Buddy Hield scored 19 of his 25 points in the third quarter, and the Indiana Pacers used a sterling long-range shooting display to snap a four-game losing streak by routing the visiting Charlotte Hornets 144-113 Wednesday night in Indianapolis.
The Pacers made 18 shots from 3-point range, including four by Hield and reserve Aaron Nesmith’s 4-for-4 effort. Indiana shot 61.3 percent overall from the field, going 18-for-39 on 3s, and hitting 28 of 30 free throws.
Tyrese Haliburton turned in 19 points and 13 assists, and Myles Turner racked up 18 points in a result that allowed the Pacers to stay above .500. Nesmith finished with 19 points, Bennedict Mathurin posted 14 points and reserve Jalen Smith had all 10 of his points before halftime. Isaiah Jackson also tallied 10 points.
The Hornets lost their sixth game in a row despite Terry Rozier’s 25 points and Brandon Miller’s 21 points. Rozier was 10-for-26 from the field and just 2-for-10 on 3-pointers.
Charlotte’s Miles Bridges had 19 points, P.J. Washington ended up with 12 points off the bench and Gordon Hayward was held to 11 points. The Hornets were 8-for-31 on 3-pointers.
Indiana’s lead reached 123-93 with just under nine minutes remaining. By the end, all 12 Pacers who played scored.
The Pacers scored 40 points in the second quarter for a 71-60 halftime lead. That margin quickly expanded when Hield made two 3-pointers in the first minute of the third quarter.
Even with the Hornets shooting at 50 percent with about three minutes left in the third quarter, they faced a 97-77 deficit. Haywood had seven points in a span of less than two minutes in the third, but the Pacers were too efficient for Charlotte to handle. Indiana shot 60 percent from the field through three quarters.
Charlotte trailed only 46-45 with seven minutes left in the second quarter. The Pacers scored 25 points across the rest of the half.
–Field Level Media