Hornets Edged Out By Pacers 116-111

It was a slow start for both teams starters with turnovers and missed shots aplenty. However, when Charlotte brought in their defensive focused second unit the

 It was a slow start for both teams starters with turnovers and missed shots aplenty. However, when Charlotte brought in their defensive focused second unit the momentum shifted. For a consecutive game Clifford went with a Smith Jr-Martin-McDaniels-Thor-Williams lineup and it excelled. Indiana went scoreless for the last 4:30 of the quarter and Charlotte held a 12 point lead at the end of the 1st leading 27-15.

Per @Stathead, the Hornets' 15 PTS allowed in Q1 were their fewest Q1 PTS allowed since Feb. 20, 2021 vs. Golden State (also 15)

— Sam Perley (@sam_perley) January 8, 2023

Mark Williams was extremely active in the early 2nd quarter, tipping rebounds, blocking shots and showing some good chemistry with LaMelo Ball in the pick and roll. However, shortly after LaMelo picked up his 3rd foul which saw him benched for the remainder of the half. The offense struggled for the remainder of the 3rd with Rozier and Smith Jr shouldering the playmaking load. The Pacers were able to take advantage of a stagnant offence and force 8 turnovers leading to several run outs. Indiana came all the way back to take the lead, going into the half with a two point 47-45 lead.

LAMELO TO MARK WILLIAMS pic.twitter.com/ta6ipubfO3

— Israel (@iohandles) January 8, 2023

The 3rd quarter started in the worst possible way when on the first possession LaMelo Ball helped from the weak side  picking up his 4th foul first. Clifford decided to stick with LaMelo and was rewarded with two quick 3s from Ball. Both teams went back and forth until the last two minutes of the quarter when Charlotte went on a sudden 10-0 run thanks to some tough shot making from Terry Rozier and over fouling from Indiana. Charlotte went into the 4th with a 6 point lead.

Charlotte start the 4th well, extending the lead to 11 but quickly gave it all back. For a four minute stretch Charlotte struggled to rebound the ball leading to open 3s for Hield and Nembhard allowing Indiana to cut the lead. To make things worse, LaMelo picked up his 5th foul with 8 minutes still to go in the 4th quarter, making him a bystander until the 4 minute mark. 

This was a low scoring game on both sides, largely due to Indiana shooting  13-38 from three and missing several open looks. Mason Plumlee deserves credit, he went 6-6 from the FT line including some clutch ones down the stretch, but did struggle with fouling and rebounding in the final 2 minutes.

Unfortunately Charlotte unravelled in key moments down the stretch. Myles Turner dominated inside with back to back three point plays, LaMelo managed to foul out while taking a jump shot and Andrew Nembhard made some tough shots over defenders. Charlotte had  a chance to tie the game with a 3 with just 31 seconds to go, but Dennis Smith Jr settled for a layup. The Hornets then played the foul game but unfortunately the Pacers managed to see it out thanks to a HUGE block by Turner on Plumlee.

A fair offensive foul call on LaMelo, clearly kicked the leg out pic.twitter.com/E9W1LBe2rb

— James Plowright (@British_Buzz) January 9, 2023

Despite the loss this game suggested Charlotte are beginning to find their groove with Dennis Smith Jr and Cody Martin's return making a positive impact. This was a good, competitive loss against an Eastern Conference playoff team and helps keep them in prime spot for lottery night.