Wizards 53-Point Loss To Pacers Is Largest Defeat In Franchise History

The Washington Wizards have been one of the worst teams in the NBA over the past two years. They finished with the second-worst record in the league last season, amassing just 15 wins in 2023-24. They haven’t seen much improvement during the current season, and are in a similar spot as we head into the final couple of weeks of the year.

But Thursday night might have been rock bottom.

Wizards Suffer 53-Point Defeat, Worst In Franchise History

The Indiana Pacers were in town, and were looking to solidify their top-4 standing in the Eastern Conference. They certainly did so, handing the Wizards the worst lost in their franchise’s history. The lead was 14 points after the first quarter, and then 22 by halftime. But things got even worse in the second half, and the Pacers wound up winning 162-109, with the 53-point margin being the worst defeat the Wizards have ever endured.

The previous franchise record came all the way back in 1971. They were called the Washington Bullets at the time, and the sitting President of the United States was Richard Nixon. Wes Unseld started for Washington in that game, and they fell at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks, who had Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in their lineup. That game ended in a 52-point defeat.

FINAL | IND 162, WAS 109

The Washington Wizards had a record-setting performance tonight.

• Most points (162) allowed in a single game in franchise history

• Worst loss (53) in franchise history

The tank rolls on. Wizards fall to 16-57.

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) March 28, 2025

Thursday’s game saw nine Pacers players finish with double-digit scoring totals, including Tyrese Haliburton’s 29. The Wizards were fine offensively, scoring around their season average by posting 109 total points, but were abysmal on the defensive end. They gave up at least 37 points in each of the four quarters, and were outscored 79-48 over the final two frames.

Wizards rookie guard AJ Johnson played 27 minutes in the contest, and finished with a plus/minus total of -41.

The loss keeps the Wizards on par with the Utah Jazz in the win column when it comes to the worst record in the NBA. The obvious prize for the team that is able to land the first overall pick is Duke sensation Cooper Flagg, and it appears to be a three-team race to the finish.

The three teams with the worst records each share a 14% chance of obtaining the no.1 selection.