Bradley Beal dropped 50 points on the Indiana Pacers in the Washington Wizards’ overtime win. It was his second 50-point performance of the season. However, all of his scoring occurred in regulation, as the Wizards’ all-star sat out the final possession in regulation and the entire overtime period with a hamstring strain.
Beal briefly left the game in the third quarter with 28 points, when it appeared he tweaked his ankle. He would return and added another 22 points to his night.
Ultimately, his hamstring forced him out of the game for good late in the fourth quarter. He was barreled over in pain and eventually watched overtime with a towel over his head.
The Wizards announced Beal will have his left hamstring strain evaluated further Sunday.
The Wizards turned to Beal’s backcourt mate, Russell Westbrook to eek out the win. Westbrook collected his 181st career triple-double with 33 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists. He tied Oscar Robertson for the most triple doubles ever in NBA history
Westbrook also made sure the Wizards pulled out the 133-132 win. He made the go-ahead free throws after drawing a foul on Caris LeVert with one second left on the clock in OT. He then blocked LeVert’s three-point attempt at the buzzer to seal the win.
Washington (32-36) moves in ninth place in the Eastern Conference over the Pacers by 1/2 game. While the team will celebrate the pivotal win, focus will shift on the health of Beal, who is second in the NBA in scoring 31.4 points per game.
Hopefully the injury is nothing serious. The Wizards have four games remaining in the regular season as they fight for a spot and position in the play-in tournament.
