The Washington Wizards hit the road for a matchup against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday looking to break their 10-game losing streak.
Washington has struggled to start the season and there's no doubt that if they continue losing games at the rate they are, the Wizards will be looking towards the offseason before we get to the end of December.
However, even though losing out may not be worst-case scenario for the Wizards with Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey leading this year's NBA Draft Class, the players on the roster certainly haven't signed up to lose each game.
That said, if the Wizards hope to put an end to their 10-game losing skid, it will start on Sunday against a more than beatable Pacers team who is dealing with struggles of their own. Looking ahead, here's three keys for Washington to steal a win on the road.
Don't allow Tyrese Haliburton to find a rhythm
Tyrese Haliburton has proved to be one of the best rising stars in the league over the last couple of seasons. However, through the start of the year, the guard has struggled immensely to start the season and the last thing the Wizards need to do is allow the struggling star to return to his former self against them.
If the Wizards can slow down Haliburton and take advantage of the Pacers flat play on offense, their chances to steal a win will only increase.
Prevent Myles Turner from dominating the boards
Myles Turner has seemingly improved every year since being drafted by the Pacers in 2015. The big man can extend the floor, protect the rim and crash the boards with the best of them. Turner can disrupt a game in a number of ways, but his biggest impact often comes on his ability to grab offensive rebounds and give his team second chance points.
If the Wizards hope to steal a win in Indiana, they'll need to be able to crash the boards effectively and limit the impact that Turner has on the game.
Keep pace with Indiana's bench unit
The Pacers arguably have one of the best bench units in the nation. Between Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell, Indiana's second string can go on runs of their own to extend leads or even go on runs to erase deficits.
If the Wizards' bench shows up and can put together an equal or better performance as Indiana's backups, the game could come down to which team's starting unit shows up.