Monday, Feb. 12 at 7:00 PM ET at Spectrum Center
Game Preview
All-Star Week is here, but the Indiana Pacers still have business to finish before welcoming the NBA's top talent to the Circle City.
The Pacers (30-24) will continue their three-game road trip on Monday when they face the Charlotte Hornets (11-41) at Spectrum Center. Indiana owns a 2-1 season series lead over the Hornets, including back-to-back wins, going into their final matchup.
While the Pacers continue to fight through the pack in the Eastern Conference, the Hornets have remained towards the bottom of the standings.
Indiana enters Monday's game having won three of their last four games, including a 125-111 Saturday night victory over the New York Knicks (33-20) at Madison Square Garden.
In the Big Apple, the Pacers shot an outstanding 61 percent as a team and held a three-point halftime lead before outscoring the Knicks 64-53 in the final 24 minutes.
Myles Turner didn't miss a shot against the Knicks, going 9-for-9 for 23 points while pulling down eight rebounds. Also in the win, All-Star starting point guard Tyrese Haliburton scored 22 points and dished out 12 assists, Pascal Siakam scored 19, and T.J. McConnell supplied 16 points off the bench.
Over their last four games, the Pacers are averaging a tick below their league-best scoring average (124.1), recording 120.3 per game. Still, they are shooting a solid 55.1 percent as a team and dishing out 32.5 assists while allowing 117.5 points per game.
While the two teams played just last week, the Hornets will look much different next time out.
Before the trade deadline on Thursday, the Hornets sent P.J. Washington to the Dallas Mavericks for Grant Williams and Seth Curry; and dealt former Butler University star Gordon Hayward to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic, and Davis Bertans. In the previous matchup between the teams on Feb. 4 – a 16-point Pacers win – Washington recorded 22 points and nine rebounds off the bench against the Pacers.
Former All-Star guard LaMelo Ball isn't expected to play for the Hornets on Monday as he is managing a right ankle injury. Ball is averaging 23.9 points, 8.0 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game this season.
The Hornets' recent roster additions are getting minutes right away.
Charlotte comes into Monday's matchup off a 115-106 Saturday night win over the Memphis Grizzlies, which snapped a 10-game losing streak. The Hornets shot 58 percent in the game, including 16-for-31 from 3-point range.
Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 25 points, rookie Brandon Miller and Micic supplied 18 points each, and Williams scored 15. Curry also made a 3-pointer, and Bertans scored nine points in 12 minutes for their new squad.
Miller, selected second overall in the 2023 draft from Alabama, has proven himself one of the most outstanding rookies this season, averaging 16.5 points on 44 percent shooting, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. He has scored at least 20 points in six of his last eight games played.
On Saturday night, the Hornets had the third-worst record in the East behind the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons, and owned the worst net rating of all NBA teams.
After taking on the Hornets, the Pacers will head to Canada to take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. All-Star Weekend festivities tip off in Indianapolis on Thursday.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Andrew Nembhard, F - Aaron Nesmith, F - Pascal Siakam, C - Myles Turner
Hornets: G - Cody Martin, G - Tre Mann, F - Miles Bridges, SF - Brandon Miller, C - Nick Richards.
Injury Report
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton - questionable (left hamstring injury management), James Johnson - questionable (illness), Jalen Smith - out (lower back spasms)
Hornets: Cody Martin - probable (right knee contusion), LaMelo Ball - out (right ankle tendinopathy), Kyle Lowry - out (not with team), Mark Williams - out (lower back injury recovery)
Last Meeting
Feb. 4, 2024: The Pacers held an opponent to fewer than 100 points for the first time during the 2023-2024 season in a 115-99 win over the Hornets in Charlotte.
Indiana jumped to a 9-0 start off the tip and never trailed in the game, leading by as many as 24 points in the victory.
The Pacers shot 48.9 percent from the field while limiting the Hornets to 39.8 percent, which included just eight made threes.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 25 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, Aaron Nesmith added 22 points, Tyrese Haliburton scored 17 and Myles Turner chipped in 16.
Hornets rookie Brandon Miller led all scorers with a career-best 35 points on 10-for-25 shooting, P.J. Washington chipped in 22 points off the bench, Miles Bridges scored 19, and Nick Richards recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Pacers won the rebounding battle 49-43 and points in the paint margin 60-52.
Noteworthy
- Tyrese Haliburton is one point shy of reaching 4,000 for his career. On Saturday, he reached 2,000 career assists.
- Myles Turner is one game away from passing Danny Granger (544) for 11th in most career games with the Pacers. When Turner passes Granger he will also move into seventh for most games played all-time with the Pacers in NBA franchise history.
- Pacers guard T.J. McConnell will play in his 600th career NBA game next time out.
- First-year Pacer Obi Toppin is 26 points short of reaching 2,000 for his career.
- Indiana is 76-53 all-time against Charlotte, and 26-36 on the road.
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 (studio host)
Tickets
After the All-Star break, the Pacers will open the second half of the season at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>