Game 2 Recap; Game 3 Predictions

Well, so much for ex-NBA stars trolling Young Roy Hibbert on social media.

The troubled center scored the first 5 points for the Pacers, setting his own pace for the remainder of the game. I wouldn't describe his play as dominant; he just played smart basketball, putting himself in the right places at the right times to get timely put backs, hook shots, and scoops.

He finished with 28 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, and altered numerous other Wizards attempts.

For the Wiz, Ariza, a long-range threat and defensive specialist, found himself under the weather and scored only 6 points in 39 minutes of play.

John Wall couldn't find a stroke all night, finishing 2-13 with 6 points and 8 assists.

Cumulatively, these poor games by so many Washington starters would lead one to believe they were on the losing end of a blowout. Surprisingly, Washington was down only 3 with just over 2:00 left to play in the game.

John Wall missed 2 threes and Bradley Beal missed another, forfeiting 3 straight possessions and wasting 3 defensive stops.

My question: Washington, what got you here? Yes, outside shooting has been of a higher percentage this year, but that's because they have been taken carefully at timely moments in games all season.

Wall's best game comes from the drive-and-dish, or driving and scoring in the lane with the possibility of a foul.

Admittedly, in his post-game interview, Wall took the loss on his back, acknowledging his mistakes in the final period.

But wait, there's more!!!

It shouldn't have even gotten to that point. The Wizards only attempted 12 free throws all game, a consequence of settling for jumpers and failing to be aggressive in the paint on drives.

Nene missed the first 4 FT attempts of the game, and Washington finished just 5-12, or under 42% to Indiana's 18/21 - 86%.

THAT was where the Wizards almost blew it in Game 1 when George Hill made desperation 3s at the end. THIS is where they blew it in Game 2.

My thoughts...

1. Hibbert won't have another season-high scoring game this series.
2. Wall and Ariza won't combine to shoot 4-21, or 19%, in another game.
3. Wittman will rescind his obligatory dunk from his squad's series win over the Bulls if the team doesn't shoot over 70% from the charity stripe in each game from here on out.
4. Andre Miller deserves a maximum of 10 minutes a game; maybe even less, but certainly not more.

Tonight's Game 3 in Washington will be showtime for the Wizards. An 8:00pm tip-off in the nation's capital city allows plenty of time for the home crowd to show up on time, loud enough to take on anyone, maybe even Nenê.

Washington will lead for almost the entirety of the game, in another defensive battle holding both teams under the 100-point mark (the Over/Under is 183.5). Beal will go off for 25-5-5 or more, and Nene/Gortat will combine for 40/20+

Indiana will get huge offensive surges from Lance Stephenson and Paul George, as Hibbert returns to maybe a 12-5 line.

Prediction: 93-87, Wizards

REMINDER: IF the Wiz score 100+ and win, use code WIZ50 to get 50% off anything full price from Papa John's in the DC/Metro area.

Game 1: Keys for the Wiz

As the Wizards get set to take on Indiana tonight in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the vibe of the team hasn't been more positive since... well, maybe the minutes leading up to drafting Kwame Brown in 2001 -- before Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, Joe Johnson, Jason Richardson, Zach Randolph... okay, you get the point.

A 4-1 sweep of the Bulls proved all but one ESPN analyst wrong and set new standards for this young team that is seemingly done "building."

The Wiz are for real, and here's why:

1. Travor Ariza is a defensive playmaker. If he can D up LeBron, Paul George isn't really a question. Will George get his 20+ each game? Most likely. But it will be a fatiguing process, with Ariza contesting every jumper, drive, and dish.
2. Nene and Gortat are too much for Hibbert and David West. I've said it before, but the Wizards' big men compliment each other so well. Nene is more polished offensively; Gortat gets scrappy points off boards and backdoor cuts. Both give 30-35 real minutes each game and have been altering offenses all season. Obviously, this isn't news to Indiana -- the key here is how Hibbert responds after a rough series - although relatively productive Game 7 - against the Hawks sin Al Horford.
3. PG John Wall is the polar opposite to SG Lance Stephenson, in a way that unquestionably favors Washington. Wall is a calm, controlled leader who does it all and doesn't create unnecessary controversy on or off the court. Stephenson isn't afraid to let his emotions show, despite being, at the end of the day, an average guard at best. When he's hot, he's a star -- when he's not, he's dysfunctional and takes away from the good of his team. Good thing the Pacers have PG George Hill to balance him out and handle some of the offensive load when Stephenson's shot isn't falling.

The Wizards deep bench may meet its match with Indiana's PF Scola, C Mahinmi, SF Turner, and PG C.J. Watson accustomed to playing 15-25 minutes each on any given night.

The headlining story for Indy has been Hibbert's resurgent Game 7, in which he stayed out of foul trouble to log 31 minutes, scoring 13 and collecting 7 boards and 5 blocks to disrupt any offensive that the Hawks thought they had.

Hibbert must return to his 2012-13 form if the Pacers want to maintain home court advantage.

Not surprisingly, four ESPN analysts predict the Wizards to win the series -- all believe it will take 6 games. That's only 25% of ESPN's experts, but the takeaway here is that the Wiz are finally getting some respect. Whether it's based off their recent play, the slump the Pacers' have been staggering through, or a mix of both is all heresy.

All I know is that tonight at 7:00, I'll be donning the nation's colors as John Wall and His Friends take their game to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to put on another show for the NBA, this time against the #1 seed in the East.

Prediction: 99-92, Wizards