Indiana Pacers Hit Rock Bottom With Ugly Loss To Washington Wizards
Sunday afternoon inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse was supposed to be one of those rare moments this season where the Indiana Pacers could actually breathe easy. They were facing the Washington Wizards, the only team in the Eastern Conference with a worse record than theirs. The script was practically written: show up, take care of business, and maybe give the home crowd something to cheer about.
Instead, the Pacers decided to flip that script, set it on fire, and then stomp on the ashes.
After a promising start where the energy actually felt palpable, everything unraveled spectacularly for the Pacers. The second quarter wasn’t just bad; it was a basketball tragedy. Washington, a team that had won only three games all year coming into this one, outscored Indiana 27-15 in that frame. Just like that, the Pacers went from “hey, we got this” to “uh oh” faster than you can say “turnover.”
When “Favored” Means Absolutely Nothing
You know it’s bad when you get blown out by a team that’s actively competing for lottery balls. The Wizards led by as many as 22 points. Twenty-two! Against the Wizards! That’s not a loss; that’s an indictment.
Offensively, the Pacers looked like they were playing in mud. They shot a dismal 37% from the floor. Nobody cracked the 15-point mark. It was a symphony of clanking rims and missed assignments. Bennedict Mathurin led the way with 15 points, which is fine in a vacuum, but hardly enough to carry a team desperate for a spark.
Pascal Siakam, usually the guy you look to when things get tough, had a nightmare outing. He went 4-for-12 from the field for just 11 points. When your star struggles like that against the cellar-dwellers of the East, you’re gonna have a bad time.
The Glass Was Shattered (And Not In a Cool Way)
If you want to know why this game got out of hand, look no further than the rebounding numbers. The Wizards absolutely bullied Indiana on the boards, winning the rebound battle 56-41.
Marvin Bagley III looked like prime Shaq out there, dropping a game-high 23 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Justin Champagnie joined the double-double party with 13 points and 14 boards of his own. Meanwhile, Isaiah Jackson was the only Pacer to put up a fight on the glass, tallying 11 points and 12 rebounds. But one guy can’t box out an entire team.
The Wizards even got solid production from their guards. CJ McCollum added 18 points. His veteran savvy clearly outweighed whatever defensive schemes Indiana tried to throw at him. Even the young guys for Washington, like Bub Carrington and rookie Tre Johnson, got in on the fun.
A Low Point In An Already Tough Season
Scoring 89 points in a modern NBA game is… difficult. It marks the second-lowest scoring output for the Pacers this season, trailing only that disastrous 83-point effort against Golden State back in November. But at least the Warriors are, you know, the Warriors. Dropping a dud like this against Washington stings differently.
The Pacers now sit at 6-20. That record is tough to look at without squinting. The “drawing board” is getting a lot of use lately, but at some point, you have to wonder if they’re running out of chalk.
There’s no magic fix coming. The only option is to get back in the gym, run some grueling practices, and try to wash the taste of this one out of their mouths before the New York Knicks roll into town. Tipoff for that one is 7 p.m. ET, and if they don’t figure something out soon, the Knicks might not be as forgiving as the Wizards… wait, the Wizards weren’t forgiving either. Yikes.
