3 takeaways as the Indiana Pacers beat the Charlotte Hornets on the road

The Indiana Pacers beat the Charlotte Hornets 125-113 to capture their seventh win of the season on Wednesday night. They improved to 7-6.

The Pacers are now over .500 for the first time since February 17, 2021. They were 15-14 at that time. Since then, they have changed coaches, swapped out multiple players, and even re-named their home stadium. Essentially everything has changed for the team in the nearly two years since they last had a winning record — they have looked great to start this season.

"We love playing basketball. We love the grind, we love to fight," forward Jalen Smith said on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast after the game.

The game was close until the final few minutes. It was tied at the end of the first and third quarters, and the Hornets lead was just three at halftime. Neither team could seize control for the first 42 minutes, and there were 17 lead changes.

The Pacers dominated down the stretch, though. In the final 4:58 of action, Indiana outscored Charlotte 21-9 and ran away with the game. The team was brilliant in crunch time.

All five Pacers starters scored in double figures, and Myles Turner, Tyrese Haliburton, and Bennedict Mathurin all reached 20 points. Haliburton and Turner each had a double-double. It was a team effort in the win, and such a win comes with some big takeaways.

Myles Turner is playing some of the best basketball of his career

Turner had a rough game in Brooklyn on Halloween, but he has been on an absolute tear ever since. In the five games the Pacers have played in November, Turner is averaging 21.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. He's canned 62.5% of his shots in that span, including 44.4% of his three-pointers.

The eight-year veteran had a double-double in four of those five games, and the Pacers are a +27 with the big man on the court in the month. This is one of the best stretches, statistically, of Turner's career, and it's helping his team win games.

Not only is the big man putting up numbers, he has been the squad's anchor on defense. He's had at least two blocks in all five of those contests, and his rim protection changes the geometry of the game. Turner is having a terrific five-game run, and his play is a big part of why Indiana has gone 4-1 in November.

Jalen Smith changed the game late

Smith checked in with 5:56 to go in the fourth quarter with the Pacers losing by two. When he checked out at the 1:26 mark, his team was up by 11. That means he was a +13 in under five minutes to finish this game. He was a key piece to help the blue and gold close this one out.

In that stretch, Smith had four big points — he hit a shot to tie the game and then made two free throws to give Indiana the lead for the final time. He also had two rebounds and made some key defensive plays.

Smith didn't play a perfect game, but when it mattered most, the 22-year old stepped up.

Good luck stopping Bennedict Mathurin when he is feeling it

Rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin has had multiple eye-popping quarters this season, including an 18-point outburst in the second frame against Denver last week.

Tonight, the sixth overall pick did that again. Twice. To open the second quarter, Mathurin had 10 of his 20 points in a 3:24 span. It kept the Pacers in the game.

To open the fourth quarter, Mathurin had 10 points in 3:13. Effectively, Mathurin scored all 20 of his points in two different bursts that totalled just 6:37 of game time. When he was feeling it tonight, he couldn't be stopped.

Early in the second and fourth quarters is when Indiana's defense was at its worst in this game. Without Mathurin's scoring in those moments, the Pacers might have lost. He kept the team afloat.

The Pacers will look to win their third game in a row when they take on the Houston Rockets in Houston on Friday.

Oshae Brissett puts together his best game of the season to help the Indiana Pacers beat the Toronto Raptors: 'He's doing it at a high level'. CLICK HERE .
Bennedict Mathurin continues his impressive rookie season with an 18-point quarter, 30-point game vs Denver Nuggets. CLICK HERE .
Younger Indiana Pacers players are benefitting from T.J. McConnell's leadership. CLICK HERE .
Report: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner. CLICK HERE.
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