Washington Wizards Team Report - April 4

(Basketball News) - The Wizards couldn’t get the job done on Sunday afternoon, falling 79-76 to the Indiana Pacers at the MCI Center.

Gilbert Arenas paced Washington with 22 points. Larry Hughes and Kwame Brown each collected 12 points and eight rebounds for the Wizards, who had a four- game winning streak snapped. With the loss, Washington fell into a fourth place tie with the idle Chicago Bulls.

Arenas continues to be a force on the offensive end for the Wizards, registering 25.7 points (6th-NBA) and 5.1 assists per contest. The talented guard is 5th in the league in steals per game (1.89) and three-point field goals (177).

Trailing 69-61 with 5:27 left in the fourth, Indiana used a 18-5 burst to take the lead for good. Reggie Miller’s two free throws capped the incredible run as the Pacers grabbed a 79-74 lead with 33 seconds to go.

After Arenas made a quick jumper for Washington, Fred Jones missed a three for Indiana, giving the home team one last crack at a possible tie. However, Damone Brown misfired on a trey as time expired.

Washington hit just 35.6 percent from the field, including just 3-of-12 (.250) from the three-point range in the loss. The Wizards drained 21-of-31 (.677) from the free throw line, while committing 12 turnovers. Washington outrebounded the Pacers, 44-43, in the contest.

The Wizards have a brutal slate this week, hosting four other current Eastern Conference playoff teams. Washington host Boston on Tuesday before heading to Detroit (Wednesday) and Indiana (Friday). The Wizards close out their week against Philadelphia at the MCI Center.