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The Washington Wizards started the 2020-2021 NBA season with much disappointment. The Wizards started off the season with a 6-17 mark before somehow turning it around. Then, after a disheartening loss to the Boston Celtics in the first play-in game, they responded with a 142-115 thrashing of the Indiana Pacers to snag the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Oh, and they aren't ready to go away just yet, even with the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers as their opponent. So, here are 3 reasons why the Wizards will stun the Sixers in one of the most epic upsets in the past decade.
1. Russell Westbrook
Surprise, surprise, Make no mistake, Russell Westbrook has been unworldly down the stretch and is a huge reason- if not the biggest- for the Wizards' impressive turnaround. He finished the regular season averaging 22.2 points per game with 11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists, for his fourth career season averaging a triple-double, and is clearly playing the best basketball of the season.
More than that, his stats from the month of May are unbelievable.
Russell Westbrook’s stats from May look made up.
26.3 PPG
13.8 RPG (?!)
16.1 APG (?!?!)
45.7 FG%Deserved POTM. pic.twitter.com/0epjXeFl2H
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 17, 2021
It's safe to say Westbrook might be entering the NBA playoffs as the best player in the league, and based on those stats from May it's certainly hard to argue against it. If Westbrook can continue his pure dominance and determination, the Wizards can sneak past the Sixers in a shocking upset that might have Philly searching for more answers in the offseason.
2. Bradley Beal
Beal is Westbrook's right-hand man, and for part of this season, he was the engine that kept the Wizards train running down the tracks. However, Beal's coming into the playoffs nursing an injury, although he appeared fine in their latest game against the Pacers.
HIGHLIGHTS: Bradley Beal dropped 25 points in 28 minutes tonight!#WizPacers | @RealDealBeal23 pic.twitter.com/pAdyy0bbGT
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) May 21, 2021
Beal was on pace to get the NBA scoring title before his injury forced him to miss a couple of games down the stretch, and Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry snagged the title. Still, Beal is having a career-best season, averaging 31.3 points on 48 percent from the field while being named a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star squad.
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So, if the Wizards want to beat the Sixers, both Russ and Beal will need to play at the level they are capable of. If so, Doc Rivers will be scratching his head searching for answers on how to stop this formidable duo in DC.
3. Sixers Playoff History
Trust the process, right? Well, it hasn't exactly been a road full of success for the Sixers in the playoffs in recent years. After all, the Sixers have yet to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals since Allen Iverson was on the team.
The infamous Kawhi Leonard buzzer-beater that sent the Toronto Raptors to the ECF still haunts Philly fans to this day, and the fact Philly is less than a year removed from a first-round sweep after the Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum erupted in the Orlando Bubble might be a concern.
Still, they have played terrific basketball all season long, but one can only wonder if the Sixers' recent playoff history is some sort of bad juju.
All in all, Westbrook and Beal are the key factors for this Wizards team, and a monumental upset of the Sixers in the first round might not be out of the realm of possibilities, especially considering the way the Wizards have played down the stretch.
