No repeat this time. Takeaways from the Hornets’ loss in Indiana
.JPG "Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball reaches for a ball against Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Marc Lebryk)")
With inconsistency being one of the Charlotte Hornets’ chief characteristics, inquiring minds wanted to know if the team was finally going to make changes.
A date with Indiana two days after their most complete effort of the season provided the Hornets with an opportunity to see if they were able to handle prosperity and accomplish something they’ve been able to do only once this season: win consecutive games.
They couldn’t.
Unable to protect a nearly double-digit, fourth-quarter lead, the Hornets fell to Indiana 116-111 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday.
“I think we started the game really well,” Mason Plumlee said. “I felt like there was some carry over from Milwaukee. But they got their offense going in the second and fourth. Even with that being said, we had a chance ... at the end (to) tie it up, but they made one more play than us.
“It didn’t result in a win, but I know we are playing better. We are giving ourselves a chance and the momentum is still going. We just need to make sure it results in wins along the way.”
Here are some key takeaways from the Hornets’ first loss in Indiana in their past four outings:
Rotten fourth
The numbers in the final quarter were ugly and the Hornets (11-30) couldn’t close out an opponent once again. Indiana racked up 43 points, shot 52.2% overall and went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15.
After being held in check for the better part of the game, the Pacers overpowered the Hornets.
“We couldn’t stop them,” Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. “Our offense was more than enough to win. You score 32 points on the road (in the final period), you’ve got to win that game. They hurt us with pick-and-rolls.
“We put ourselves in a good place for three quarters and we really played well. And then our defense in the fourth quarter wasn’t good enough.”
Pesky fouls plague LaMelo
One of the things LaMelo Ball has had issues with during his two-plus seasons is foul trouble.
It hasn’t been as frequent as during his rookie and sophomore campaigns, but it has crept up on occasion in some of his outings this season and happened against the Pacers. Ball missed the game’s final 53.3 seconds after fouling out.
The guard collected three fouls early in the first half, forcing him to sit for a portion of the second quarter and allowing Indiana to claw back into the game. He also collected a fourth foul before the midway point of the third quarter and, although Clifford kept him on the floor for a few more minutes, had to take a seat for the final 5:01 of the period.
Ultimately, it didn’t cost the Hornets as they closed the quarter on a 10-0 run. But Charlotte needed Ball to stay out of foul trouble to assist in maintaining a six-point edge going into the fourth quarter.
“He’s trying hard, he’s putting a lot into it — his team defense also, not just his defense on the ball,” Clifford said. “Tonight, two of those fouls were off the ball. So, it’s not like he’s guarding a guy and he’s slapping down. ... The third one was off frustration from getting his shot blocked. And one was on a little screening action off the ball. So, those are a little unfortunate. It’s not like he’s doing all these crazy things.”
Ball also picked up a technical foul in the fourth quarter after Tony Brothers whistled him for showing his frustration by hitting the padding on the stanchion following what Ball thought was a no-call on a drive to the hoop.
He was called for his fifth foul with 7:37 remaining and had to take a seat with the team up by two. Ball’s streak of scoring 20-plus points in 14 straight games, which was the longest stretch of his career and the second-longest in franchise history, came to a halt as he finished with 13 points and eight assists.
“It’s just hard for us when he only plays 24 minutes,” Clifford said. “He wants to be out there. So, that is just part of his growth.”
A new-look second unit
Clifford has been unable to utilize certain combinations and lineups with the roster constantly in flux; however, he might have stumbled on an effective one against the Pacers.
The Hornets went with a new-look second unit early in the first half and were rewarded with some solid production. Dennis Smith Jr. and Cody Martin spearheaded the defensive effort. Charlotte’s frontline, meanwhile, was loaded with length that caused some fits for the Pacers with starter Jalen McDaniels playing alongside JT Thor and Mark Williams.
That unit helped hold Indiana (23-18) scoreless for the final six minutes of the first quarter and limited the Pacers to 15 points, easily the fewest amount of points the Hornets have yielded in a quarter this season.
“Anybody that goes in the game, they feel like they can give us help or the extra oomph,” McDaniels said. “Dennis and JT, they come in and do their job every game and today they did it at the highest level. All credit to them.”
This story was originally published January 8, 2023 at 8:05 PM.
