The NBA Play in Tournaments starts Tuesday with the Eastern Conference. The Charlotte Hornets vs The Indiana Pacers kicks the night off. Then the night cap concludes with the Washington Wizards facing off against the Boston Celtics. I will analyze both games and give my predictions for both games.
Charlotte Hornets Vs Indiana Pacers
The Hornets won the season series 2-1 against the Pacers. Indiana has been without their second-best player in Malcolm Brogdon who has missed the last 6 games due to a hamstring injury. He is currently a game time decision. Domantas Sabonis is great player, and he will need to be in top form for the Pacers to have a chance of winning. The Hornets have excellent Trio of guards with LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham. This will be an advantage the Hornets have and for them to win they must combine for at least 45 points. The X factor for the Hornets will be Miles Bridges if he can bring his usual energy and efficiently put in 12 to 15 points the Pacers will not be able to win. For the Pacers there X factor is TJ McConnell’s scoring. McConnell is good guard defensively and scrappy; he’s good at running the offense and setting teammates up. If he can put in 15 to 17 points the Pacers can come up with the Victory.
I predict the Hornets will win against the Pacers 105 to 95. The Hornets will be eager to end their 6-game losing streak that the team is currently on. Also, the Hornets are determined to prove that they arrived and Rozier will be anxious to prove he made the right decision when he joined Charlotte in 2019 as a Free Agent. Sabonis will get a double double but unfortunately his help will not be there, and the Hornets trio will be too much.
Washington Wizards vs Boston Celtics
The Wizards have a had a roller coaster season with many highs and lows thanks to injuries and the mediocre defense the team played. Thanks to the leadership of Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook they were able to right the ship and have the Wizards in the 8th spot. They face the Celtics who are a mirror image of them due to the injuries and Covid situation among the team. The Celtics seem to play as though thy have tuned head coach Brad Stevens out. Boston unfortunately plays too much isolation basketball and this plays to the strength of the Wizards who have pretty good individual defenders. Washington is hungry for the opportunity to play the Brooklyn Nets who they won the season series 2-1. Beal will go off for 30 against the Celtics while Westbrook will get his triple double.
The X factor for the Celtics is Kemba Walker. If Walker can turn back the clock to his college days where he went on a scoring tear during the big east tournament then Boston has a chance to win. The X factor for the Wizards is Daniel Gafford; if Gafford can control the paint and limit the isolation heavy Celtics to one shot opportunities then the Wizards will win comfortably.
I Predict the Wizards will win and clinch the 7th seed which would put them in a match up against the Brooklyn Nets. By losing the Celtics will have to play the Hornets to see who becomes the 8th and final seed for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference on Thursday.
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