The Indiana Pacers extended the visiting Washington Wizards’ losing streak to 11 games in a 115-103 victory Sunday night.
The Pacers will try to extend New Orleans’ skid to five games Monday night when they face the Pelicans in Indianapolis.
Indiana, which had lost straight three games on a winless road trip to Toronto, Houston and Milwaukee, shut down the Wizards’ offense after allowing 130, 130 and 129 points during the losing streak. The Pacers allowed just 16 fourth-quarter points to the NBA-worst Wizards.
“We got better defensively,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “We were better at keeping their drivers square in front of us, and we made some good things happen offensively.”
Pascal Siakam scored 22 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 21 to lead seven double-figure scorers for Indiana.
The Pacers improved to 5-2 at home even though they played without three key injured players – Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard.
“Right now, we’re looking for anybody with energy that will run and will give the best possible effort defensively,” Carlisle said.
The Pelicans are hopeful of ending their losing streak because they slowly are getting injured players back on the floor.
Leading scorer Brandon Ingram (ankle) returned from a one-game absence and Jordan Hawkins (back) came back from a seven-game absence in a 112-108 home loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
“I had a minute restriction on me, but I felt like I got up and down a lot,” said Hawkins, who scored six points in 20 minutes. “Still trying to get my conditioning right but it felt good.”
Ingram, who also leads New Orleans in assists for the season, finished with 18 points and seven assists in 36 minutes.
“He’s battling through some bumps and bruises right now,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We’re putting a lot on his shoulders. He’s been doing a really good job of coming in every day and getting his work, getting his treatment, and keeping himself available to get on the floor and help his team.”
Trey Murphy III has sat out the back end of two recent back-to-back sets as he manages a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the first 10 games of the season. He has started all five games in which he has played, and his point total has gone up in each game, topping out at 24 against the Warriors.
Green praised his team for having “game-plan discipline and execution” at “a high level,” against Golden State, but added that, “Unfortunately, in the NBA, there are just no moral victories.”
Pelicans guard CJ McCollum said he hopes to return from a 13-game absence due to a strained adductor to play Monday.
Dejounte Murray, Zion Williamson, Herbert Jones and Jose Alvarado remain sidelined indefinitely.
The Pelicans have won just one of the 11 games they have played since defeating the visiting Pacers 125-118 on Nov. 1. Williamson had 34 points and 10 assists in that game, and Ingram added 26 and seven, respectively.
Sheppard scored 20 points, Bennedict Mathurin 19 and Siakam 16 to lead seven Pacers in double figures.
–Field Level Media