Pacers focus on defense ahead of encounter vs. skidding Pelicans

The Indiana Pacers extended the visiting Washington Wizards’ losing streak to 11 games in a 115-103 victory Sunday night.The Pacers will try to extend New Orleans’ skid to five games Monday night when they face the Pelicans in Indianapolis.Indiana, which had lost straight three games on a winless road trip to Toronto, Houston and Milwaukee, shut down the Wizards’ offense after allowing 130, 130 and 129 points during the losing streak. The Pacers allowed just 16 fourth-quarter points to the NBA-worst Wizards.”We got better defensively,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “We were better at keeping their drivers square in front of us, and we made some good things happen offensively.”Pascal Siakam scored 22 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 21 to lead seven double-figure scorers for Indiana.The Pacers improved to 5-2 at home even though they played without three key injured players – Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard.”Right now, we’re looking for anybody with energy that will run and will give the best possible effort defensively,” Carlisle said.The Pelicans are hopeful of ending their losing streak because they slowly are getting injured players back on the floor.Leading scorer Brandon Ingram (ankle) returned from a one-game absence and Jordan Hawkins (back) came back from a seven-game absence in a 112-108 home loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday.”I had a minute restriction on me, but I felt like I got up and down a lot,” said Hawkins, who scored six points in 20 minutes. “Still trying to get my conditioning right but it felt good.”Ingram, who also leads New Orleans in assists for the season, finished with 18 points and seven assists in 36 minutes.