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The Indiana Pacers have struggled defensively during a month-long slump that’s left them at the bottom of the Central Division. They’ll hope to have better results trying to stop the team with the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

The Pacers look to snap a six-game losing streak Monday night when they visit the Washington Wizards.

As the only team in the league that’s beaten East-leading Boston and the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana (7-16) has shown some promise early this season.

The Pacers, though, have lost six straight games since their Dec. 2 win over the Lakers, falling to 3-13 since Nov. 14.

“It’s tough. Losing doesn’t solve any problems,” said point guard T.J. Ford, in his first season with Indiana.

“Most of the time when you start losing, you see teams get divided and you hear more complaining. This team, I think we’ve done a good job staying together and staying positive. We just need to stick together, that’s the only way we’re going to get through it.”

Playing better defense could help, too. The Pacers have given up an average of 107.1 points in their last 16 games, including at least 100 in five of six contests during their current skid. They allowed Milwaukee to record a season-high point total in their 121-103 loss Saturday night.

“We’re not cooking on all cylinders on our defense,” said Pacers coach Jim O’Brien, whose team overcame a 21-point deficit to take a fourth-quarter lead before giving up the last 19 points of the game. “We’re not playing up to the level that I think our team is capable of playing on the defensive end.”

Indiana players know where they need to improve, and think it’s only a matter of time before they make some progress.

Getting Inside

The Pacers are supposed to take advantage of teams with losing records. Instead, it’s teams with a losing records taking advantage of them.

Indiana is 1-5 against teams below .500 this season. The Pacers get another opportunity against a team with a losing mark when they take on the Washington Wizards on Monday to complete their four-game road trip.

The Wizards are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, just two games behind the Pacers. Monday’s game is anything but automatic for the Pacers because three of Washington’s victories have been against teams with a winning record—Utah, New Jersey and Detroit.

It’s going to take a better defensive effort from the Pacers in order for them to end their six-game losing streak. They’ve allowed seven of their last eight opponents to shoot at least 50 percent from the field.

“Until we commit to playing defense, we’re not going to win,” point guard Jarrett Jack said. “We weren’t doing that in the first half. We’re not going to be able to beat any team with that type of effort.”

Bucks 121, Pacers 103: Indiana was outscored 19-0 in the final three-plus minutes of its sixth consecutive loss. The Pacers fought back from a 21-point deficit to take a one-point lead, 103-102, only to fall apart with careless turnovers and poor defense down the stretch.

Point guard T.J. Ford scored a season-high 27 points.

Notes, Quotes

• The Pacers gave up a season high in points in the first half for the second straight game when Milwaukee scored 64 points and shot 52 percent from the field against them. F Charlie Villanueva scored 24 of his 26 points in the first half.

• The Pacers have allowed seven of their last eight opponents to shoot at least 50 percent from the field. Milwaukee shot 51 percent.

• The Pacers, who are nine games under .500, are just 2-11 on the road this season. Their only road victories are against New Jersey and Houston—a .500 team and a winning team, respectively.

Quote To Note: “It was another tough one. It’s tough when you take the lead for a few seconds and they go on a run themselves. You can’t really say we had the game because we were down at the beginning.” —PG T.J. Ford.

Player Notes:

• C Roy Hibbert started his first game of the season in place of Rasho Nesterovic. Hibbert, a rookie out of Georgetown, had eight points, two rebounds and a block in 18 minutes.

• F Jeff Foster made the sixth 3-pointer of his career when he hit a 27-footer at the buzzer at the end of the third quarter. Foster, who finished with 14 points, is 6-for-47 in his career on 3-pointers.

• G T.J. Ford scored a season-high 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He also went 10-for-11 from the free-throw line to go with his six assists and five rebounds.

• F Danny Granger, the Pacers’ leading scorer, has scored double figures in 20 of 21 games this season. Granger, who was in foul trouble most of the game, had 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting in 25 minutes.

Medical Watch:

• G Mike Dunleavy (knee) is sidelined indefinitely because of tendinitis in his right knee. Dunleavy, the Pacers’ second-leading scorer last season, played just 12 minutes in the preseason and has only taken part in one practice since training camp started in late September.

Getting Inside

During the course of a season gone bad, teams such as the Wizards usually go through different stages.

Right now the veterans, the same guys who didn’t stick around the locker room to address the media, are in that stage where they are pointing fingers at teammates and accusing them of not giving adequate effort.

Because they didn’t hang around Thursday after the Celtics polished them off on their own floor by 34 points, the only indication that all was not well within the locker room was the shouting heard behind closed doors.

But one day later, it was clear what was being discussed.

“That was unacceptable,” forward Caron Butler said. “To be sitting here at 4-16 and acting like it’s OK, that is not going to happen.”

Said teammate Antawn Jamison, who shares a captaincy with Butler: “If that doesn’t make you upset, then we don’t want you on this team. If you don’t take it personal and play with a lot of pride, you are wasting our time. That was the message.”

That message mattered little when the Wizards returned to the court Saturday night at Philadelphia, so they must hope things will work out better when they host Indiana on Monday.

Sixers 104, Wizards 89: The 76ers, playing their first game since coach Maurice Cheeks was fired, looked like world-beaters against the pathetic defense and poor shooting of the Wizards.

The 76ers were paced by a season-high 27 points from Elton Brand. Philadelphia made better than 51 percent of its free throws and won the rebounding contest 46-37. Antawn Jamison led the Wizards with 17 points.

Notes, Quotes

• The Wizards are 3-7 under new interim coach Ed Tapscott.

• The Wizards are ranked 29th in the league in field-goal percentage defense (48.1).

• The sure way to beat the Wizards is to score 100 points against them. This season, the Wizards are 1-12 when allowing at least 100 points.

Quote To Note: “We’ve got to start taking things personal, man.”—G Juan Dixon, on the team’s attitude.

Player Notes:

• F Antawn Jamison is not among the top 11 vote-getters for the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Jamison was an All-Star last season.

• G DeShawn Stevenson is making a career-low 30.9 percent of his field goals this season.

• The Wizards have been pursuing a trade for Etan Thomas—something they did actively before he had open-heart surgery 14 months ago—but no team is likely to make a play for the big man, who has two seasons remaining on his contract.

Medical Watch:

• G Gilbert Arenas is out until early January recovering from his third knee surgery. He has begun his rehabilitation but has not given his own timeframe for recovery.

• C Brendan Haywood had surgery on his injured right wrist (damaged ligaments) in New York about two weeks before the start of the season.

Miller4ever wrote:He's on pace for 24 fouls. The usual guys are looking good. Marquis is no longer a surprise, and Danny shouldn't have taken a shot at the top of the key like he did.

Grang33r wrote:Between Hibbert and Rasho, we must have the worst center duo in the league. Both look just horrible.