GALLERY: Photo GalleryVIDEOS: Team Highlights | Walker Highlights | James Borrego | Marvin Williams
By Sam Perley
The Charlotte Hornets couldn’t snag that fourth-straight victory that has eluded them all season as they kicked off a three-game road trip with a 120-95 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, Jan. 20 in Indianapolis, IN.
Kemba Walker led the visitors with team-high marks in scoring (23 points on 8-of-18 shooting) and assists (7) to go along with four rebounds, a steal and a block. Walker has scored at least 20 points in each of his last five games, two away from matching his longest streak of the season.
Charlotte shot just 36.4 percent from the field in the opening two quarters, leading to a season-low-tying 41 first-half points against one of the league’s stingiest defenses. Trailing by 15 at the break, the Hornets got the deficit down to just six late in the third quarter before the Pacers broke open the game in the fourth.
“I thought our guys were battling defensively. [Indiana] is a very physical team. They move the ball and made shots tonight,” said Hornets Head Coach James Borrego after the game. “Give them credit… They shot the ball well tonight. We did not.”
With 10 points and a team-high 12 rebounds, Bismack Biyombo notched his second-straight double-double for the Hornets. Malik Monk had 11 points, three rebounds and two steals off the bench, while Jeremy Lamb chipped in 10 points, five rebounds and two assists as well.
Notably, Charlotte had 16 total turnovers leading to 20 Indiana points, while the Pacers had just eight giveaways. The hosts also shot 51.9 percent from three (14-of-27), compared to the Hornets, who were just 12-of-35 (34.3 percent).
“Our turnovers fueled a lot of their offense,” added Borrego. “When we turned it over offensively, it just created points for them. We move on. We have to get better from this game. [We need to work on] our transition defense. We have to battle defensively... We’ll be better.”
Victor Oladipo registered a team-high 21 points, seven assists and three steals for Indiana, while Myles Turner (9 points and 16 rebounds) and Darren Collison (19 points and 9 assists) finished just shy of double-double performances. Bojan Bogdanović (16), Domantas Sabonis (16) and Tyreke Evans (14) also scored in double figures for the Pacers.
The Hornets have two full days off before facing the Grizzlies on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. ET in Memphis, TN.