The Wizards erased a fourth-quarter deficit with a 14-0 finishing kick—powered by Bub Carrington and Anthony Gill—to beat the Pacers 112-105, end a three-game slide, and prove tonight that a Trae Young-less roster can still close crunch-time possessions.
The Turning Point: A 14-0 Avalanche
With 8:39 left, Jarace Walker’s offensive rebound and put-back gave Indiana a 97-96 edge and all the momentum. Washington counter-punched.
The spurt lasted 3:41 and featured four contributors:
- Anthony Gill started it with a right-handed layup at 8:12.
- Kadary Richmond slipped a high-screen dime to Tristan Vukčević for a corner triple at 7:46.
- Bub Carrington capped a 17-foot pull-up (101-97) and a top-of-key three (104-97) on consecutive trips.
- Gill again buried a baseline bomb to make it 110-97 with 4:58 remaining, forcing Indiana to burn two timeouts that solved nothing.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle’s group shot 0-for-6, turned it over twice and committed a shot-clock violation during the drought, per official play-by-play.
Why It Matters in the Eastern Race
The Wizards entered the night 1.5 games behind 10th-seed Indiana. By finishing the season series 2-2 (and owning the better head-to-head point-differential), Washington now sits just a half-game back of the final Play-In spot with 22 games to play. Every remaining intra-conference clash is suddenly a de-facto double-header swing.
Bench Brigade Re-Writes Script
Coach Brian Keefe staggered his rotation so at least two starters anchored every bench unit. The payoff: 59 bench points, 16 more than the Pacers’ reserves.
- Kadary Richmond (13 pts on 6-of-9), still on a two-way deal, logged a career-high 22 minutes and posted a game-best plus-14.
- Jaden Hardy (13 pts, 4 ast) attacked close-outs, hunting fouls; he lived at the stripe (7-of-8) and kept Indy’s defense tilted.
- Micah Potter (15 pts, 8 reb) got hot early, but his second-half minutes were slashed after Coulibaly’s defense (three steals) disrupted the pick-and-roll.
Pacers’ Road-Trip Blues Deepen
Indiana’s record on its season-long trip fell to 2-3. Kam Jones exited with back soreness at 4:11 of the second quarter; Aaron Nesmith rolled his left ankle before halftime. Neither returned, thinning Carlisle’s perimeter rotation and leaving rookie Taelon Peter to log 33 minutes in just his 10th career game.
Walker’s 19-point, 13-rebound double-double was the lone bright spot, but six turnovers (three in the fourth) undercut the effort.
Young Watch: Debut Still on Ice
Hours before tip-off the club revealed Trae Young will miss at least another week while ramping up from a Grade 2 ankle sprain. The delayed return means the All-Star guard may sit seven of the next eight tilts, giving Washington’s youth corps extended runway to prove they won’t bottom out during the stretch push.
Numbers that Pop
- 14-0 – Washington’s game-breaking run; largest unanswered run for the Wizards since a 16-0 burst vs. Boston on Jan. 26.
- 17 – Largest Washington lead in the third quarter, erased by Indy’s 14-3 flurry.
- 39.5% – Pacers’ field-goal percentage in the fourth (9-of-23) after shooting 51% through three quarters.
- 30.8% – Washington’s three-point clip… yet they won; it’s only the third time this season they’ve prevailed while below 31% from deep.
What’s Next
The two clubs meet again at Capital One Arena less than 24 hours later. Expect Carlisle to dust off a small-ball look with Walker at center and full-court press to sap Washington’s legs. Keefe, meanwhile, may test a three-guard lineup featuring Richmond, Hardy and Bub Carrington to weaponize pace against Indy’s tired legs.
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