Photo by Joseph Glorioso

By DCist contributor Jamel Johnson

In case you might have missed it, the Wizards are in the middle of a historic playoff run; an unexpectedly
swift dispatching of the Chicago Bulls followed by a resounding Game 1 victory over the top-seeded Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Just to put in perspective how miraculous this is, the Wizards haven’t won a single game in the second round of the playoffs since 1982, when they were still known as the Bullets, cell phones weren’t even conceivable, and people still respected George Lucas.

Aside from the Miami Heat, the Wizards are the most impressive team in this year’s playoffs, and certainly the most surprising. The team did have a setback last night losing 82-86 in Game 2, but when you consider the fact that the Wizards have only gotten past the second round of the playoffs six times in franchise history, they were bound to lose a road game. Plus, who expected Pacers center Roy Hibbert to go for 28 points? Certainly not Lady Gaga, who had to postpone her Verizon Center show, which originally wound up being the same day as a potential Game 6 at the Verizon Center.

The Wizards beat the Bulls in convincing fashion, with tough defense and good three-point shooting. It was a complete team effort: Bradley Beal is the only player on the Wizards in the top 25 of playoff scoring, while the team is top five in playoff rebounding, assists, and overall defense. The only team rated higher than them defensively is the Indiana Pacers.

If the Wizards can keep up the level of focus and intensity they have shown thus far, they are definitely capable of beating the Pacers. The Wizards dominated Game 1, holding all-star shooting guard Paul George to 18 points on a miserable 4 of 17 from the field. One could argue that the victory was more about the Pacers playing poorly than the Wizards playing well, but we beg to differ: the Wizards have been spectacular on the road this post-season, with a 4-1 record. This isn’t a fluke.

The most notable difference between their five wins and two losses in the playoffs is missed free throws. In last night’s game, the Wizards didn’t get to the line much in general, but when they did, it didn’t go well, shooting 41.7 percent, with Nenê going 0-4 in particular. Long story short: if you miss seven free throws and you lose by four, it’s not too hard to solve for x.

Trevor Ariza didn’t have the best night from the field either, going two for eight for the game, which included five missed treys. The team had a chance to win down the stretch however, but they looked for the knockout punch a little early as opposed to trying to work their way back by running plays. They went 1-6 to finish out the fourth quarter and most of those were three-pointers. Not the best strategy for a comeback.

Despite the loss in Game 2, Bradley Beal and center Marcin Gortat both had standout performances.

The bench players also handled themselves particularly well in the front court. Forward Trevor Booker proved himself in the Bulls series playing a vital role in Nenê’s absence after his suspension, while Drew Gooden had an unexpected 12 points and 13 rebounds in Game 1 of this series. This is also 15-year veteran point guard Andre Miller’s first appearance in the second round and the team will need more solid production from him moving forward.

The Wizards have thrived under these low playoff expectations both locally and nationally. I don’t think anyone aside from the Wizards themselves thought they were ready for the grinding style of playoff basketball. An Eastern Conference finals appearance would raise the team’s profile both locally and around the country, and with the way the team has performed, it is certainly within reach. We honestly can’t predict if the Wizards will go to the finals, but we’re certainly enjoying the ride (as is the always entertaining Wizznutzz.) We’ll see if the city comes along.