The Charlotte Hornets held on to beat the Indiana Pacers 116-108 Wednesday night, giving Indiana their second straight loss.
The Hornets (19-17) were in charge of the game throughout the first half, with great two-point shooting, while the Pacers (14-21) struggled in the early going.
Rozier lit the Pacers up from the start, scoring 13 points in the first quarter, as the Hornets put distance between themselves and the Pacers. Charlotte never lost the lead after seizing control with an early 15-3 run. At the end of the quarter, the Hornets led by seven, 34-27.
The Hornets extended their margin to as much as 18 in the first half. Their 65-47 lead, with just under three minutes remaining in the half, was a game high. The Pacers managed to shave off a few points heading into recess, with the Hornets leading 71-57.
The Hornets dominated the first half, but the second half was a complete 180 turnaround. The Pacers came out with a quick 6-2 run to start the second half, cutting the Hornets lead to 10, 73-63. The Pacers began hitting their shots and the Hornets were as cold as ice. Charlotte was held to only 19 points in the third quarter. While the Pacers only had 25 themselves, it was enough to light a fire under them.
Kelan Martin hit a three pointer that made it a seven point game with just over three minutes left in the quarter. After a brief Hornets response, Oshae Brissett scored five, assisted by a key Martin steal, to trim the lead to five, 87-82, with 34 seconds left. Right on cue, Gordon Hayward banked in a buzzer beating three pointer for the Hornets and the Pacers found themselves down by eight heading into the fourth, 90-82.
The Pacers brought their best effort to start the final quarter, slicing the lead to four in the opening two minutes. The Hornets went on a 5-0 run to answer the Pacers. Carin LeVert checked back into the game for Indiana and along with Myles Turner hit a couple of clutch threes in the final minutes, but it was not enough to get them over the final hump. Rozier helped the Hornets close it out from the charity stripe.
“The first half was poor, really. Nine turnovers, gave up 71 points, just not good enough,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “I loved how we played in the second half, but for us it’s about playing 48 (minutes).”
Rozier scored a season-high 35 points along with seven boards and three dimes for the Hornets. LaMelo Ball added 21 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists. Hayward contributed 18 points and four rebounds.
LeVert had a team high 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Pacers. Domantas Sabonis posted his 25th double-double of the season with 15 points and 18 rebounds. Turner had 14 points, five rebounds and four rejections.
The Pacers host Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls in a rare afternoon game New Year’s Eve. The Hornets take a three-day hiatus before hosting Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
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