The Washington Wizards appear to have turned the corner. Last night’s 84-79 win over the Indiana Pacers gives the Wiz wins in eight of their last 11 games and puts them one game under .500 for the season. The Pacers, who have now lost six in a row, played their first game with recent acquisition Peja Stojakovic, acquired last week for the ever-disgruntled Ron Artest. Peja scored 17, but was mostly ineffective last night, shooting 4-for-10 from the field in 26 foul plagued minutes. The Pacers played without Jermaine O’Neal (groin), Jamaal Tinsley (elbow) and Jeff Foster (back spasms) and lost Austin Croshere, who sustained a mild concussion in the third quarter.

On the opposite end of the spectrum sit the suddenly mighty Wizards, led by Antawn Jamison’s 19 points and 18 rebounds. After a rough stretch that saw him benched, Jamison is making a late run at his second consecutive All-Star appearance. Despite his lackluster play in December, O’Neal’s injury might open the door for him in Houston. No matter the outcome, his play of late (21.1 points per game on 49% shooting from the field in January) has buoyed the team, which needs his scoring to balance out that of Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. Also woth noting from last night, fellow benchee Brendan Haywood chipped in with 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Wizards won’t have to wait long for their chance to reach .500 for the season; they travel to Toronto tonight with a five game home stand looming after that. If they continue to win at their current pace, they could find themselves back in the thick of the playoff hunt.