Wizards at Pacers
After a loss in Atlanta on Wednesday, the Indiana Pacers look to extend their home winning streak to seven games Friday against the Washington Wizards. Playing its sixth game in nine nights, Indiana appeared sluggish at times against the Hawks, trailing the entire game and never really having an opportunity to win in a 97-87 decision. "Guys didn't have a lot of pop to start the game," coach Frank Vogel told the Indianapolis Star, adding, "(they were) a step slow in a lot of areas."
Washington comes to Indiana boasting back-to-back wins and three straight on the road. Coach Randy Wittman discounted the importance of where the wins take place, however, telling the Washington Post after Wednesday's win over New Orleans, "I don't buy into home and road. We're playing well on the road right now, there's no question about that, but I just worry that the guys understand how we've got to play."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN (Washington), FSN Indiana
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (16-17): Forward Trevor Ariza, who spent two seasons in New Orleans, led Washington with 21 points Wednesday in his first trip to the Big Easy since joining the Wizards in a 2012 trade. "I'm just glad we came out here and won," said Ariza, who hadn't eclipsed 10 points in his previous four games. "Happy to get out of the funk that I'm in." John Wall averages a team-best 19.7 points, while Bradley Beal adds 17.7 and Ariza 14.3.
ABOUT THE PACERS (28-7): Indiana played Wednesday without guard Lance Stephenson, who suffered a knee contusion the previous night in a win over Toronto. Stephenson, whose 13.4 points per game trail only Paul George's 23 among the team's leading scorers, is day-to-day. Center Roy Hibbert, who averages 12.5 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds, struggled through a 1-for-8 shooting performance against the Hawks, totaling a season-low two points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Indiana allows a league-low 88.6 points per game.
2. Wall's 8.7 assists per game rank third in the NBA behind Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers (11.2) and Golden State's Stephen Curry (9.4).
3. Pacers F Danny Granger filled in for Stephenson on Wednesday in his first start since May 2012, scoring a season-high 14 points while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out three assists in 32 minutes.