Pacers at Wizards
The Indiana Pacers are hoping a few days off doesn’t slow the impressive momentum they were building in back-to-back wins. The Pacers will try to notch their third straight blowout victory when they visit the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
Indiana was a bit of an afterthought in the Eastern Conference after a down 2014-15 campaign, but the Pacers are proving they are once again a force with wins in eight of the last 10 games, including the last two by a combined 64 points. "We’re just learning and we’re really far from where we started,” Indiana star Paul George told reporters. “Everything is starting to come together and we’re getting a better feel for one another." The Wizards are hot as well with three straight wins and can only get better with leading scorer Bradley Beal back in the fold. Beal returned from a three-game absence due to a shoulder injury and scored seven points in Saturday’s 97-95 win at Detroit.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Indiana, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE PACERS (8-5): Indiana’s only two losses in the last 10 games came at Chicago and at Cleveland by a combined five points, and each of the last five wins came by double figures. The Pacers got a lift off the bench in Saturday’s 123-86 win over Milwaukee from Glenn Robinson III, who poured in a career-high 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting and is becoming a valuable reserve. “My teammates are giving me confidence,” Robinson told reporters. “I’m getting some extra shots up after practice, late at night. I’m just going out and being confident, thanks to my teammates."
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (6-4): Washington got its own lift off the bench when Nene collected 18 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench at Detroit. The veteran big man is shooting 57.7 percent from the floor and led a second unit that totaled 51 points while dragging the team to its latest win. “We weathered,” Wizards coach Randy Wittman told reporters. “Any win in this league is a good win. You don’t apologize for anything.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams split four meetings last season, with two going to overtime and all four decided by single digits.
2. Indiana G C.J. Miles rolled his ankle in practice and is questionable.
3. Washington F Otto Porter Jr. is 13-of-23 from the field in the last two games.