If the momentum from one game carries over to the next, it will be a positive sign for both the Indiana Pacers and the Charlotte Hornets. The two teams will face off on Friday night, each hoping to keep their winning ways going.
Charlotte ended a three-game losing streak on Wednesday when Brandon Miller grabbed a missed shot by his teammate, Grant Williams, and made the putback just before the buzzer for a 108-107 win over the Detroit Pistons.
“I think that’s just what coach (Charles) Lee preaches every day,” Miller said. “Just being a relentless offensive rebounder.”
This win was a rare one for Charlotte, who has only won three of their last eight games.
Indiana, on the other hand, has won three of their last four games. With their victories in the last two games, the Pacers have earned their first winning streak of the season.
In their 118-111 win over Orlando on Wednesday, six Indiana players scored 15 or more points. The Pacers shot 53.9 percent from the field and made 24 of 26 free-throw attempts.
“This is what the NBA is now, a slugfest almost every night,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “We were able to close it down the stretch. Tyrese (Haliburton) hit the big shot. Jarace Walker earned all those minutes. He really responded great.”
Walker scored a season-high 17 points, after only scoring 11 points combined in the previous five games.
“He’s driving the ball more effectively. He shoots it well,” Carlisle said. “He’s mixing in an aggressive ‘to score’ game to go with his passing. In the NBA, you must be a threat to score for your passing to be really effective.”
Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin made 13 out of 14 free throws and grabbed 11 rebounds from the guard position.
Charlotte also had a perfect performance at the free-throw line, going 16-for-16 in their most recent game.
The Hornets got a boost from forward Miles Bridges, who scored 27 points against the Pistons. Charlotte has been focusing on getting him more involved in the offense. His 27-point effort matched his season-high, and it was only the second time this season he scored more than 16 points.
“The message I’ve hit him with is, ‘I need you to be decisive, aggressive and confident on every catch,’” Lee said. “That should not change no matter how different the offense is or where you are on the floor.”
The Hornets are also trying to adjust their frontcourt after losing center Nick Richards to a fractured rib. For their game against Detroit, 39-year-old Taj Gibson started and contributed seven points and four rebounds in 15 minutes.
Cody Martin’s status for the Detroit game was uncertain due to illness, but he ended up playing 28 minutes off the bench. Star guard LaMelo Ball also played despite being listed as questionable earlier in the day with ankle soreness.
The Pacers are 2-3 in away games, with center Myles Turner leading the team in scoring in two of those road games.
