November 26, 2024

Russell Westbrook’s historic night helps the Wizards beat the Pacers without Bradley Beal

Westbrook #Westbrook

Westbrook finished with 35 points on 14-for-26 shooting — including 4 for 6 from three-point range — to go with 21 assists and 14 rebounds. The triple-double, his 16th of the season, moved him past Darrell Walker for the most by any player to ever wear a Washington jersey.

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Westbrook did it in just 38 games.

Beyond city limits, the point guard became just the third player in NBA history to turn in a 30-20-10 triple-double, joining Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson in an ultraexclusive club.

The feat helped the Wizards (17-28) string together back-to-back wins for the first time in more than a month.

“I’ve been saying it; there’s no other way to say it — there’s six letters, and it spells out winner,” Coach Scott Brooks said of Westbrook. “That’s what he is. He’s won everywhere. We’re not winning as many games as we want, but he still fights and still leads and still plays hard. He’s not perfect. Turns the ball over too many times, at times. But he competes. . . . He does things that I’ve never seen in the history of — I’ve been in this league 30 years. He’s a winner, man. He fights.”

Westbrook helped seal a tight game with 17 points in the fourth quarter, nudging Washington across the finish line after Rui Hachimura and Chandler Hutchison supported him. Hachimura had 26 points and eight rebounds as he continued his streak of aggressive games of late, while Hutchison, who arrived at the trade deadline from Chicago, had 18 points and five rebounds in his Wizards debut — and his first game since Feb. 5.

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The aggressive performances helped Washington to a 55-37 rebounding advantage and overcame a defensive effort that included too many fouls. The Pacers finished 24 for 33 at the free throw line, compared with the Wizards’ 12-for-18 effort. Washington finished 10 for 19 on three-pointers, a rare quality night from long range.

At the start, the home team looked as though it would be in for a tall task.

Beal missed his fourth game this season after a hard fall in Saturday’s win against Detroit. He left that game early in the third quarter and is day-to-day, according to Brooks, while the schedule plows ahead: Washington hosts the feisty Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.

Brooks started Jerome Robinson in Beal’s place, opting to keep his only other option at shooting guard, Garrison Mathews, on the bench in hopes he could provide a spark for a second unit that has been sluggish lately. Mathews, who is on a two-way contract, has started 21 games this season.

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Robinson earned his first minutes since Feb. 14 on Saturday when Beal went down, going 0 for 5 from the field but earning some approval from Brooks. Robinson finished with three points on ­1-for-6 shooting Monday, but he added two assists, three steals and three blocks in his 21 minutes.

Gafford went down with 10:03 left in the fourth quarter and was taken to the locker room in a wheelchair after adding 11 points and six rebounds off the bench in just his second game with Washington.

“It didn’t look good. . . . I’m disappointed for him,” Brooks said. “I’m hoping for the best. I’m really hoping for the best. Because what he brings, we haven’t had it in five years.”

Domantas Sabonis led the ­Pacers (21-24) with 35 points, and Malcolm Brogdon added 26.

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