If momentum carries over from one game to the next that should be a good thing for the Indiana Pacers and Charlotte Hornets.
They will meet Friday night looking to extend good vibes.
Charlotte snapped a three-game losing streak when Brandon Miller rebounded teammate Grant Williams’ missed shot and released the putback just before the buzzer for a 108-107 victory against the visiting Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
“I think that’s just what coach (Charles) Lee preaches every day,” Miller said. “Just being a relentless offensive rebounder.”
These moments don’t come often, particularly for Charlotte, who won for the third time in eight games.
Indiana has won three of its last four games. By winning their last two outings, the Pacers have a winning streak for the first time this season.
There were six Indiana players with 15 or more points when defeating visiting Orlando 118-111 on Wednesday. Indiana 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 provided a season-high 17 points after he delivered a total of 11 points in the previous five games combined.
“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 was 13-for-14 at the foul line and accumulated 11 rebounds from his guard position.
Charlotte is fresh off a 16-for-16 effort on free throws from its most recent game.
The Hornets received a breakthrough from forward Miles Bridges, who had 27 points against the Pistons. Getting him going with a better rate of production has been an emphasis for Charlotte. He matched his season-high point total by tallying more than 16 for just the second time this season.
“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 trying to retool their front court after losing center Nick Richards to a fractured rib. They had 39-year-old Taj Gibson in the starting lineup Wednesday night, when he provided seven points and four rebounds in 15 minutes.
Charlotte’s Cody Martin’s status for the Detroit game was in question because of illness, but he logged 28 minutes off the bench. Star guard LaMelo Ball also played after being listed as questionable with ankle soreness earlier in the day.
The Pacers are 2-3 away from home, with center Myles Turner the leading scorer in two of those road outings.
–Field Level Media
