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Danny Abadia’s NBA best form continued tonight (between Saturday and Sunday) with another impressive performance, helping Washington to a 113:127 victory over Indiana at home. In 30 minutes Avdia recorded 16 points at 87.5% (7 of 8 from the field, 1 of 2 from three, 1 of 2 from the penalty), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a block, two turnovers and a plus-minus index of 16+, the second the tallest in the group.
It was the eighth time in Avdia’s last nine games that he finished in double figures (15.3 average), and his 13th career with at least 16 points. Of all those 13 appearances – this was the most effective in terms of percentage from the field.
The Wizards provided an offensive performance in the first half and opened a big enough gap to prevent the Pacers from making a comeback in the second half. The hosts led 57:80 at the break with 73% from the field and 22 assists, with Bradley Beal leading the pack with 19 points, before a second half in which the advantage remained at double digits. Bill finished as the leading scorer with 32 (13 of 18 from the field) along with 6 assists and his team finished with 64% from the field (the third highest figure in club history) and 32 assists.
Avdia scored his first basket about two minutes to the end of the first quarter, when he made a strong pass on Jaylen Smith (selected one spot after him in the 2020 draft). He later blocked Benedict Mathurin, added a 3-pointer at the start of the second quarter and made a close shot to reach 7 points at the break. A minute into the last quarter Avdia scored a hard “fade-away” at the end of the 24 hour clock that drew “turbo” movements from the local fans, and with three more baskets in color he sealed a particularly effective evening.
Indiana showed signs of life in the third quarter and even shrunk to 86:75 with a 3-pointer by freshman All-Star Tyrese Halliburton, but Beal stopped the momentum and Corey Kispert hit a 3-pointer before the break of the last quarters that calmed down Wes Anseld Jr. and set up an 88:104 lead.
Avdia was the fourth-leading scorer in Washington, behind Beal, Kristaps Porzingis (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Monte Morris (17), while Kyle Kuzma was absent with an ankle injury. For the Pacers, who dropped to 33:25 with their fourth straight loss and 15 in their last 17 games, Halliburton scored 21 and Miles Turner 20. Avdia and his friends will try to improve their record to 29:27 when they host Golden State between Monday and Tuesday.
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— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) February 12, 2023