Oladipo scores 33 as Pacers hold off Wizards

[March 05, 2018]  Victor Oladipo finished with a game-high 33 points as the Indiana Pacers snapped a four-game losing streak against Washington with a 98-95 victory over the Wizards Sunday night in Washington.

Oladipo, who grew up in nearby Silver Spring, Md., scored 19 in the first half as Indiana never trailed and took a 10-point halftime lead.

He made 11 of 20 shots from the field and hit 9 of 10 from the line.

Overall, four Indiana players finished in double figures. Bojan Bogdanovic (20 points) was the only other Pacer to reach the 20-point level.

The Pacers now have won two in a row while Washington has dropped three straight.

The Wizards have lost those three consecutive games at home - without starting guard John Wall (knee surgery) - falling to Golden State, Toronto and now Indiana.

This is the first time Washington's dropped three straight all season.

Washington had beaten the Pacers in five of its last seven meetings but the Wizards never led in this game. The best they could do on this night was a 2-2 tie.

In the second quarter, the Wizards scored 12 straight points and cut the Indiana lead to 33-32. After that, though, the Pacers got 10 of the next 12 points en route to a 55-45 halftime lead.

Indiana used another streak late in the third quarter to stretch the lead to 80-65 after three periods. The Pacers scored eight straight before a Bradley Beal layup with three seconds remaining broke that run.

 

Pacers guard Victor Oladipo (4) shoots the ball over Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) in the first quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Beal then sparked a 10-0 run for Washington at the start of the fourth quarter, and the Wizards later sliced the lead to 87-85 before Oladipo made a basket and a steal followed by a dunk.

The Wizards missed three good late chances, all from Beal. He couldn't sink a driving lay-up that would have put them ahead with 19 seconds left.

He also missed two possible game-tying three-pointers after that.

Beal led the Wizards with 22 points. Otto Porter Jr. added 17.

The Wizards were even more shorthanded because Kelly Oubre Jr. sat out with a sore left foot.

For the Pacers, newly signed free agent Trevor Booker was not in the lineup but is expected to be in uniform Monday vs. the Bucks.

--Field Level Media

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