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INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards were tied 77-77 after three quarters Wednesday night before Indiana opened the fourth on a 14-0 run. Pascal Siakam finished with 28 points as the Pacers pulled away for a 114-101 win, their first at home this season.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle opened the fourth with Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Kelly Oubre Jr., plus Larry Nance Jr. and Jalen Slawson, neither of whom had played earlier. Nembhard hit a 3, Nance followed with one off a Siakam pass, and Slawson stole and dunked. Nembhard’s pull-up made it 91-77 with 9:01 left.
Carlisle said Slawson “gave us a huge lift in the fourth quarter,” and that Nance did the same. Slawson had played 25 minutes for the G League’s Noblesville Boom the night before and finished plus-13 in 12 minutes against Washington. “He’s always ready to go,” Carlisle said, adding that Slawson “charges the game up.”
Siakam set up both 3-pointers in the run and made four free throws during it. He finished 12-for-12 at the line and 7-for-17 from the field, adding 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
“I think it’s energy, man,” Siakam said of the fourth-quarter group, adding that “those guys helped us kind of like get over the hump a little bit, and we was able to make that run in the fourth quarter.”
How Indiana Got Back In It
Washington led 41-33 after an AJ Dybantsa jumper with 6:05 left in the second quarter before Indiana closed the half on a 22-9 run to take a 55-50 lead. Oubre scored all 14 of his points and recorded all 4 of his steals before the break, turning the last two into dunks in the final 1:42.
Carlisle said Oubre’s steals came from being in the right spots within the Pacers’ system. “His intensity was terrific. Defensively, he was solid,” Carlisle said.
Siakam’s 3-pointer with 6:24 left in the third put the Pacers up 69-59. Anthony Davis scored seven consecutive points for Washington, most near the basket, as the Wizards finished the quarter on an 18-8 run. Trae Young’s 28-foot 3-pointer with 1:22 remaining put Washington ahead 77-76, its only lead of the second half, before Quenton Jackson tied the score at the line with 36.3 seconds left.
Indiana held Washington under 30 points in all four quarters, something Carlisle said is “hard to do in the NBA right now.”
Zubac And Nembhard Do The Rest
Nembhard scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, making 3 of 4 shots from deep, and finished with 10 assists. “Andrew’s playing great,” Carlisle said, adding that Nembhard “cares about one thing, and that’s winning.”
Ivica Zubac added 20 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 9-for-15, his first 20-point game as a Pacer, as Indiana outscored Washington 60-44 in the paint. “Just kind of being big,” Zubac said. “I was on the offensive glass. I was being big. I was trying to be aggressive, so it worked out well.” Carlisle said Zubac is “imposing a will on the game.”
Indiana also got a boost from its bench, which outscored Washington’s reserves 33-22. T.J. McConnell, playing in just his third game of the season, had 7 points and 7 assists in 14 minutes, while Obi Toppin contributed 8 points.
Starting forward Aaron Nesmith left in the third quarter and did not return. Carlisle said Nesmith had tightness in the back of his knee. “The hope is that it’s minor,” Carlisle said, adding that Nesmith likely will be listed day to day.
Kyshawn George Leads Washington
Kyshawn George led Washington with 25 points and 9 rebounds, making 5 of 8 threes but turning it over 6 times. Davis ended with 21 points and 13 rebounds on 7-of-20 shooting. Meanwhile, Young scored 12 of his 15 after halftime, while Tre Johnson scored 15 off the bench.
Davis accounted for 7 of Washington’s 15 offensive rebounds, helping the Wizards win second-chance points 24-9 and the rebounding battle 48-45. Carlisle called Indiana’s first quarter on the glass “a debacle.” Washington finished with only 12 assists, though, and Indiana scored 24 points off its 15 turnovers.
Indiana has gone eight straight games without Tyrese Haliburton. Carlisle said before the game that Haliburton’s left hamstring strain is progressing and that an update on his status could come in about 10 days.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak and left Indiana at 4-8, the same record as Washington, which has lost five in a row. “Feels good. Feels good, man,” Siakam said, adding that “the fans have been awesome through everything.”
The Wizards host the Detroit Pistons on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT, while the Pacers host the New York Knicks on Friday at 6 p.m. CT.
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