Nothing has gone according to plan for the injury-plagued Indiana Pacers this season, but coach Rick Carlisle is still appreciating every minute.
The Pacers return to the court Thursday to play the first of back-to-back matchups against the host Washington Wizards. Game 2 is Friday in Washington.
Indiana has gone 15-40 while using 28 different starting lineups this season, but the team won two straight games before the All-Star break.
The Pacers look to maintain the momentum against Washington, which has lost three straight to fall to 14-39.
Jarace Walker scored 23 points in Indiana’s last game before the break, a 115-110 road victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 11. Micah Potter added 19 points and Ethan Thompson had 15.
Rookie guard Kam Jones hit a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to seal the win.
“(Jones) is undaunted,” Carlisle said. “He’s a confident kid. He comes from a strong family. He’s had great coaching throughout his career and he just plays. And he always keeps believing in himself, and he made the biggest shot of his life.”
The Pacers have struggled without numerous injured players, including point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is out for the season with an Achilles injury. Despite the injury woes, Carlisle said he is pleased with his team’s development.
“All this has gone by super fast,” Carlisle said. “You know, as tough as it’s been, it’s been very enjoyable with this group. These guys are resilient. They respect one another. They respect the game. They play hard. They play for each other. It hasn’t always been pretty, but the last couple games have been very gratifying.”
The Pacers have been led by forward Pascal Siakam, but he will miss Thursday’s game due to personal reasons.
He played in his fourth All-Star Game on Sunday. Siakam has averaged 23.7 points while scoring in double figures in all 51 games he has played.
Indiana split its first two meetings with Washington in Indianapolis. The Pacers won 119-86 on Nov. 28 before the Wizards snapped a six-game losing streak in the series with a 108-89 victory on Dec. 14.
Washington has the second-worst record in the league, but there is reason for optimism following the recent acquisitions of Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Neither has debuted for the Wizards due to injuries.
The team boasts a promising young core with players such as Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson and Alex Sarr. All four were selected to participate in last weekend’s All-Star activities.
Washington’s roster recently drew praise from Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James on his podcast with Steve Nash, “Mind the Game.”
“Very intriguing,” James said. “I’m interested to see what (the Wizards) do and how it comes together.
“(Davis), obviously, we know the talent level is out of this world. And you know, Trae with his ability to play pick-and-roll game, his ability to shoot the ball, his lob threat. I love the young kid they have from France (Sarr), love the kid George and also the rookie kid they got from Texas (Johnson).”
The Wizards will face Indiana without Sarr, who is expected to miss at least another week with a right hamstring strain.
