Hornets lose to league-worst Indiana Pacers, fall to 4-12 on the season

Coming off of three straight losses, and nine in their last eleven, the Charlotte Hornets were set to match up with the NBA-worst 1-13 Indiana Pacers in a Wednesday night matchup.

The Pacers, already down Tyrese Haliburton, were also missing wing Aaron Nesmith and forward/center Obi Toppin. The Pacers were losers of eight straight entering Wednesday night, and the Hornets were looking to make up for their disappointing Monday night loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Without Tre Mann, Brandon Miller, Josh Green, Grant Williams, or Liam McNeeley, the Hornets struggled heavily out of the gate. Although it was another strong start for rookie Kon Knueppel, the Hornets trailed by 5 headed to the second quarter against the league's worst team.

The second quarter got worse. Star LaMelo Ball shot 2/14 in the first half, and the Hornets trailed 70-54 headed into the half. The 16 point lead the Pacers held into the second half was the team's largest lead since game six of the NBA Finals in June, and they were playing like the team that had just been in the Finals.

The third quarter showed a game trending in the same directon as the first half. An 18-5 run from the Pacers pushed the lead to 24, by far their largest lead of the entire season. The Hornets were being pummeled by nearly everybody, with Jay Huff recording a season-high 20 points on the night.

The Pacers, who were shooting an NBA worst 29.9% from three, went 16-38 (42.1%) on the night, further adding hurt to the Hornets.

The Buzz did show some heart in the fourth quarter, behind an incredible performance from Kon Knueppel. Charlotte put together a 15-0 run, cutting the lead to single digits late in the fourth quarter. A Collin Sexton steal and score would gave pushed the lead down to 6, however, Benedict Mathurin blocked the layup attempt, and it essentially sealed the game from there.

Despite the excellent fourth quarter from the Hornets, the deficit they put together over the first three quarters was too much to overcome, and the Hornets fell 127-118, falling to 4-12 on the season.

Kon Knueppel

The Hornets rookie continues to look like a star, recording 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in Wednesday night's loss to the Pacers. He has put together a stellar month, and since November 2nd has averaged 22.3 points a night. Although the Hornets lost again, they have clearly found a star in their fourth overall pick.

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