Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Game Preview
After coming away with a hard-fought victory on Friday in the first-ever In-Season Tournament game, the Pacers (3-2) will look to sweep a home back-to-back on Saturday when they host the Charlotte Hornets (1-3) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Pacers' In-Season Tournament clash with Cleveland had a playoff-like atmosphere and those in attendance were treated to a highly competitive contest. Indiana jumped out to a 17-point halftime lead, gave it all up in the third quarter, but made just enough plays down the stretch to eke out a 121-116 win over the Cavs.
Myles Turner busted out of a shooting slump with a 27-point performance, going 9-for-14 from the field and 4-for-5 from 3-point range to help lead the Blue & Gold to victory.
All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton struggled with his shot, but managed to dish out 13 assists and hit two clutch buckets when it counted to help secure the win. Still, Haliburton will be hoping for a better shooting performance on Saturday. He has made just one of his last 13 attempts from beyond the arc over his past two games.
The Hornets will be well-rested for Saturday's contest. Charlotte last played on Wednesday in Houston and has been in Indianapolis since Thursday, practicing at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday.
Charlotte is looking for its first win since its season opener. The Hornets won 116-110 over Atlanta on Oct. 25, but have dropped three straight games since then.
Terry Rozier is currently leading the Hornets in scoring, averaging 22 points per game. Point guard LaMelo Ball, who was an All-Star in 2022 but only played in 36 games last season due to injury, is back on the court and averaging 15.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8 assists.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Bruce Brown, F - Bennedict Mathurin, F - Obi Toppin, C - Myles Turner
Hornets: G - LaMelo Ball, G - Terry Rozier, F - Gordon Hayward, F - P.J. Washington, C - Mark Williams
Injury Report
Pacers: None
Hornets: James Bouknight - out (left knee surgery), Miles Bridges - out (league suspension), Cody Martin - out (left knee injury recovery), Frank Ntilikina - out (left tibia non-displaced fracture)
Last Meeting
March 20, 2023: The Pacers surrendered a 21-point first half lead in a 115-109 loss to the Hornets in Charlotte. The Hornets closed the game with a 19-4 run over the final six minutes to come away with the victory.
Myles Turner and Buddy Hield led Indiana with 20 points apiece in the loss, while Bennedict Mathurin added 18. Isaiah Jackson added a double-double off the bench with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
All five starters scored in double figures for Charlotte in the victory, with three players surpassing the 20-point mark. Kelly Oubre Jr. had a game-high 28 points, Terry Rozier added 23 points and nine assists, and Gordon Hayward scored 22.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers won the season series with Charlotte last season 2-1 after the Hornets took the season series in both 2020-21 and 2021-22.
- Saturday's game will complete the first of 13 back-to-backs on the schedule this season for the Blue & Gold. Five of those 13 back-to-backs include two home games.
- Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle's next win will be the 900th of his career. He will be the 14th coach in NBA history and just the second active coach behind San Antonio's Gregg Popovich to reach the milestone.
- Pacers guard Buddy Hield has 1,719 career 3-pointers, tied with Dale Ellis for 28th place in NBA history.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Tickets
The Pacers welcome Gordon Hayward and the Charlotte Hornets to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>