NATE BJORKGREN

The Indiana Pacers have hired Rick Carlisle as their new coach, marking his second stint in charge of the team.

The Indiana Pacers have fired Nate Bjorkgren after missing the playoffs in his only season as coach.

Russell Westbrook nearly had a triple-double and Bradley Beal scored 25 points in just 29 minutes to help the Washington Wizards reach the NBA playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed by overwhelming the Indiana Pacers 142-115 in the play-in round.

Domantas Sabonis had 14 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists, and the short-handed Indiana Pacers routed the Charlotte Hornets 144-117 in the Eastern Conference’s first play-in game.

The Indiana Pacers will be without starting forward Caris LeVert when they face the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA's first play-in game.

Russell Westbrook had the third game in NBA history with 20-plus rebounds and 20-plus assists, and the surging Washington Wizards moved closer to Indiana in the Eastern Conference playoff standings.

His seventh Pacers start was his best yet with 28 points in a 116-111 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. Edmond Sumner scored 18 points off the bench and Malcolm Brogden scored 16 for the Pacers. Levert accounted for the Pacers’ last eight points of the first half for a 57-51 lead. The guard scored 15 of 17 first-half points in the second quarter. The Pistons committed nine of their 15 turnovers in the second quarter to continue a seasonal trend of erratic ballhandling.

Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby (3) shoots over Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis (11) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. Plus, they maintained their dominance over the Pacers, who have lost six straight season series to Toronto. He had a good night.”The Pacers played catch-up most of the game after falling behind midway through the second quarter. Toronto scored the final five points to hand Indiana its third loss in four games. Pacers: Sabonis had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first half alone for his 16th consecutive double-double to open the season.

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner celebrates after shooting a 3-point basket against the Golden State Warriors during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)SAN FRANCISCO – Edmond Sumner earned a start for Indiana that came with a daunting assignment: defending Stephen Curry. Myles Turner made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:59 left and scored 22 points, Aaron Holiday converted a layup on the next possession and the Pacers held off Curry and the Golden State Warriors 104-95 Tuesday night. Golden State rookie James Wiseman picked up his fourth personal foul with 1:10 left in the second quarter. Golden State has won its last two on the Nuggets' home floor.

INDIANAPOLIS – New Indiana Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren went right to work Wednesday. Less than 24 hours after accepting the job, the 45-year-old former Toronto Raptors assistant started explaining his plan. “There are people in this world who bring energy and you like being around them," Pritchard said after introducing Bjorkgren on a Zoom call. But the first-time NBA head coach certainly presented a different kind of vision, one Pacers fans may embrace after watching years of stodgy, half-court basketball. Bjorkgren developed his coaching style working largely with Raptors coach Nick Nurse.

On Tuesday, president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard found his man in Toronto assistant Nate Bjorkgren. “Nate is the right coach for us at the right time,” Pritchard said in a statement released by the team. He comes to Indiana after spending two seasons as an assistant on Nick Nurse’s staff in Toronto. There, Bjorkgren helped the Raptors capture their first NBA championship in 2018-19 and was part of a team that earned the Eastern Conference’s No. “We all look forward to a long, successful partnership in helping the Pacers move forward,” Pritchard said,.