Hornets Drop to 0-2 in Preseason Play
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Charlotte Hornets returned to action inside Spectrum Center for the first time since defeating the Washington Wizards in the regular season finale 124-108.
The result? Much of what we saw in the preseason opener. Spotty defense, poor three-point shooting, and little to no fight in the paint all led to the Hornets falling to the Indiana Pacers 122-97 Wednesday night.
Once again, the Hornets struggled to find the bottom of the net, especially from the perimeter. As a team, Charlotte made just seven of its first 33 shots from the field and opened the game 3/17 from three. The ball stuck with just eight assists on 15 baskets through the first half of play.
Fortunately for Steve Clifford's bunch, Indiana wasn't connecting from three-point land either (1/13) or the deficit at the midway point could have been much worse. The Pacers dominated the paint on both ends which allowed them to carry a 59-43 edge into the half. Myles Turner (12 points) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (11 points) were the leading scorers through 24 minutes of action.
In the opening minutes of the third quarter, the Hornets went on a 10-0 run to close the gap to 11, 67-56. That mini run was countered by Indiana who went on an 18-4 run to balloon the lead to 95-68 heading into the final quarter of the night.
The Hornets notched the first eight points of the fourth, but momentum once again quickly swung in the favor of the Pacers. Clifford emptied his bench, giving minutes to rookies Mark Williams and Bryce McGowens along with Kai Jones and fan favorite, LiAngelo Ball. McGowens was a bright spot finishing with eight points on 2/5 shooting while also collecting a steal on the defensive end.
The Hornets will now make the trek up to Greensboro to play host to the Boston Celtics. Tip-off between the Hornets and Celtics is set for 7:30 p.m. EST inside Greensboro Coliseum.
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