Grant Williams scored 21 points in his second home game with his hometown team, helping the Charlotte Hornets to a 111-102 victory against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Miles Bridges posted 20 points for the Hornets, but this game was largely about Hornets newcomers Williams and Seth Curry making huge impacts just days after arriving to play in their hometown. Curry, who like Williams came off the bench, had 18 points.
The Hornets, who entered the past weekend with a 10-game losing streak, have won consecutive games for the first time in nearly three months (Nov. 20 and Nov. 22).
Nick Richards added 13 points, Brandon Miller chipped in 12 points and Cody Martin and Tre Mann each scored 11 in the win. The Hornets heated up in the second half and shot 53.7 percent from the floor for the game.
Myles Turner scored 22 points and Aaron Nesmith added 21 for the Pacers, who lost for the second time in their last five games and couldn’t repeat a victory they secured earlier this month in Charlotte. Pascal Siakam added 18 points and Tyrese Haliburton, who shot 5-for-15 from the floor, ended up with 13 points.
Charlotte led 81-80 going to the fourth quarter and the score was tied at 84-all and 88-all. But the Hornets never trailed in the final quarter.
Mann, another player who made his Hornets debut during the past week, made a go-ahead shot with 7:47 left in the game that sparked an 8-1 run, and the Pacers never recovered.
Bridges shot 9 for 17 from the floor while Curry was 7-for-11. Curry and Williams arrived via last week’s trade with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Hornets hung close through three quarters despite some offensive woes. They shot about 42.9 percent in the first half, but seven 3-pointers helped make up for that. Charlotte committed 16 turnovers through three quarters, but the Hornets were charged with only three more the rest of the way.
The first half was tight throughout, with the Pacers leading 49-48 at the break.
Indiana dropped to 13-14 in road games.
–Field Level Media