INDIANAPOLIS — The Wizards were tired of getting shoved around in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Wizards were tired of getting shoved around in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
So on Tuesday night, Marcin Gortat and his teammates pushed back hard.
Gortat delivered the best playoff game of his career, 31 points and 16 rebounds, and John Wall scored a playoff-best 27 points as Washington routed the Indiana Pacers 102-79 to cut the Eastern Conference semifinals deficit to 3-2.
“We don’t have anything to lose now,” Gortat said. “We play desperate. At the end of the day, we might lose. We have to play every minute of every game like it’s the last one of the season.”
The Wizards made a stunning turnaround after losing three straight, two on their home court in incredibly demoralizing fashion. Washington scored a franchise-low 63 points in Game 3 and then blew a 19-point, second-half lead in Game 4.
Washington refused to let it happen again this time, earning a trip home for Game 6 on Thursday.
The difference was obvious.
Wall broke free, Gortat dominated the middle and the motivated Wizards were simply overwhelming inside with a 62-23 rebounding edge.
Gortat produced more points and rebounds in 36 minutes than he had in the previous two games combined (six points and 13 rebounds). He was 13 of 15 from the field, 5 of 7 from the free-throw line, tied his career-best point total and finished with playoff career bests for points and rebounds.
“I was a decoy in Game 3 and Game 4,” the 30-year-old Polish native said. “(Tuesday) was the time for me to perform. At some point in the second half, it was just fun to be in the game.”
Wall seemed to enjoy himself, too.
The much more aggressive point guard went 11 of 20 from the field and 3 of 6 on 3s, finishing with five rebounds, five assists and five turnovers as he sliced through the Pacers’ defense.
“They didn’t stop me from being aggressive on both ends,” Wall said. “But the biggest thing was just the way we played in the third quarter. They outscored us by like 40 in the other four games, so the third quarter was big for us tonight.”
THUNDER 105, CLIPPERS 104
OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook scored 38 points and made three free throws with 6.4 seconds remaining, and the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a seven-point deficit in the final 50 seconds to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 105-104 on Tuesday night to go up 3-2 in the Western Conference semifinals.
Westbrook was fouled by Chris Paul while shooting a 3-pointer with the Thunder trailing by two. After his free throws, Paul drove to the hoop, but Reggie Jackson stole the ball from him, and time expired.
Kevin Durant scored 10 of his 27 points in the final 3:23 for the Thunder.
Blake Griffin had 24 points and 17 rebounds, Jamal Crawford scored 19 points and Paul had 17 points and 14 assists for the Clippers.
The Thunder can clinch the series Thursday in Los Angeles.