Pacers drop first of two against Wizards
The Wizards closed out the Pacers late in the fourth quarter to win the first of back-to-back games in the nation's capital.
Someone had to win. Or was losing actually winning?
Regardless of how you interpret the Pacers returning to action after the All-Star break against the Wizards, the final result showed the Wiz took the W, 112-105. In front of a friends and family crowd at Capital One Arena, the Pacers enjoyed an early lead before spending much of the evening chasing the Wizards from behind.
With Pascal Siakam out, Aaron Nesmith tweaking his ankle and only playing 15 minutes and Andrew Nembhard not returning after playing half of the third quarter, the Pacers fell behind by 17 points in the third quarter. But much like they did in Brooklyn, the rag tag reserve combos continued to grind and were able to level up the score, even taking a brief lead in the fourth quarter. That’s when the Wizards threw a 14-0 run at the Pacers during the final six minutes which proved to be enough to hold up and hold off the Pacers for the win.
The loss dropped the Pacers to last in the Eastern Conference and tied for second overall with the Pelicans in the inverse lottery standings. Look, I tried to warn you this is going to be weird. You can’t get swept if you don’t lose the first game. Part of me wonders if Rick Carlisle and Wiz coach Brian Keefe didn’t agree on a ‘gentleman’s split’ prior to the back-to-back.
Guess we’ll find out on Friday evening when they run it back, again. The injury reports will tell the story and while Nesmith’s ankle didn’t look too severe, I’d assume he will be out. Kam Jones also tweaked his lower back in the first half and did not return.
As for the game action (oh, yeah!), Jarace Walker rose up and played a meaningful role in 30 minutes of time on the court, assuming a lead role and making plays at both ends of the floor. Despite a rough night shooting the 3-bal (1 for 7), Walker finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. His highlight of the night came when he caught the ball near the free throw line in the lane and immediately whipped a behind the back pass to Taelon Peter in the corner for a 3-ball. A little risky, a little loose, but can’t complain about the result which was on the money.
Peter played 25 minutes and followed up his career high game in Brooklyn before the break with another career high, scoring 16 points with 5 made threes. The rook continues to look more comfortable and confident, maybe not in that order, but when open he’s letting it fly which is his strength.
Ben Sheppard added 15 points and made 3 of 4 from behind the arc where he is not shooting 50 percent over the seven games in February after shooting over 40 percent in January. Quite useful.
The Wizards had three guys score 13 points and two add 12 points each with Anthony Gill and Bub Carrington leading the way. You can look ‘em up. The Wiz did win the rebound battle, but really won the game by cashing in 30 points off of 23 Pacers turnovers, 11 of which came via Walker (5) and Nembhard (6).
They will run it back again on Friday night with available lineups likely to be fluid up until game time.
Pacers vs. Wizards
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
When: Friday, February 20, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers -2.5
Projected Starters
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard, Kobe Brown, Jarace Walker, Jay Huff
Wizards: Bub Carrington, Tre Johnson, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, Tristan Vukcevic
Injuries
Pacers: Kam Jones (lower back) - questionable, T.J. McConnell (hammy) - questionable, Micah Potter (ankle) - questionable, Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - out, Pascal Siakam (personal reasons) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Obi Toppin (hammy) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out
Wizards: Alex Sarr (hamstring) - out, Anthony Davis (hand/groin) - out, Trae Young (knee) - out, Cam Whitmore (venous) - out, D’Angelo Russell (not with team) - out