Wizards snap 6-game skid with a 137-123 victory over the Pacers
WASHINGTON (AP) — Kyle Kuzma scored 31 points, Jordan Poole added 30 and Tyus Jones had his second career triple-double to help the Washington Wizards snap a six-game losing streak with a 137-123 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.
The Wizards won for only the second time in their last 17 games, and the other victory in that span was against a Detroit team that is now up to 22 straight losses.
Poole equaled his season high of 30 points by the end of the third quarter, and he finished 12 of 18 from the field with eight assists. Jones, who also had a triple-double last season with Memphis, had 13 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
Corey Kispert added 23 points for Washington.
Tyrese Haliburton had 19 points and 11 assists for Indiana, which looked out of sync offensively after scoring 143 points in its previous meeting with Washington in the season opener in October. The Pacers shot just 45% from the field in this rematch while the Wizards finished at 57% and 13 of 27 from 3-point range.
Washington trailed by eight in the second quarter before going on a 15-0 run. The Wizards were up 69-55 at halftime.
They stayed in control the rest of the way. A reserve dunk on an alley-oop by Daniel Gafford made it 81-62, and Washington led by as many as 24 points.
There haven’t been many positive signs for the Wizards this season, but rookie Bilal Coulibaly has shown promise of late. He scored 17 points against the Pacers, including a one-handed dunk in the first quarter.
Indiana and Washington entered the game ranked 1-2 in the NBA in pace, but only the Wizards were able to put up big scoring numbers. Isaiah Jackson led the Pacers with 20 points.
UP NEXT
Pacers: At Minnesota on Saturday night.
Wizards: At Phoenix on Sunday night.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA