Washington WizardsOpen full analysis
Indiana PacersOpen full analysis
Washington defeated Indiana 108–89 on December 14 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, dominating a defensive matchup that fell well short of the 233.5 Vegas total. The Wizards' balanced attack was led by Marvin Bagley III with 23 points and CJ McCollum adding 18, while Washington shot 46.1 percent from the field and made 10 three-pointers. Indiana's offense sputtered throughout, managing just 36.9 percent shooting with Bennedict Mathurin (15 points) and Jalen Huff (13 points) unable to spark consistent scoring. The Pacers' second quarter proved especially costly, yielding just 15 points as Washington built momentum with a 27-point second-quarter output. Washington's rebounding advantage of 56 to 41 and defensive rating of 98.6 versus Indiana's 114.4 underscored the visitors' control. The Wizards' 11 turnovers and Indiana's 8 were nearly offset by Washington's superior ball movement with 19 assists. This defensive performance positions Washington higher in the Eastern Conference standings while Indiana faces questions about offensive consistency moving forward.
