but it is projected that he will take on the Lakers on Wednesday.