Indiana Pacers win first preseason game against Charlotte Hornets

The Pacers are now 1-0 in the preseason.

Oct 5, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Chris Duarte (3) pulls down a rebound against the Charlotte Hornets in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers opened preseason play with a 122-97 victory against the Charlotte Hornets.

The Pacers started the game strong, opening up a double-digit lead in the first quarter largely thanks to their defense. Indiana has emphasized their defense throughout training camp and it showed — Charlotte scored just 30 points in the first 20 minutes of action.

On the offensive end, the blue and gold were led by Myles Turner in the first half. He had 12 points and three assists in the first two quarters as the Pacers looked dominant. It was Turner's first NBA game since January, and he only played in the first half.

The second half began with a different story. Charlotte cut the lead down to nine after a big third quarter run, and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle took a timeout during the surge to slow things down.

But Indiana responded and ballooned their lead back to 20+ before the third quarter ended — they led 95-68 after three frames. The Pacers let their lead slip a bit to open the fourth quarter, but they never gave up their advantage and held on for the victory.

Indiana shot 26/27 from the charity stripe, which played a huge role in the team's victory. Turner and Aaron Nesmith each made a half-dozen foul shots in the win.

Nesmith was impressive in his first game for the Pacers. The former Boston Celtic, who Indiana acquired in a trade this summer, led the Pacers in scoring with 16 and made some nice defensive plays. His athleticism was apparent from start to finish on both ends. 

In his debut for the blue and gold, Bennedict Mathurin finished with 15 points on 5/10 shooting. He was able to creep into the lane for floaters and layups throughout the night, and he made all five of his foul shots. His defense was impressive at times as well.

Power forward Jalen Smith dominated on the glass, finishing with a stat line of nine points and 10 rebounds. It was his first time playing in the frontcourt alongside Turner.

Rising talent Tyrese Haliburton finished with five points and team-high six assists for the Pacers. Indiana continues preseason play on Friday in New York against the Knicks.

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