Pacers Vs Wizards: Siakam Out, McConnell Scratched as Injury-Scarred Night Looms in Washington
The Pacers Vs Wizards back-to-back opens Thursday, February 19 (ET) with both franchises depleted by absences — Pascal Siakam will miss Indiana’s first game after the All-Star break for personal reasons, and the Pacers announced that point guard T. J. McConnell will not play.
Pacers Vs Wizards injury update and lineup impacts
The injury lists for both clubs are extensive and will shape Wednesday’s matchup at Capital One Arena. Indiana confirmed that Pascal Siakam is out for personal reasons and will not play in the first game of the post-All-Star set. The team also announced T. J. McConnell will not suit up for the contest, while Aaron Nesmith and Micah Potter are available after being listed questionable.
Indiana’s roster still includes several long-term absences: Ivica Zubac remains out with a left ankle sprain, Obi Toppin is sidelined with a stress fracture in his right foot, and Tyrese Haliburton and Johnny Furphy are out for the season with major lower-leg injuries. Those holes have left the Pacers thin and reliant on a short list of healthy regulars.
Washington, meanwhile, enters the back-to-back without several expected contributors. Trae Young is out with knee and quad issues, Anthony Davis is sidelined with hand and groin problems, Cam Whitmore is out with a shoulder injury, Alex Sarr is listed with a hamstring issue, and D’Angelo Russell is not with the team for the matchup. Those absences keep the Wizards among the league’s most undermanned clubs.
Standings, recent form and what’s at stake
This two-game set carries outsized implications in the Eastern Conference’s battle to the bottom. Indiana sits a single win ahead of Washington in the standings — 15-40 for the Pacers versus 14-39 for the Wizards — so results in this pair could shuffle the bottom rung substantially. A Washington sweep would help them climb off the league’s cellar, while a pair of Indiana victories would cement the Pacers’ advantage in that tight low-tier fight.
Recent form diverges slightly: the Pacers arrive off back-to-back wins over New York and Brooklyn, while the Wizards have dropped three straight games against Brooklyn, Miami and Cleveland. Those results combine with the injury picture to set expectations for a low-output affair.
Game script and betting outlook
With disparate personnel available and both teams struggling to score, betting angles favor a low-scoring outcome. The handicapping lean for Thursday’s matchup targets the Under, with the total set in the low-230s and a best bet resting under 232. 5 for the game. One of the drivers cited for that stance is Indiana’s scoring struggles — the Pacers rank among the league’s worst in scoring, and losing key frontcourt and playmaking pieces further undercuts their offensive upside.
Washington’s inability to deploy a settled rotation because of its own absences limits their ability to exploit Indiana’s weaknesses. Between both clubs’ depleted lineups and recent trends in head-to-head meetings, a sluggish pace and truncated scoring feel likely for this opener of the back-to-back.
With Pascal Siakam sidelined and T. J. McConnell scratched, the Pacers will be forced to reconfigure their primary ball-handling and scoring responsibilities. The Wizards, still missing multiple rotation pieces, will look to leverage home-court advantage but face a defense that has struggled despite the opponent’s offensive shortcomings. Expect a tactical, low-possession game where depth and matchup minutiae will determine the winner.
