Any remaining parts of the structure the Indiana Pacers were starting to build with their positive start to the season came crumbling down last night to join the rest of the scraps that have given way during team's current 2-7 demo streak.

Another disastrous December closes on Friday afternoon when the same Washington Wizards team that ran past the Pacers last night visits the Fieldhouse. It can't get any worse can it? Last night the young and dumb (maybe I should say inexperienced) Wizards with loads of energy and talent were given life by the Pacers and started feeling pretty good about themselves.

The Wizards got away with their two top scorers, Nick Young and Andray Blatche, needing 49 shots to score 47 points because the Pacers kept giving them second chances until they got it right. I mean, there is nothing more beautiful than seeing Blatche repeatedly miss perimeter jump shots, except the fun doesn't last long when the Wiz chase down the offensive rebound.

On the offensive end, the Pacers appeared to be thinking too much at times or not thinking at all. Darren Collison for one, appears to have way too much on his mind clouding his ability to react and make plays. On one play in the second half DC had a wide open pull up shot from the free throw line in transition but then tried to pass it to a covered player (Hansbrough, if I remember correctly) going to the rim. You could almost hear the voices in DC's head as he rose up to shoot, but then passed.

Once again, the Pacers have to build from the ground up to make something of this season. As bad as last night was, it is in the rearview mirror and the Pacers have to keep grinding and move forward. Somehow they still hold a one game advantage on the 7th spot in the East as they hit a tricky part of the schedule.

I like to chunk out the schedule which I did before last night's game. The Pacers now have seven games remaining before their second West Coast trip. Including last night's game I thought going 4-4 through this stretch would put the Pacers in good shap. Only problem is, they really needed that one last night. The remaining seven games include: Washington, @New York, San Antonio, @Atlanta, @Philadelphia, Dallas, Chicago. Good luck coming up with four wins from that stretch now.

After the jump, a few links of interest from last night's loss including a note that Mike Dunleavy and CNN's Wolf Blitzer are friends. Hey, makes perfect sense to me.

• Box score
• PACERS: Game Rewind: Wizards 104, Pacers 90
  Game Rewind has highlights, analysis, photos, notes, quotes and stats from the Pacers' game against the Wizards Wednesday in Washington.
• Hibbert's disastrous return to D.C. sinks Pacers' chances against Wizards
  Jeff Rabjohns reports on Roy Hibbert's frustrating return home which made things tough on the Pacers.
• In coach's absence, Wizards top Pacers
  Gene Wang reports on the Wizards win last night.
• AP: Young's 25 lead Wizards to 104-90 win over Pacers
• Wizards start slow, but finish with a strong defensive effort to get a win over the Indiana Pacers - Bullets Forever
  CJ Hempfield recaps the Wizards win.
• Wittman takes charge
  Jeff Rabjohns empties the notebook with more on Randy Wittman, plus we learn that Mike Dunleavy and Wolf Blitzer are friends. Makes sense.
• Granger: "… it’s just that our offense is really that poor right now" | Pacers Insider
  Jeff Rabjohns lets Danny Granger get to the crux of the problem.
• Up-and-Down Pacers Searching for Consistency - SB Nation Indiana
  SBNation Indiana looks at the Pacers to this point in the season. Is a playoff run still the expectation?
• Video: Tyreke Evans hits a 50-footer to win at the buzzer
  This is so sweet I must share.First of all, O.J. Mayo's shot is sweet for what at the time appeared to be a game-winner until Evans splashed his bomb.