Indiana @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 30, 2019 ) Indiana 89, Washington 107

The Indiana Pacers are trying to take advantage of a string of lesser opponents to strengthen their position in the Eastern Conference. After starting the stretch with a win in their first game after the All-Star break, the Pacers hit the road to square off with another losing team when they visit the Washington Wizards on Saturday.

Behind 24 points from Wesley Matthews and a dominant second half, Indiana rallied past New Orleans 126-111 on Friday in the first of seven straight games against teams under .500. "We had to get that second wind, we looked like we were running in mud. Slow start, didn't look like we had that urgency," Pacers coach Nate McMillan told the media of a sluggish start prior to a 68-point second half. "Coming out with that attitude. I thought that the third quarter we challenged our guys to come with that urgency and play the game they're capable of playing." While Indiana remained alone in third place in the East, the Wizards continued to fade from contention with their third straight loss Friday at Charlotte. Bradley Beal's season-high 46 points went for naught as his teammates combined to shoot 36.1 percent.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE PACERS (39-20): Matthews shot 8-of-36 from the floor over his previous four games - two while a member of the New York Knicks - before hitting 7-of-14 shots against New Orleans, with six of the makes from beyond the arc. "I want to win. That's what I came here to do," Matthews told Fox Sports Indiana in a postgame interview. Domantas Sabonis chipped in Friday with 18 points and 13 rebounds, and the Gonzaga product is shooting 71.9 percent over his last seven games.

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (24-35): Washington has allowed at least 120 points in each of its three straight losses, and Beal simply can't keep up. "I'm definitely pissed," he told reporters of the team's effort Friday. "We just got to be better at the end of the day. I mean, we can't blame anything, nobody but ourselves at the end of the day." Forward Bobby Portis had 12 points and 12 rebounds off the bench in the loss to the Hornets and is averaging 17.6 points and 8.2 boards in five games since being traded from Chicago.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Beal is averaging 32.4 points and nine assists over his last five games.

2. Pacers C Myles Turner (hip) sat out Friday's win and is day-to-day.

3. The home team has won each of the first three meetings.

PREDICTION: Pacers 118, Wizards 112