This Pacers team is known for its late-game heroics, but unfortunately, they’re just as infamous for their early-game shortcomings. Tonight in Charlotte was no different, with the Pacers giving up a season-high 49 points to the Hornets in the first quarter.
As always, the Pacers fought back with valor, but on a night where both Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum were shooting out of their minds, the deficit was too big to fully overcome in the second half. Indiana had some great scoring performances themselves, but despite being advised by Dan Burke, their defense just wasn’t on it tonight.