The Charlotte Hornets extend the road woes of the Indiana Pacers by dominating them at the Spectrum Center 122-100. The loss is Indiana's fourth straight road loss this season and also their fourth straight loss against Charlotte dating back to last season. The Hornets are now 5-1 and are off to the best start in franchise history.
"I can't explain it, I thought we were ready," said Indiana Pacers head coach Nate McMillan. "Charlotte swept us last year, so we knew we had to come in here and be sharp and right off the bat, they just dominated the game from start to finish," he explained.
The Indiana Pacers came off an impressive win at home against the Chicago Bulls. In that game, they were able to score and make stops on their way to an 111-94 victory. However, they just couldn't get stops against the Hornets.
The Charlotte Hornets scored on their first 12 possessions of the game and finished the first quarter with 43 points. "They started out aggressive and they dictated how this game was gone go from the tipoff on every possession," said Paul George.
Charlotte had eight players who scored in double figure with Kemba Walker leading the way with his 24 points and 10 assists for his first double-double of the season. Many times during the game, the Pacers looked confused and lacked communication on defense. They were late on defensive rotations and didn't know exactly where to go and who to cover.
Thaddeus Young and the entire Pacers are well aware of their current situation and concerned with their road woes. "We obviously know we're better at home, but on the road, we have to get some of these games," said Young. What's more troublesome for them now is they haven't even faced the strong playoff contenders yet.
The Indiana Pacers will head back home to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to play against the winless Philadelphia 7sers and then go on the road to Philadelphia. Their next road games after that will test where they're at as a team as they will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trailblazers, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Golden State Warriors. If they want to make a deep playoff run, they better fix things fast.
