Charlotte Hornets fall to the Indiana Pacers at home
The Charlotte Hornets were looking to bounce back after their loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday night. Despite their comeback efforts, they were not able to overcome the impressive lead that the Indiana Pacers built in the first quarter, ultimately losing the game 116 to 106 and making that their second straight loss.
The Hornets started the game out fast, going up 8 to 3 before the Pacers got settled in. Once the Pacers were settled in they were able to dominate the Hornets in the second half of the first quarter, outscoring the Hornets 36 to 19 at the end of the first. The worst part about this quarter is that with 6:34 left in the quarter, the game was tied at 13 apiece. The Pacers finished off the quarter on a 23 to 6 run.
The Hornets had a much better second quarter. At one point in the quarter, they went on a 15 to 2 run, and ultimately outscoring the Pacers 36 to 23 to only be down four at the half. The third quarter was more evenly matched, with both of the clubs scoring 25 points. Unfortunately for the Hornets, they were not able to carry that momentum over into the fourth, as they were outscored by the Pacers 32 to 26 in the quarter.
One of the most disappointing aspects of this game was our lack of defense, especially when it mattered most. Three Pacer players scored over 20 points (McDermott – 28, Brogdon – 25, & Sabonis – 22), and another one of their players, Justin Holiday, scored 19. On top of Sabonis’ 22 points, he also earned a triple-double on the night by dishing 10 assists and grabbing 11 rebounds.
As for the Hornets, they only had one player to reach the 20 point mark, Terry Rozier. Rozier led the team in scoring with his 20 point performance. He went 44.4% (8/18) from the field, including 33.3% (3/9) from the three-point line. He also went 1 of 2 from the free-throw line, and he ended the game with 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
PJ Washington came in second in scoring by getting 18 points on 6 of 14 (42.9%) from the field, including 1 of 6 from three (16.7%). He went 5 for 5 from the free-throw line and he was only two rebound short of getting a double-double.
Gordon Hayward was cooled down in this game. He was tied for third on the team in scoring with Devonte’ Graham, both of them getting 16 points. While Hayward had a better night shooting from the field (Hayward – 42.9%, Graham – 36.4%), Graham had a more impressive night from three-point range (Graham – 44.4%, Hayward – 25%).
One of the most exciting things about the game, and there aren’t many, was the impressive play by Cody Zeller. In the first couple of games since he has been back, Zeller has been pretty quiet. It was understandable, simply because he was out for such a long period of time. Zeller scored 10 points, which put him at #5 on the team in scoring, and he also earned a double-double by grabbing 14 rebounds. He had more rebounds than anyone else, on either team!
The Hornets will look to avenge their loss on Friday night, as they take on the Indiana Pacers in the second game of their back-to-back.