What: Charlotte Hornets (7-18) (3-8 away) at Indiana Pacers (13-12) (7-6 home)
When: 7:00 Eastern
Where: Gainbridge FieldHouse; Indianapolis, IN
How to watch: Bally Sports Southeast, NBA League Pass
Outfitting: Hornets–Icon (teal), Pacers–City (black) with the City Edition court
Game Lines: Hornets +10.5, O/U 249.5
Injuries:
Hornets: Gordon Hayward-probable (illness), Mark Williams-doubtful (back), LaMelo Ball-out (ankle), Cody Martin-out (knee), Frank Ntilikina-out (leg)
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard-out (knee), Jalen Smith-questionable (heel), Myles Turner-questionable (hamstring)
The Pacers got so much hype from the In Season Tournament that people have kind of forgotten that they’ve been a pretty mediocre team otherwise. Outside of the bright lights and bright courts of the tournament, they’re just 7-11. They’re losers of four in a row after a win over the Detroit Pistons, which basically doesn’t count as a win at this point. They have the second worst defense in the league (even worse than the Hornets!).
That’s what I’ve got for reasons why the Hornets would win.
Unfortunately there are plenty of the reasons the Hornets won’t win. To go with their second worst defense, the Pacers have the best offense in the league. They also play with the league’s fastest pace. That means points for everybody and should lead to entertaining basketball if nothing else.
Tyrese Haliburton has been one of the league’s new superstars this season given his outstanding play in the In Season Tournament. He’s averaging 24.9 points and 11.9 assists per game and is probably a shoe-in for Most Improved Player this season unless fellow Tyrese Maxey over in Philadelphia makes some more headlines. Haliburton has been a little quieter during this rough patch though. The assists are still there, but his scoring has taken a dip. In his last four games, he’s averaging 15.8 points on 40.4% shooting from the field and 33.3% shooting from three. His free throw percentage is even about 10% his season average.
The Hornets are starting to get a little healthier. Gordon Hayward should be back from his stomach bug while Miles Bridges will be allowed to attend this game since it is within the United States border. If the Hornets can limit the damage the Pacers do behind the arc, they have a shot at being competitive in this one.
