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After a 123-110 road loss to the Hornets Friday, the Wizards return home Saturday night to take on another Eastern Conference foe, the Indiana Pacers. Here’s everything you need to know about the game:
What: Wizards vs. Pacers
Where: Capital One Arena
When: Saturday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.
How to watch: NBCSW, MyTeams
What to watch for
- Still sliding: Friday’s loss in Charlotte was Washington’s third straight, and eighth out of its last 11. The Wizards now sit four games outside of a playoff spot, and with just 23 games remaining, are running out of time to qualify for the postseason.
- Defense the deficiency: The Wizards are allowing the second-most points (117.0) per game in the NBA, and have surrendered at least 120 points in seven of their last eight games. If Washington wants to reach the playoffs, it has to tighten up on the defensive end.
- Pacers are rolling: Indiana has won seven of its last eight, sitting pretty in third place in the Eastern Conference standings. Despite losing local high school star Victor Oladipo to a season-ending knee injury in January, the Pacers remain one of the NBA’s consistent teams.
NBA Insider Tom Haberstroh breaks down Dwight Howard’s injury situation.
Quote of the day
“Since he can’t be on the practice court or the game floor, he’s going to have to share his wisdom,” Scott Brooks told NBC Sports Washington on what Dwight Howard can bring to the Wizards off the court as he continues to rehab from back surgery. “You get better in this league by being around good veteran players that want to share their knowledge, and Dwight is going to be a guy that’s going to be able to do that for the next how many weeks until he gets on the court.”
Last time these teams met
The Wizards took down the Pacers on Jan. 30, 107-89, Bradley Beal and Jeff Green leading the way with 25 and 23 points, respectively.
Stat to know
Wizards All-Star guard Bradley Beal has now scored at least 20 points in 13 straight games. He dropped a season-high 46 in Friday night’s loss at Charlotte.
