Arenas shouldering the load for Wizards

Arenas, who ranks fourth in the league in minutes played per game (40.9), leads the team with 27.7 points-per-game and has scored in double figures in every game this season. He has also gone for at least 34 points in three of the Wizards last five games.

Washington, meanwhile, comes into tonight’s tilt with the Indiana Pacers on a winning note after Arenas poured in 37 points and dished out nine assists to lead the Wizards to a 119-111 overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday at the MCI Center.

In Washington’s other overtime win this season, a 120-114 double-overtime victory at Detroit on Nov. 25, Arenas scored 39 points and had eight assists in 53 minutes.

Jarvis Hayes scored six of his season-high 21 points in overtime and also had eight rebounds, as Washington won for the second time in three contests. Antawn Jamison totaled 26 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists for the Wizards, while Jared Jeffries added 14 points and 10 boards.

Hayes, who was held without a point in Friday’s loss to Milwaukee, became the first player in the NBA this season to score 20 or more points in a game after going scoreless in the previous game.

Washington, which will host the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, is 3-5 away from home this season.

The Wiz split the four-game season series with the Pacers last season, but have struggled in Indiana, where they have dropped 13 of 15 and 22 of 25.