Matchup
The Pacers saw their winning streak of seven games snapped on Wednesday night, when the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers blitzed Indiana in the second half, outscoring the Pacers 40-18 in the third quarter alone.
Taking a wider view, however, Wednesday's game was just the Pacers' fifth loss in their last 19 contests — a stretch which includes wins over the Thunder and Rockets.
But for the foreseeable future, winning will be an uphill battle for the Pacers, as the schedule continues to hand them teams at the top of their respective conferences.
Their next opponent, the Washington Wizards, have been on a tear for the better part of the last two months. Since losing to the Magic on December 6th, dropping them to 7-13, the Wizards have surged to the top tier of the Eastern Conference standings, sporting a record of 31-21 and nearly knocking off the Cavaliers in a nationally televised overtime thriller.
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Led by All-Star John Wall, Washington has found chemistry on offense. Wall is averaging 23 points and 10.5 assists per game, while running mate Bradley Beal has racked up 22.4 points, complimenting Wall as one of the most dangerous backcourts in the NBA.
While its starting unit has been a strength all season, the Wizards sat out Markieff Morris on Wednesday night with a calf injury, slotting in second-year player Kelly Oubre Jr. in his place. Morris' status for Friday's meeting with the Pacers is still uncertain.
The Pacers have a similar problem at the power forward position, where Thaddeus Young, who has started at power forward in every game he's played in this season, has missed the last three games with a sprained left wrist.
Lavoy Allen has started in his place and performed well, including a monster 18-point, 11-rebound performance against the Pistons on Saturday.
With the All-Star break just five games away, the Pacers are hoping to close out their stretch of games strong, but the opponents won't allow it to come easy. Four of the five games before the break are against teams that are in the top three of their conference's standings.
Projected Starters
Jeff Teague
Paul George
C.J. Miles
Lavoy Allen
Myles Turner
John Wall
Bradley Beal
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Otto Porter Jr.
Marcin Gortat
Pacers: PG - Jeff Teague, SG - Paul George, SF - C.J. Miles, PF - Lavoy Allen, C - Myles Turner
Wizards: PG - John Wall, SG - Bradley Beal, SF - Kelly Oubre Jr., SF - Otto Porter Jr., C - Marcin Gorat
Injury Report
Pacers: Thaddeus Young - questionable (sprained left wrist)
Wizards: Markieff Morris - questionable (calf)
Last Meeting
December 28, 2016: The Pacers made a strong rally to try to steal a game at the Verizon Center, but John Wall stood in the way, pushing Washington to a 111-105 victory.
Wall finished the night one assist shy of a triple-double as Pacers head coach Nate McMillan lamented Indiana's work on the glass.
"It's something different every game," said Pacers head coach Nate McMillan. "There's always one aspect that we can't get over the hump that causes us to lose a game. Tonight, the rebounding killed us, John Wall made a lot of those long twos, and he was able to come in and control the game."
With four minutes left in the game, Thaddeus Young had a 3-point look with a chance to bring the lead down two, but it bounced off wide.
One minute later, the Pacers had another chance, this time with Paul George taking the shot, and he didn't miss. The 3-point shot was his sixth made three of the night, putting the Pacers down 96-94 with just 3:04 remaining.
But from there, Otto Porter Jr. connected on a three, pushing the Wizards' lead to a safe distance once again.
Noteworthy
- Wizards guard Trey Burke was college teammates with Glenn Robinson III at Michigan.
- Washington center Ian Mahinmi played four seasons with the Pacers, averaging 5.5 points and 5 rebounds per game. In his final season with Indiana, he posted career highs in points and rebounds.
- The Pacers and Wizards have each won one game against each other this season. After Friday, they have their final meeting of the season on February 16th.
- Indiana has won five of its last seven regular season games against the Wizards.
Tickets
The Pacers return home on Saturday, February 11th for a 1990s Decade Game against the Milwaukee Bucks. All fans in attendance will receive a Reggie Miller bobblehead while the players and staff of the 1990s will be honored. Find Tickets »
Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
ESPN - Mark Jones (play-by-play), Hubie Brown (analyst)
Radio: 93.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host)
Away Game Night Special
State Seal Tee - $12. Game Night Specials can be purchased online the day of each away game from 10:00 AM - Midnight. Order Online »