CHARLOTTE – What may have been a momentous opening night time turned out disastrously for the Indiana Pacers, who blew a 23-point, third-quarter lead and misplaced to the Charlotte Hornets 123-122 Wednesday on the Spectrum Heart.
What to know concerning the first of 82 video games:
How the Pacers gave up 24 consecutive factors
It’s a cliché to say protection enhances offense. The factor is, it does.
The Pacers restrained the Hornets sufficient (43%) to interrupt out a 75-point first half. Indiana cleared rebounds and transitioned seamlessly into offense, transferring the ball crisply for open pictures. That was manifested in 43.5% capturing on 3s (10-of-23). It had 21 assists on 25 first-half subject objectives.
Within the third quarter, all the things reversed.
After increasing the result in 82-59, the Pacers’ pluses all turned minuses.
The Hornets, fueled by LaMelo Ball, went on a 24-0 avalanche that buried the Pacers. Throughout that spree, the Pacers shot 0-of-9 and dedicated three turnovers, permitting the Hornets to do what Indiana had finished to Charlotte within the first half.
The Hornets wanted two free throws by P.J. Washington with 4.6 seconds left to impact the one-point win. The Pacers recovered from what a turned a 10-point deficit to reclaim the lead, however they’d not have been on that seesaw if not for the third quarter.
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Gordon Hayward
Pregame concern about Gordon Hayward, coming off a siege with COVID-19, was his conditioning. He confirmed no lack of health.
The previous Butler ahead scored 14 fourth-quarter factors and 26 of his 27 over the closing three quarters.
The Pacers ended the Hornets’ season on Might 18, beating them 144-117 within the play-in match. Hayward missed that recreation due to a foot harm.
Having a (LaMelo) Ball
By no means thoughts all of the drama involving LaVar Ball and his three basketball-playing sons. LaMelo is a real star making Charlotte related within the NBA.
After Ball triggered the 24-0 run and the Pacers climbed again inside 106-104, he swished a 3-pointer to blunt the rally. Earlier than the sport, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle known as Ball “a lightning rod,” and his crew was electrocuted.
Ball completed with 31 factors, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. He was 7-of-9 with 3-pointers.
Pacers Chris Duarte’s 27-point debut
The Pacers look particularly astute in utilizing the NBA draft’s thirteenth choose on a 24-year-old.
Chris Duarte, who took an unconventional path to the NBA out of the Dominican Republic, had carried out nicely in preseason. He exceeded all of that in his regular-season debut.
He scored 27 factors in 33 minutes, that includes 6-of-9 capturing on 3s.
Put it this fashion: Within the Pacers’ historical past, no rookie has scored extra factors in an opener. Earlier finest was 24 by Roger Brown in 1967.
Duarte sank successive 3s to finish the primary quarter, the second as time expired. He was challenged on his subsequent 3-point try however managed to regulate in mid-air, sq. his physique and swish that one, too.
He made two extra consecutively within the fourth quarter to push the Pacers forward, 116-113, after that they had fallen behind by 10.
The Pacers eagerly await the return of T.J. Warren and Caris LeVert. Duarte could be deadly weapon off the bench, although.
Domantas Sabonis extra versatile than ever
Earlier than the sport, Charlotte coach James Borrego spoke about how “inventive and revolutionary” Carlisle is. The Pacers coach is maximizing the appreciable abilities of Domantas Sabonis, who stays intelligent across the hoop but additionally options an correct 3-point shot.
Sabonis may have received it on the buzzer however missed a contested shot.
New Hornets acquisition — and Indiana native — Mason Plumlee picked up two fouls within the first six minutes, making an attempt to protect Sabonis.
Sabonis scuffled as a lot within the third quarter as any of the Pacers, however his well timed shotmaking within the fourth quarter practically allowed the Pacers to reverse their reversal. He scored 33 factors, three off his profession excessive, to go along with 15 rebounds.
Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at david.woods@indystar.com. Observe him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.
Charlotte 123, Indiana 122
INDIANA (122): Vacation 4-10 2-2 11, Sabonis 13-19 3-4 33, Turner 3-6 2-4 9, Brogdon 8-20 9-9 28, Duarte 9-15 3-3 27, Craig 1-4 2-2 5, Lamb 1-9 0-0 3, McConnell 3-7 0-0 6. Totals 42-90 21-24 122.
CHARLOTTE (123): Bridges 4-8 4-4 13, Hayward 10-22 5-8 27, Plumlee 4-10 0-3 8, Ball 11-23 2-2 31, Oubre Jr. 5-17 2-2 14, C.Martin 4-5 2-2 10, McDaniels 0-1 1-2 1, Washington 1-7 2-2 5, Smith 7-14 0-2 14. Totals 46-107 18-27 123.
Indiana 38 37 13 34 — 122
Charlotte 27 32 33 31 — 123
3-Level Objectives—Indiana 17-47 (Duarte 6-9, Sabonis 4-6, Brogdon 3-10, Turner 1-3, Craig 1-4, Lamb 1-6, Vacation 1-7, McConnell 0-2), Charlotte 13-31 (Ball 7-9, Hayward 2-4, Oubre Jr. 2-9, Washington 1-3, Bridges 1-4). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_Indiana 51 (Sabonis 15), Charlotte 46 (Plumlee 10). Assists_Indiana 29 (Brogdon 11), Charlotte 29 (Ball 7). Whole Fouls_Indiana 24, Charlotte 21. A_15,521 (19,077)
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