Pacers aim to halt slide vs. Wizards

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Indiana Pacers will try to put the brakes on a five- game losing streak when they entertain the Washington Wizards Saturday night.

The Pacers opened the season without some of their big guns and were able to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the Pacers haven't won since and are coming of Friday's 101-98 loss in Boston.

Roy Hibbert had 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Chris Copeland and Donald Sloan scored 17 and 15 points, respectively, for the Pacers, who shot 45.5 percent. Solomon Hill and Lavoy Allen had 12 points apiece in defeat.

"Our guys were battling the whole night," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "It was a back-and-forth game."

Indiana, of course, is playing without Paul George, George Hill and David West, and hasn't lost six in a row since March 2-11, 2010.

The Wizards had a four-game winning streak come to an end with Friday's 103-84 loss in Toronto, as Otto Porter led the way with 13 points off the bench and Kris Humphries posted 11 points in a reserve role.

Andre Miller added 10 points off the bench and no Wizards starter scored in double figures. John Wall was held to eight points, Paul Pierce finished with eight and Marcin Gortat added eight with 10 rebounds. Nene had seven points for Washington, which shot 36.1 percent and made only 3-of-19 3-pointers.

"We didn't come out with playoff intensity and obviously they did," said Pierce, who is one assist shy of 4,500 in his career.

Indiana defeated Washington in six games in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals, but dropped a 96-94 overtime decision in DC on Wednesday. Wall had 31 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and three steals for the Wizards, who are only 3-11 in the last 14 meetings between the teams.

Sloan scored 31 points in that one for Indiana.

The Wizards have lost 12 in a row at Indiana, last winning there on April 18, 2007. The two teams will play again March 25 and April 14.