Wizards fall to the struggling Indiana Pacers
The Washington Wizards looked to be getting back on track after winning five straight games and seven out of nine. However, after a 103-101 loss to the 31-40 Indiana Pacers, they have now lost four straight games. The Pacers had to rally from behind to hand the Wizards this defeat in the Verizon Center.
George Hill helped Indiana comeback from a 10-point deficit, scoring 29 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter. He hit the game-winning layup with 2.7 second remaining and helped snap the Pacers six-game losing skid.
John Wall scored a season-high 34 points on the night, 17 of which came in the final quarter. However, even that wasn’t enough to help the Wizards overcome a mediocre Indiana Pacers team.
After starting out the season with a record of 29-13, the Wizards have struggled mightily since then. They have lost 29 out of the last 40 games. That is not a good number, especially for a team looking to make a deep playoff run.
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They currently hold the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, and with ten games remaining, it looks like that is where they will end up come playoff time. They have pulled away from the No. 6 seed Milwaukee Bucks due to recent struggles of their own, but the seeds above Washington are gaining separation from them.
A scare came to the Wizards early on in this game, as starting shooting guard Bradley Beal fell down awkwardly with a little over a minute to go in the first quarter. He was later diagnosed with a sprained ankle and did not return to the game.
Wall did show some clutch genes late in this game, as he hit a game-tying three-pointer with 11.2 seconds to go in the contest. That bucket was obviously negated by Hill’s game-winning layup, but it is a good sign to see him show up in a clutch situation and to see him knock down some shots from long-range.
The Wizards lost just their 11th game at home this season and their 32nd game overall. They will stay in DC and take on the Charlotte Hornets tomorrow night, who are competing with the Pacers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
The Wizards must win that game, because losing five straight is no way to perform down the stretch of the season. It’s time for the Wizards to get their heads back in the game… Again!