The Indiana Pacers extended the visiting Washington Wizards’ losing streak to 11 games with a 115-103 victory on Sunday night. Next, the Pacers will aim to extend New Orleans’ skid to five games when they face the Pelicans in Indianapolis on Monday night.
Indiana, which had lost three straight games on a winless road trip to Toronto, Houston, and Milwaukee, managed to shut down the Wizards’ offense, allowing only 16 fourth-quarter points to the NBA-worst Wizards after giving up 130, 130, and 129 points during their losing streak.
Pascal Siakam scored 22 points, and Tyrese Haliburton added 21, leading seven Indiana players who scored in double figures.
The Pacers improved to 5-2 at home despite missing three key injured players: Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and Ben Sheppard.
The Pelicans are hopeful of ending their losing streak as they gradually get injured players back on the court.
Leading scorer Brandon Ingram (ankle) returned from a one-game absence, and Jordan Hawkins (back) returned from a seven-game absence in a 112-108 home loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
Ingram, who also leads New Orleans in assists this season, finished with 18 points and seven assists in 36 minutes.
Trey Murphy III has been managing a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the first 10 games of the season, causing him to sit out the back end of two recent back-to-back sets. He has started all five games he has played, with his point total increasing in each game, reaching 24 against the Warriors.
Pelicans guard CJ McCollum hopes to return from a 13-game absence due to a strained adductor on 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 November 1. In that game, Williamson had 34 points and 10 assists, while Ingram contributed 26 points and seven assists.
Sheppard scored 20 points, Bennedict Mathurin 19, and Siakam 16 to lead seven Pacers in double figures.
