<p>WASHINGTON — Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal did what they do — a near triple-double for one, 25 points in just 29 minutes for the other — and the Washington Wizards reached the NBA playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed by overwhelming the Indiana Pacers 142-115 in the play-in round Thursday night.</p>
<p>Washington led by as many as 38 points and advanced to face Joel Embiid and the No. 1 seed Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, marking quite a turnaround for coach Scott Brooks’ crew, which was 17-32 in early April. </p>
<p>Indiana’s run of five consecutive playoff appearances ended in coach Nate Bjorkgren’s debut season.</p>
<p>A little more than a week after breaking Oscar Robertson’s career record for most regular-season triple-doubles, Westbrook finished Thursday with 18 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, and it was Beal — second in the NBA in scoring two years in a row — whose 3-pointer opened up a 30-point lead at 98-68 with about four minutes left in the third quarter. </p>
<p>Beal skipped the fourth quarter entirely. Westbrook sat out the last 8 minutes and tossed his shoes to a fan. </p>
<p>The backcourt mates both heard “M-V-P!” chants during trips to the foul line, as did reserve center Robin Lopez in an appreciative if more tongue-in-cheek way, from a giddy crowd capped at 5,333 — a quarter of the arena’s capacity — because of COVID-19 concerns. The coronavirus pandemic is also why the season consisted only of 72 games, instead of the standard 82, and the league created the play-in format involving teams that were 7-10 in each conference.</p>
<p>The Wizards went 17-6 over the last six weeks of the season to finish with the eighth-best record in the East, but then lost the 7-vs.-8 game at the Boston Celtics 118-100 Tuesday. The Pacers won the 9-vs.-10 game at home against the Charlotte Hornets 144-117 that night.</p>
<p>Washington averaged 139.7 points while sweeping the three-game season series against the Pacers and, well, this one had much the same feel. It was close until a little more than 1 1/2 minutes elapsed in the second quarter, when the score was 34-all. </p>
<p>From there, Westbrook took over for a bit, bullying his way through the lane and mean-mugging Pacers players. A 16-0 run fueled by six points from Lopez made it 50-34 and prompted the Pacers to take a timeout. They never recovered.</p>
<p>Heading to the sideline for the break, Westbrook paused on the court to raised a hand and wiggled his fingers while looking into the stands, pleading for more noise. Later, it was Beal — who has been dealing with a strained left hamstring — wind-milling his arms as he and his teammates poured it on, hitting 58.1% of their shot attempts; the visitors only finished above 40% thanks to some fourth-quarter baskets long after the outcome was decided.</p>
<p>Malcolm Brogdon led Indiana with 24 points. Pacers All-Star Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists before fouling out early in the fourth quarter. </p>
<p>They now head into the offseason, while the Wizards are back in the postseason after missing out the past two years before acquiring Westbrook in a trade that sent John Wall to Houston.</p>
<p>Washington dealt with a COVID-19 outbreak that affected more than half of its roster and led to a two-week hiatus. The team also lost two starters for the season with injuries: first-round draft pick Deni Avdija (broken right ankle) — he took shots in the paint while seated on a black folding chair before Thursday’s game — and center Thomas Bryant (torn left knee ligament). </p>
<p>Now, though, Westbrook, Beal and Co. get to keep playing.</p>
<p>TIP-INS</p>
<p>Pacers: As expected, were without second-leading scorer Caris LeVert (COVID-19 protocols), NBA blocks leader Myles Turner (right foot), T.J. Warren (left foot) and Jeremy Lamb (left knee). </p>
<p>Wizards: F Rui Hachimura scored 18 points, 10 more than against Boston. … F Davis Bertans started 0 for 2 on 3-pointers, following an 0-for-7 night Tuesday, but then made two in a row. … C Daniel Gafford’s five first-half blocks were the most by a Wizards player in a decade. He also scored 15 points.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Wizards: At Philadelphia for Sunday’s Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the 76ers.</p>
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