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WASHINGTON — The Wizards hope to bounce back after a tough loss to the Cavaliers in their matchup against the Pacers on Wednesday night. Indiana comes to Washington without Victor Oladipo, the DeMatha graduate who suffered a brutal season-ending leg injury earlier this month.
The bad loss, as NBC Sports Washington’s Chase Hughes points out, likely made for a long plane ride home for a team that had been riding high off of quality wins and promising play in recent weeks.
Here’s what you need to know about the Wizards-Pacers game:
What: Pacers at Wizards
Where: Capital One Arena
When: Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. ET
TV Channel: NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Washington Plus
Stream online: NBC Sports Washington’s MyTeams App
Three things to know:
1. The Pacers have a lot to lose: They are trying to hold on to their spot in third place in the East, but are only half a game ahead of Philadelphia and only 1.5 games ahead of the Celtics.
2. But also, the Wiz really need this: Washington is coming off a bad loss to a Cavaliers team that they should have beaten on Tuesday night. A furious fourth-quarter comeback fell short despite an incredible effort from the bench, leaving Washington with a loss in what is likely to be a tight race for a final playoff spot.
3. Watch for Jordan McRae. The two-way player has scored 54 points in the G-League this season and was nearly the hero of the game on Tuesday. What can he do against the Pacers — and will it continue to earn him more time on the floor?
Quote of the week:
“You can’t take any team for granted. Everybody is a pro. It doesn’t matter if they’re the best team, worst team, middle of the pack,” Beal said on Tuesday. “You got to respect everybody in the league and we didn’t do that.”
Stat to know:
The Wizards are 6-2 in the second games of back-to-backs this season.
Last meeting: Pacers won, 109-101, on Dec. 10.
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The Wizards have to pounce on the Oladipo-less Pacers to get back in playoff race
