Pacers Beat Wizards 114-101 as Siakam Scores 28

The Indiana Pacers beat the Washington Wizards 114-101 on Wednesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, breaking a tie game open with a 14-0 run early in the fourth quarter. Pascal Siakam scored 28 points with eight rebounds and five assists for Indiana.

Tied after three quarters

Indiana led most of the first half without pulling away. The Pacers took the first quarter 26-25 and the second 29-25 for a 55-50 halftime lead. Washington owned the third quarter 27-22, and the Wizards' run included seven straight points from Anthony Davis that cut a 69-59 deficit to 69-68. The teams went to the fourth quarter tied at 77-77.

The run that settled it

Andrew Nembhard broke the tie with a 27-foot three-pointer with 11:44 left in the fourth quarter, putting Indiana ahead 80-77 for good. The shot opened a 14-0 run that reached 91-77 with 9:01 to play. Indiana won the fourth quarter 37-24 and closed the game without another scare.

Siakam did the steady work all night: 28 points on the lead line, with eight rebounds and five assists. Ivica Zubac added 20 points for the Pacers. Kyshawn George led Washington with 25 points in the loss.

Why it matters

This was a game Indiana could have let slip. Washington erased a ten-point deficit in the third quarter and had the momentum at 77-77, and the Pacers answered with the cleanest stretch of their night: one made three, a run of stops, and a 14-point cushion in under three minutes. Games tied after three quarters usually turn on exactly that kind of short burst, and Indiana produced it at home.

For Washington, the third quarter showed the comeback was real, but the fourth showed the gap. The Wizards scored 24 points in the final period against 37, and a tie game became a 13-point loss.

How the quarters broke

The scoring ran in turns. Indiana took the first half by five points across two close quarters, 26-25 and 29-25, and led 55-50 at the break. Washington took the third quarter 27-22 and had the game level at 77-77. Indiana then took the fourth by thirteen points, 37-24, the widest margin of any quarter all night, and the game was decided inside those twelve minutes.

Key numbers

Final score: Pacers 114, Wizards 101. Quarter scores: Indiana 26-25, Indiana 29-25, Washington 27-22, Indiana 37-24. Siakam: 28 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists. George: 25 points for Washington. The deciding run: 14-0 in the fourth quarter, from 77-77 to 91-77.