PACERS vs. WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Tonight at 7:00, Conseco Fieldhouse
TV: Fox Sports Indiana Radio: 1070 The Fan
Tickets | Injury Report presented by Ortho Indy

Jim O'Brien
Scouting Report
A 112-106 loss in Chicago Saturday afternoon dropped the Pacers (30-43) 5½ games out of eighth place in the East with nine to play and reduced their magic number for official elimination from the postseason to just four. They played without Troy Murphy (sprained L knee) and Marquis Daniels (sprained R wrist). It's uncertain if either will be back tonight. Washington (17-57), on the other hand, welcomed back Gilbert Arenas for the first time this season Saturday and he scored 15 points and 10 assists in a 98-96 loss to the Pistons. Arenas will not play tonight because the Wizards don't want him playing back-to-back games. Washington also got back Caron Butler, who had missed seven games with a hamstring problem. Though Washington has the second-worst record in the league, the Wizards have remained competitive. Their last three games all were decided by two points and they beat the Pacers by that margin, 119-117, on Feb. 8.
ED TAPSCOTT

Jarrett Jack
Point Guard
Jarrett Jack has leveled off since that spectacular 31-point, 13-of-14 shooting game against Charlotte. In the two since, he has totaled 24 points and made just 11-of-30 shots. He had nine assists and two steals in Chicago but was 5-of-14 from the field. If Juan Dixon (ankle) can't go, the Wizards likely would start Javaris Crittenton, like Jack a former Georgia Tech star.
Javaris Crittenton

Brandon Rush
Shooting Guard
The manifestation of Brandon Rush's increased confidence was something to watch Saturday night as the rookie torched the Bulls for 18 in the first quarter on the way to 29 for the game, making 13-of-19 from the field. In starting the last three games he has averaged 18.3 points and 5.7 rebounds while making 24-of-44 (.545) from the field. Dominic McGuire has size, strength and athleticism but isn't much of a scorer.
Dominic McGuire

Danny Granger
Small Forward
Granger has settled into an interesting pattern – cold for a half, hot for a half. He did it again in Chicago, scoring 21 on 7-of-13 shooting in the first half but 11 on 3-of-11 shooting in the second. Nonetheless, 32 points is a strong outing. In five games since returning to the starting lineup, Granger has averaged 26.8 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting .486 from the 3-point line. Butler's return should capture the Pacers' attention because he singlehandedly beat them last time out, scoring the game's final 15 points including the game-winner at the buzzer.
Caron Butler

Jeff Foster
Power Forward
With Murphy missing the last two games, Jeff Foster has stepped into the lineup and racked up 34 rebounds, matching his career-high with 18 in Chicago. In the last three games, the Pacers have outscored opponents by 48 points with Foster on the floor. With him on the bench, they've been outscored by 27. Antawn Jamison has been an island of consistency for the Wizards with 69 consecutive double-figures scoring games, the fourth-longest streak in the league.
Antawn Jamison

Roy Hibbert
Center
Roy Hibbert is running out of time to finish strong. He struggled again in Chicago (six points, seven rebounds) and in the last three has shot 6-of-23 (.261). Andray Blatche has started 34 games, averaging 11.9 points and 6.3 rebounds. He's been playing well lately, totaling 45 points and 24 rebounds in the last three games.
Andray Blatche

T.J. Ford
Bench
T.J. Ford continues to produce as a reserve. He had 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists in Chicago and has averaged 14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting .567. The problem has been finding someone else to provide consistency off the bench. Washington's Nick Young has been on a roll, scoring in double figures in 10 straight games and averaging 15.5. The battered Wizards have been without key reserves Darius Songaila (neck) and Dixon (ankle) but have been encouraged by the play of rookie Javale McGee.
Nick Young