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Pacers resume playoff push vs. lowly Wizards

Apr 6, 2011 - 3:09 PM (Sports Network) - The Indiana Pacers kick off their final homestand of the regular season, hoping to clinch a postseason berth in the process, and will entertain the Washington Wizards tonight from Conseco Fieldhouse.

Indiana is 2 1/2 games ahead of Charlotte and 3 1/2 games in front of Milwaukee for the eighth and final postseason berth in the Eastern Conference with four to play. It has won eight of its last 13 games, but had a three-game winning streak stopped with Sunday's 108-96 setback in New Orleans.

Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy both had 15 points, while Roy Hibbert and Darren Collison scored 10 points apiece for the Pacers, who shot 45.7 percent and were outrebounded by a 48-33 margin.

"They were too much for us tonight," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "We played hard; we just didn't play well."

Vogel's squad has won three in a row at home and is 22-16 as the host. Indiana has won 18 of its last 29 games at Conseco Fieldhouse and will also welcome the Hawks and Knicks to the Hoosier State.

Washington has been playing well lately with a season-best three straight wins and four in the past five games. It will begin its final road trip of the season tonight against the Pacers and Celtics, and is still a miserable 3-35 away from the Verizon Center.

In Tuesday's 107-105 win over the Detroit Pistons in DC, Rookie of the Year candidate John Wall posted 26 points, 12 assists and six rebounds, while Andray Blatche turned in a 26-point, 10-rebound effort for the Wizards, who got 20 points from Maurice Evans and 17 out of Jordan Crawford.

"April 9, 2008 is the last time this team won three games in a row," Wizards head coach Flip Saunders noted after the win.

The Wizards will try to extend their road winning streak to three games this evening.

Indiana has won two of three meetings with the Wizards this season and is 6-2 in the previous eight matchups between the teams. Washington has lost six straight, eight of 11 and nine of its last 13 games in Indy.