Wizards at Pacers
The Washington Wizards are not having any trouble adjusting to life without All-Star point guard John Wall and are averaging 117 points in four wins since he went down with a knee injury. The Wizards will try to make it five in a row when they continue a three-game trip by visiting the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Washington is spreading around the offense with Wall out and totaled 132 assists in the last four games after handing out 35 on 46 made field goals in Saturday's 115-98 triumph at Orlando. "Everybody eats," All-Star guard Bradley Beal told reporters. "It has been working for us. We figured it out I think. We haven't been playing our style of basketball earlier in the year. Now over the course of the last four games we have been playing really well moving the ball." The Pacers should present a stiffer challenge and enter Monday's matchup winners of four of five as they try to stay strong through the All-Star break. "I think we have to grow as a team," Indiana coach Nate McMillan told reporters. "It's a young team and it's kind of the dog days of the NBA, right before (All-Star) break. Our guys are battling fatigue, physical fatigue as well as mental and you have to fight through that. You can't take the break too early."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington, FS Indiana
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (30-22): Washington did not replace Wall in the starting lineup with a traditional point guard, instead elevating small forward Tomas Satoransky to the top unit. Satoransky is fitting in nicely with Beal's "everyone eats" philosophy while totaling 23 assists in the last four games and scored a career-high 19 points on Saturday. "I think lately I have been playing really confidently and today it was one of those games that everything was going well for you from the beginning," Satoransky told reporters. "I felt very comfortable after that first plays of the game. Defensively, I think it is always my responsibility to bring something to this team and play good in my matchups. Team defense is the key for us."
ABOUT THE PACERS (30-24): Lance Stephenson is a x-factor off the bench for Indiana and did a little of everything in Saturday's win, collecting 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal in 23 minutes. "I thought defensively, he was keeping his man in front and he was rebounding the basketball. That's what we expect him to do," McMillan told reporters of Stephenson. "Bring energy off the bench and be solid on both ends of the floor. And when he plays that way, he really helps this club." Stephenson scored in double figures in each of the last six games and is averaging 9.2 points in 23 minutes.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Wizards SF Otto Porter Jr. is averaging 19.8 points on 56 percent shooting in the last four games.
2. The Pacers recalled SG Glenn Robinson III (ankle) from a rehab assignment in the G League and he could make his season debut this week.
3. Washington took three of the four meetings last season, including a 111-98 win at Indiana on Feb. 16.