Huge first half pushes Charlotte Hornets to a 5-1 start

So about this slow starts thing …

The Charlotte Hornets were developing a nasty pattern of sluggish starts to games. That made Monday’s first quarter against the Indiana Pacers all the more impressive. They scored off their first 12 possessions, built a 20-point lead and cruised to a 122-100 victory at Spectrum Center.

The Hornets are 5-1, the best start in franchise history. They have home games against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday and Toronto Raptors on Friday before a Sunday matchup with the reigning champion Cavaliers in Cleveland.

Seven Hornets scored in double figures, as the franchise record for first-half points (75) was tied. Point guaard Kemba Walker ended the night with 24 points and 10 assists, making five of six 3-point attempts.

Three who mattered

Kemba Walker: He made his first three 3-point attempts and scored 16 points in the first half.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: He scored 10 points in the game’s first four minutes to set the tone for the first half.

Spencer Hawes: He came off the bench for a double-double in points and rebounds.

Observations

▪  Hornets power forward Marvin Williams started, despite missing practice Sunday with a viral infection.

▪  Hornets coach Steve Clifford said before the game he’s concerned about the up-tick in his team’s turnovers. The Hornets committed 31 in their two games before the matchup with the Pacers.

▪  Those 43 first-quarter points tied for most in a quarter in the NBA this season.

▪  The 75 points in the first half tied the franchise record for points in a half.

Worth mentioning

▪  The Hornets again played without Roy Hibbert (sore right knee) and Jeremy Lamb (hamstring).

▪  Hornets backup point guard Ramon Sessions leads the NBA in assists-to-turnover ratio at 5.5.

▪  Hornets small forward Kidd-Gilchrist left the game in the second quarter with a sore lower back. He started the third quarter, but sat out the fourth.

Report card

A+ OFFENSE: The Hornets shot 57 percent from the field in the first half and 50 percent from the 3-point line.

B DEFENSE: The Hornets pestered the Pacers into 10 first-half turnovers.

A COACHING: This was a spectacular way to end that stretch of slow starts this season..

This story was originally published November 7, 2016 at 10:06 PM with the headline "Huge first half pushes Charlotte Hornets to a 5-1 start."