The Indiana Pacers (47-32) won their fifth straight game, defeating the Washington Wizards (16-62) 104-98 on Tuesday, April 8.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton added 22 points. Bennedict Mathurin contributed 17 points as Indiana pulled away late in the game for the win.
For Washington, Justin Champagnie had 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Alex Sarr posted a double-double with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks. Despite strong performances from both, the Wizards lost their third consecutive game and their sixth in the last seven.
Washington struggled in the second quarter, scoring just 13 points, though the game was tied 48-48 at halftime. Backup forward Anthony Gill also left the game with right hamstring soreness after scoring no points in 7 minutes of play.
The Wizards, already at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, are inching closer to the second-worst record in franchise history, needing to lose two of their last three games to match last season's 15-67 record.
With the win, the Pacers moved closer to securing the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, which would guarantee them homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Siakam’s basket with 2:04 left gave Indiana a 94-92 lead, and Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner each hit key 3-pointers to seal the victory. Turner’s three-pointer with 53 seconds left put the game out of reach at 100-94.
Indiana had a significant advantage at the free-throw line, making 29 of 37 attempts compared to Washington’s 11 of 15.
The Wizards will host the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, while the Pacers will return home to face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.
