November 10, 2026 at 5:06 AM UTC
Pregame AnalysisPacers Look to Turn Dallas Fireworks Into a Full Game Against Wizards
Indiana's frontcourt scoring should be enough to edge a Washington team short on wing depth.
This page is the pregame analysis. The box score is the main page for the game, and the matchup history collects every meeting between these teams.
Indiana returns home at 3-7 after the Denver loss in Mexico City, followed by a 125-122 defeat at Dallas. The Dallas game was frustrating because of how it began. The Pacers shot 60 percent in the first half, better than 56 percent from three, and set a season high for first-half points. Pascal Siakam scored 26 on 8-for-9 shooting and Ivica Zubac started fast before Dallas rallied. The offense is clearly capable. The challenge is sustaining it for four quarters.
The biggest variable is the backcourt. Tyrese Haliburton is out with a hamstring injury and has no timetable to return, so Indiana will again need to generate offense without its lead guard. T.J. McConnell's return to the lineup helps, though his own hamstring is worth monitoring. If the guards are steady, Siakam and Zubac give the Pacers reliable scoring in the frontcourt.
Washington enters at 4-5 after a 139-132 road loss to Atlanta. Giving up 139 is a concern against an Indiana team that just showed what it can do when its shots fall. The Wizards' wing depth is also thin. Bilal Coulibaly is questionable with a hand injury, and Reece Beekman (shoulder) and Justin Champagnie (foot) are out. If Coulibaly sits, Washington has fewer options to defend Indiana's perimeter shooting.
There is one reason for caution: the Pacers have been better on the road (3-2) than at home this season, and nobody has a clean explanation. Still, Indiana has the more proven frontcourt scoring, and Washington's defense is the bigger worry. Expect the Pacers to build an early cushion and hold it better than they did in Dallas. Indiana 118, Washington 111.