The Indiana Pacers (22-17) and the Washington Wizards (18-19) face off in an Eastern Conference matchup tonight at 7:00 PM at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. This is a matchup between the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers, and a team currently not in the playoff picture, the Wizards.

Injury Report

Washington:

Marcin Gortat will miss tonight's as he is battling an infection in his knee. Kris Humphries (knee) and Alan Anderson (ankle) both remain out. Otto Porter (hip) is questionable tonight as he left Wednesday's with an injury. Bradley Beal will be on a minutes restriction after just coming back from a leg injury. 

Indiana:

Rodney Stuckey will be out a couple weeks with foot injury. George Hill is questionable for tonight's game because if personal reasons.

Last Meeting Between These Two Teams

Last time the Pacers and the Wizards played, Indiana hit a franchise record 19 three point shots. They shot 73 percent from behind the arc, hitting 19-of-26 attempts.

Paul George and C.J. Miles were the ones doing most of the heaving lifting on the offensive side. Paul George had 40 points, four assists and eight rebounds on 14-of-19 shooting and 7-of-8 from three. C.J. Miles had 32 points, three assists and three rebounds on 10-of-16 shooting and 8-of-9 shooting from three.

John Wall and Bradley Beal combined to score 38 points on 14-of-31 shooting from the field. Gary Neal came off the bench to lead the Wizards with 23 points while knocking down five three-pointers.

The Pacers went on the road and dominated the Wizards all game, leading to a 123-106 victory. This is the only time the Pacers and Wizards have faced off so far this season.

Recent Play

The Pacers are coming off a 103-94 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, while the Wizards are coming off a 106-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

The Pacers have not been playing their best basketball as of late. They are 5-5 in their last ten games and are currently on a one game losing streak. The Wizards are also 5-5 in their last ten games but they are currently riding a three-game winning streak, and will look to reach the .500 mark in Indiana tonight.

Injuries Force Players To Step Up

With Rodney Stuckey out and George Hill questionable, some of the younger guys are going to have to step up. Joe Young will most likely receive the back up point guard minutes. Glenn Robinson III could see increased minutes, while Solomon Hill and Chase Budinger could see the lions share of playing time that would otherwise go to Stuckey.

Washington has received productive play from Nene, who has been in the starting lineup in replace of Marcin Gortat. The big Brazilian is important to Washington's success, and when he is on the floor the Wizards are outscoring their opponents by 8.2 points per 100 possessions. With Beal on a minutes restrictions and Porter's availability in doubt, rookie Kelly Oubre could continue to get valuable playing time.

Projected Starting Lineups

Wizards- PG: John Wall, SG: Garrett Temple, SF: Otto Porter, PF: Jared Dudley, C: Nene

Pacers- PG: Monta Ellis, SG: C.J. Miles, SF: Paul George, PF: Lavoy Allen, C: Ian Mahinmi

Final Thoughts

With all the Wizards injuries the offense will run through John Wall. He will touch the ball every position and look to score or drive to the hole and throw a pass out to an open teammate. Getting a win tonight would be a huge confidence booster for the Pacers.

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About the author
Alan Squier
Indiana Pacers & Philadelphia Eagles fan.