Wizards lose for seventh time in eight games

INDIANAPOLIS | At this point, the Washington Wizards will take good news wherever they can find it.

So their highlight Sunday was that Gilbert Arenas woke up feeling no unusual pain from his return to action Saturday. The bad — and more typical news — was that they lost to the Indiana Pacers 124-115 at Conseco Fieldhouse.

It was the seventh loss in the past eight games for Washington. Unlike its past three, each of which were decided by two points, this one got away in the third quarter, when the Pacers opened a 15-point lead.

The Wizards got within 10 points with more than four minutes left in the fourth quarter but couldn’t get the defensive stops needed to complete the comeback.

Caron Butler led the Wizards (17-58) with 31 points and 13 rebounds. Antawn Jamison added 29 points. Danny Granger led Indiana with 31 points; rookie Brandon Rush matched his career high with 29.