WASHINGTON — Bradley Beal bit the hem of his jersey and Jabari Parker dropped his arms and swung toward the baseline, releasing a sigh. The Washington Wizards had just surrendered a late possession and the failure to stop the Indiana Pacers stung.

Though the Wizards didn’t play much defense Saturday night, they gave an effort in the fourth quarter. When the ball snapped around the court, so did the Wizards’ feet. If an Indiana player slowed down the set by needlessly dribbling, the Wizards showed their sticky hands and created steals. They tried — which made Pacers center Domantas Sabonis’s layup with about two minutes to play hurt that much more.

The basket was one of many in the Pacers’ 119-112 win, but stood out for its timing.

When the Wizards needed a break, the defense broke down — Parker slapped Sabonis on his way up and created a three-point opportunity.

“We did a decent job of guarding and about four or five possessions, tough breaks,” coach Scott Brooks said. “They made tough shots when the shot clock was going down.”

A few more stops could have given Washington a legitimate chance at completing a comeback from a 17-point deficit.

In the closing seconds, Thomas Bryant slapped a pass away from Pacers point guard Darren Collison and the steal gave the Wizards a chance at the game-tying three-pointer. Beal attracted the defensive attention and Bryant, who made 9 of 11 shots and a trio of 3s in the game, was left open behind the arc.

“They had confidence in me to make the shot,” Bryant said. “I shot it.”

The ball felt good leaving his hands and appeared to sail toward the target, Bryant would say later, but the attempt missed off the rim with 14.2 seconds remaining. The rally ended with more dejected expressions — Trevor Ariza knelt to the floor after having to foul Collison, which sent him to the line for the game-sealing free throws.

Beal played 41 minutes, the second consecutive night he has logged more than 40, and scored 35 points. Bryant finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds while playing 31 minutes as a reserve. However, their offensive efforts couldn’t curb a four-game losing streak and keep the Wizards from falling to 24-36, a season-low 12 games under the .500 mark.

Indiana, a team without an active all-star, improved to 40-20 and maintained its third seed in the Eastern Conference.

“One thing we have been all year long is resilient,” said Pacers forward Thaddeus Young, who scored a team-best 22 points. “We continue to fight, continue to fight through adversity. We believe in our brotherhood. I say this in every interview. We have a brotherhood, we have a bond. Everybody continues to play through that bond and we play for one and another and not just for one person.”

candace.buckner@washpost.com

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