Siakam, Haliburton Lead Pacers to Fifth Straight Win Over Wizards

Pascal Siakam delivered a strong performance with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton added 22 points to help the Indiana Pacers earn their fifth consecutive victory, defeating the Washington Wizards 104-98 on Tuesday night (April 8, 2025)

Bennedict Mathurin chipped in 17 points as Indiana held off a late push from the Wizards and pulled away in the final minutes to secure the win. The Pacers, entering the night with a three-game cushion over the Milwaukee Bucks, are now even closer to locking in the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, which would give them home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.

On the other side, the struggling Wizards dropped their third straight game and sixth in their last seven contests. Justin Champagnie paced Washington with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while rookie Alex Sarr also had a standout showing with 20 points, 12 boards, and three blocks. Despite their efforts, Washington couldn’t find enough offense down the stretch to hold off the playoff-bound Pacers.

Injury troubles continued for the Wizards as backup forward Anthony Gill exited the game early with right hamstring soreness after going scoreless in seven minutes of action.

Despite a dismal second quarter where Washington managed just 13 points, they went into halftime tied 48-48 with the Pacers, thanks in part to Indiana’s own offensive lulls.

Key Takeaways

The Wizards, who are firmly entrenched at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, recorded their 62nd loss of the season. If they drop two of their remaining three games, they'll finish with the second-worst record in franchise history, surpassing only last season’s 15-67 finish.

The Pacers, meanwhile, continue to build momentum at a critical time. With just a few games left in the regular season, they are inching closer to solidifying a top-four seed in the East, which would mark a significant step forward for a team that has struggled with consistency in recent years.

Turning Point

The game's decisive moment came late in the fourth quarter when Siakam broke a 92-92 tie with a go-ahead bucket at the 2:04 mark. Shortly after, Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner knocked down clutch three-pointers to stretch Indiana’s lead. Turner’s shot with 53 seconds remaining gave the Pacers a 100-94 advantage, effectively sealing the game.

Stat of the Night

One of the biggest differences in the game came from the free throw line. Indiana earned 37 attempts at the charity stripe and converted 29 of them, while the Wizards went just 11-for-15 from the line—a major disparity in a closely contested matchup.

What’s Next

The Wizards will return home for the second game of a back-to-back as they take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night (April 10, 2025).

The Pacers will head back to Indianapolis, where they’ll host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday in another important late-season matchup.