As the Wizards were struggling, Russell Westbrook guaranteed they’d make the playoffs. And they did.
Russ didn’t plan on going home early
The Wizards blew out the Pacers, 142–115, on Thursday night to secure what seemed impossible just six weeks ago: a playoff berth.
The Wiz were propelled over the final weeks of the season by Russell Westbrook, who averaged 23.0 points, 14.0 assists and 13.5 rebounds in the team’s final 23 games. He also inspired his teammates with an impassioned speech while the team was struggling. Head coach Scott Brooks can’t recall exactly when Westbrook made the speech but does remember the substance of it.
“He gave a very passionate, very direct talk to the group. He was like ‘I am not going through this season and not making the playoffs,’ ”
Brooks told reporters after the win over the Pacers.“Not that he predicted it, but he said I’m not going to let this happen and not make the playoffs. We’re going to step up and fight for one another. It went on and on and on. I was just like, ‘That’s a special young man there.’ ”
The Wizards were one of the worst teams in the NBA over the first three-ish months of the season. On April 5, after losing their fourth straight and 12th out of their previous 15, the Wiz fell to 17–32 and slipped to 13th in the Eastern Conference.
In any other year, a playoff berth would have been out of the question, but with the addition of the NBA’s play-in tournament, Washington needed only to climb as high as 10th to have a shot at the postseason. Rather than tank the rest of the season by trading Bradley Beal, the Wizards turned on the jets over the final 23 games of the season. They went 17–6 over that stretch, good enough not to just sneak into the play-in as the 10th seed, but received the added security of the No. 8 seed.
Westbrook has always been a divisive player, perhaps more than ever this season, but his leadership has been a boost to a young Wizards roster. They probably won’t get past the Sixers in the first round, but just qualifying for the postseason has to feel like a great accomplishment.
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(And do not sleep on the “presented by Tervis” logo on the video board.)
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Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.
As the Wizards were struggling, Russell Westbrook guaranteed they’d make the playoffs. And they did.
Russ didn’t plan on going home early
The Wizards blew out the Pacers, 142–115, on Thursday night to secure what seemed impossible just six weeks ago: a playoff berth.
The Wiz were propelled over the final weeks of the season by Russell Westbrook, who averaged 23.0 points, 14.0 assists and 13.5 rebounds in the team’s final 23 games. He also inspired his teammates with an impassioned speech while the team was struggling. Head coach Scott Brooks can’t recall exactly when Westbrook made the speech but does remember the substance of it.
“He gave a very passionate, very direct talk to the group. He was like ‘I am not going through this season and not making the playoffs,’ ” Brooks told reporters after the win over the Pacers.
“Not that he predicted it, but he said I’m not going to let this happen and not make the playoffs. We’re going to step up and fight for one another. It went on and on and on. I was just like, ‘That’s a special young man there.’ ”
The Wizards were one of the worst teams in the NBA over the first three-ish months of the season. On April 5, after losing their fourth straight and 12th out of their previous 15, the Wiz fell to 17–32 and slipped to 13th in the Eastern Conference.
In any other year, a playoff berth would have been out of the question, but with the addition of the NBA’s play-in tournament, Washington needed only to climb as high as 10th to have a shot at the postseason. Rather than tank the rest of the season by trading Bradley Beal, the Wizards turned on the jets over the final 23 games of the season. They went 17–6 over that stretch, good enough not to just sneak into the play-in as the 10th seed, but received the added security of the No. 8 seed.
Westbrook has always been a divisive player, perhaps more than ever this season, but his leadership has been a boost to a young Wizards roster. They probably won’t get past the Sixers in the first round, but just qualifying for the postseason has to feel like a great accomplishment.
The best of SI
10 story lines to watch over the rest of the NFL offseason. ... Luka Dončić and the Mavs are looking to build on a memorable run in last year’s playoffs. ... The WNBA’s young stars have been thriving in the season’s first week.
Around the sports world
John Tavares was taken off the ice on a stretcher and hospitalized after a scary accidental hit in the Maple Leafs–Canadiens game. ... CC Sabathia had some really harsh criticism for Tony La Russa, saying he “shouldn't be f------ managing that team.” ... Reopened sports stadiums are going to be a feast for wildlife. ... A photo op caused a dangerous situation at Indy 500 practice.
Russ was on fire in the win
The Leafs lost on a ridiculous short-handed goal
Relievers have a lot of downtime
Golf can be amazing
A true legend
Putting a plastic cup on the table while a player signs his rookie deal is some especially hilarious product placement
(And do not sleep on the “presented by Tervis” logo on the video board.)
Tim Tebow looks like he’s bulked up quite a bit
Not sports
A group of astronomers captured one of the oldest images of the universe. ... A guy in Spain built an elaborate underground den after an argument with his parents.
Not how I expected that to go
A good song
Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.
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