Wizards vs Pacers: Season Opener Halftime Notes

A rundown of the first two quarters for the Wizards regular season opener

Candi Waller | Oct 19, 2022

Wizards vs Pacers: Season Opener Halftime Notes /

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What could have been a key position match-up for Wizards vs Pacers, did not happen due to an ankle injury for Myles Turner. There was some talk about what a match-up between Wizards 7’3 center Kristaps Porzingis and Turner (6’11) would look like but we will have to wait until a future game instead.

Here are some key game notes from the first half of Wizards vs Pacers.

First Quarter

About a minute or so into the game, Indiana Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle had seen enough. The Wizards came out fast on both sides of the ball, prompting Carlisle to take a timeout.

The Wizards led the entire quarter, with the largest score gap being 12 between the two teams. Strong first quarter of the regular season by the Wizards with multiple players contributing to their success.

With the Wizards having 3 blocks and 3 steals, defensively, the team showed improvement in that area to start the game.

36-25 lead for the Wizards at the end of the first.

Second Quarter

Both teams started out with their second unit. Will Barton, Rui Hachimura, Daniel Gafford, Delon Wright, and Anthony Gill were on the court for the Wizards at the start of the quarter.

At the 9:42 mark, the Wizards had their fourth turnover of the game. Wizards soon recovered and made the score 41-29 when the Pacers took a timeout to re-group.

The Pacers clearly missing Myles Turner's dominance in the paint.

At the 6:57 mark, the Pacers started to gain some momentum offensively and brought the scoreboard gap to single digits. The score went to Wizards 44, Pacers 36 when Coach Wes Unseld, Jr responded with taking a timeout.

Pacers shots continued to fall and they brought the score to within three. With the score Wizards – 44, Pacers – 41; Coach Unseld, Jr took another much-needed timeout.

Deni Avdija just came back from an injury and was helped off the court after appearing to have rolled his right ankle. He was able to walk out on his own, slowly, to the locker room.

The Pacers brought the score to within one but the Wizards resisted. The Wiz responded with returned intensity offensively and ended the half with an eight-point lead.

Halftime Score: Wizards – 60, Pacers - 52

Published Oct 19, 2022

CANDI WALLER

Candi Waller also known as "CWall" is the Founder and CEO of CWall® Sports & Entertainment, President of the CWall Foundation, Inc, the Managing Publisher of the Fan Nation Inside the Wizards site, and President of Bowie Television. A native of Gorgeous Prince George's County, Maryland, Candi has been an authentic lover of all sports since her childhood. She was such a sports fan at an early age that she notes one of her favorite childhood shows as the legendary "George Michael Sports Machine". Candi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Hampton University, Master of Arts in Human Resource Development from The George Washington University and a certificate in Sports Industry Essentials from Columbia University. Prior to and during her work in the sports industry, Candi has established her identity as a results-driven, relationship building advocate and professional with extensive years of experience leading and implementing successful strategic change, communications, and stakeholder engagement programs across geographically dispersed organizations. She’s worked across Big Four and Government Trusted Advisor consulting firms such as IBM, Deloitte, and the MITRE Corporation. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Women in Sports & Events (WISE), the National Press Club (NPC), the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce and is an ambassador for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In terms of what she likes to do for fun, that’s just it…anything that is considered fun, she’s all for it! She’s very close to her parents, brother, and sister, and has a host of nieces, nephews, and godchildren.