Hornets Complete Season Sweep of Pacers

The Hornets move to 27-22 on the season.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - For the first time this season, the Charlotte Hornets won the second leg of a back-to-back as they defeated the Indiana Pacers 158-126, setting the franchise record for most points scored in a game. The win also completes the four-game season sweep of Indiana.

Just hours before the game, the team placed starting forward Gordon Hayward into the NBA's Health & Safety protocols, ruling him out for the game. He was already tabbed "questionable" with right toe discomfort, which is what has kept him out of the lineup in the two previous games this week. Coming into the night, the Hornets owned an 0-3 record with Hayward out of the lineup and a 9-22 record dating back to last year. 

As much as Hayward is needed for this team moving forward, his absence didn't hurt Charlotte Wednesday night against a Pacers team decimated with injuries. Malcolm Brogdon, Damontas Sabonis, and Myles Turner were all sidelined, forcing Indiana to lean on Caris LaVert and rookie Chris Duarte. Unfortunately, the two guards didn't do what was needed of them to keep them in the game as they combined for just 21 points. 

Charlotte's defense wasn't particularly strong in the first half, allowing Indiana to notch 70 points. James Borrego and his staff made some tweaks in the locker room and those adjustments gave the Pacers fits in the 2nd half, more so in the third quarter.

"Good third quarter defensively. We challenged the group at halftime and I thought that really turned the game," Borrego stated. "We came out, got some stops in the third and that's what got us started offensively was just our activity defensively."

The Hornets' offense continued to get better as the night went on, especially Kelly Oubre Jr. who hit a personal-best ten threes bringing his total to 39. LaMelo Ball did just about everything en route to his fifth career triple-double going for 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists.

"We shot it well. We were hot," Borrego said. "We were due for one of these games. We just told our guys to shoot it with confidence and let it fly. We believe in our shooters. We're one of the best shooting teams in the NBA. It was just a matter of time before we saw it drop.

"I thought both [Kelly Oubre Jr & LaMelo Ball] played excellent, they were both aggressive. Obviously, Melo got us started and then Kelly came in and got going. The two of them are a dynamic scoring duo for us. When you have two guys going off like that at the same time, that's a tough combination."

The Hornets will now return home to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on ESPN. 

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