Marcin Gortat and John Wall were sensational Tuesday in leading the Washington Wizards to a 102-79 annihilation of the Indiana Pacers in a must-win Game 5 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Gortat recorded a double-double by halftime and finished with 31 points and 16 rebounds, and Wall scored 17 of his 27 points in a third quarter that saw the Wizards build a commanding 24-point lead. The Wizards improved to 5-1 on the road in the postseason thanks to an incredible 62-23 advantage on the glass. They nearly had more offensive boards (18) than Indiana's rebounding total. Indiana shot just 39.0 percent from the floor, with Paul George following up his 39-point Game 4 performance with a 15-point dud on 5- of-15 shooting. Roy Hibbert regressed to the tune of four points and two rebounds, while David West led the club with 17 points in an otherwise forgettable showing by the East's No. 1 seed. Indiana's three consecutive wins that put the Wizards' backs against the wall are suddenly an afterthought as this Eastern Conference semifinal series shifts back to Washington for Game 6 on Thursday.
[SportsNetwork.com]
