The Hornets have recovered on the Indiana court by claiming their tenth away victory of the season. James Borrego’s troops achieved the perfect shot by distancing themselves from the start of the match and holding on until the end, led by their tandem Ball-Rozier.
Terry Rozier showed the way by scoring 13 points in the first quarter to put his team on the right track (16-28). Indiana tried to hang on by relying on Chris Duarte and the missiles of the Holiday-Sabonis pair, until “Scary Terry” returned to put his two cents alongside LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward to remake a gap, with a dunk for Hayward and a basket one second before the break for Ball who gave the Hornets 14 lengths (57-71).
The Ball-Rozier tandem still held the house after the locker room against the return of the Pacers, still driven by the Holiday-Sabonis pair, well helped by Caris LeVert. The dunk and 3-point Oshae Brissett put the pressure on Charlotte at the end of the third quarter (82-87) before Gordon Hayward responded in stride behind the arc.
Charlotte was then able to conclude with application by depriving Indiana of a euphoric passage that could have turned everything upside down. LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre Jr. made every effort to score whenever the premises got a little too dangerously close. After two 3-point missiles, it was with three throws that Terry Rozier, MVP of the match, finally put an end to the suspense (108-116).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The seriousness of the Hornets. Leading comfortably early in the game in an away game is not always a gift. But the Hornets were able to manage their gap perfectly in the first quarter and were able to contain the successive waves until the end, relying on “Scary Terry” to finish the job in the “money-time”, when Indiana threw its last strength into battle.
– The black beast of the Pacers. Indiana is already three losses this season against Charlotte. The Pacers had bowed at the last second in the first game of the season in North Carolina (123-122) and 121-118 a month later with an executioner named LaMelo Ball each time. For their first opposition in Indianapolis, the Pacers will have again narrowly failed.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Terry Rozier. Lacking consistency since the start of the season, Terry Rozier has been back for two games. Author of his best game of the year 2021- / 22 last night (35 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) the back was important in the key moments of the match, to launch his first, then when Indiana tried to catch Charlotte in the “money-time”. Its two 3-point missiles and its three launches thus fulfilled the hopes of the locals.
✅ LaMelo Ball. The sophomore is also relaunching. Used to playing well against the Pacers, the leader was still there by turning into the main lieutenant of Terry Rozier. On a good night despite losing four balls, he finished with an offering of the triple-double, compiling 21 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists.
✅ ⛔ Domantas Sabonis. Like Indiana’s performance, so close and at the same time so far from the Hornets last night. The leader of the formation of Rick Carlisle could have been the hero of the match if he had ended up switching to the side of the premises. Even if he helped revive his team (15 points, 18 rebounds, 7 assists), the interior also missed great opportunities by his clumsiness (3/9 shooting including 1/5 at 3-points… 8 / 14 in the free throw) and his 6 lost balls which hurt his team.
THE FOLLOWING
Indiana (14-21): the Pacers continue with the reception of Chicago tomorrow afternoon.
Charlotte (19-17): The Hornets are entitled to a three-day break before hosting the Suns on Sunday.
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