Pacers hurdle Wizards, move up in Eastern Conference standings

WASHINGTON – Victor Olapido scored 33 points and Bojan Bogdanovic tallied 20 as the Indiana Pacers moved up the crowded NBA Eastern Conference standings with a 98-95 win over the Wizards on Sunday.

The Pacers won despite nearly blowing a 17-point lead but they held on and the victory allowed them to jump over the Wizards by a half-game in the NBA standings.

In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and the Milwaukee Bucks snapped a four-game losing streak, scoring 36 points off the Philadelphia 76ers’ season-high 26 turnovers in a 118-110 victory.

Eric Bledsoe added 22 points, and Jabari Parker had 13 to keep Milwaukee in seventh place in the Eastern Conference – a half-game game behind the sixth-place 76ers.

Dario Saric scored 25 points, Joel Embiid had 19, and JJ Redick 17 for the 76ers.

Elsewhere, Taurean Prince rattled in the eventual game winning three pointer with seven seconds left as the Atlanta Hawks edged the Phoenix Suns, 113-112.

Prince drained a career high six three pointers and finished with 22 points for the Hawks who posted their 20th win of the season.