Pacers give up most points ever; five takeaways from their historic loss to the Hornets
INDIANAPOLIS – The Pacers made history Wednesday night, just not the kind of history they’d like to be attached to.
The Hornets steamrolled Indiana for a 158-126 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which is the most points Indiana has ever allowed in a game. Here’s what stood out from the Pacers’ historic loss:
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Record-breaking basket
The game was already decided but a 3-pointer by Charlotte’s Kai Jones with 40.7 seconds left solidified one of the worst losses in Pacers history. His basket gave the Hornets 158 points, breaking Indiana’s previous record for most points allowed by an opponent (155). Indiana lost 155-150 to the Nuggets on Dec. 28, 1982.
Kelly Oubre goes off
Kelly Oubre had one of the best offensive outings of his career, falling one-point short of his career high. He poured in 39 points off the bench for Charlotte, scoring 23 points in the second half. Oubre shot 12-for-18 from the field and drained a career-high 10 3-pointers.
Best player on the floor
While Oubre had noteworthy night, the best player on the floor was LaMelo Ball. The Hornets star nailed a 3-pointer while being fouled by Duane Washington Jr. in the third quarter, which was one of several highlights he provided throughout a well-rounded game.
Ball registered 29 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his fourth triple-double of the season.
3-point shooting
Charlotte (27-22) rained 3-pointers on Indiana (17-32), shooting 24-for-45 from behind the arc. Seven Hornets players made a 3 with Oubre becoming the third player this season to make 10 3-pointers in a game.
Indiana shot 10-for-34 from long distance, with Justin Holiday making a team-high three 3s.
No defense
Indiana trailed 71-70 at halftime but defense seemed optional after the break as the Pacers gave up a franchise record 87 points over the final 24 minutes. Charlotte shot 61.2% from the field in the second half and 58.1% for the game.
Charlotte 158, Indiana 126
CHARLOTTE (158): Bridges 8-10 3-3 22, Martin 4-8 1-2 11, Plumlee 3-4 1-4 7, Ball 11-16 4-5 29, Rozier 6-12 4-4 20, Thor 0-2 0-0 0, Washington 3-5 3-3 9, Jones 1-1 0-0 3, Oubre Jr. 12-18 5-6 39, Richards 2-2 1-2 5, Bouknight 4-14 4-4 13, Smith 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 54-93 26-33 158.
INDIANA (126): Craig 6-10 1-2 14, Holiday 3-7 1-1 10, Bitadze 8-12 1-2 17, Duarte 3-8 4-4 11, LeVert 3-7 4-6 10, Jackson 5-9 6-6 17, Stephenson 5-10 4-6 14, Lamb 2-6 0-0 6, Brissett 1-3 3-3 5, Sykes 2-5 2-2 7, Taylor 1-1 2-2 4, Washington Jr. 5-14 0-0 11. Totals 44-92 28-34 126.
Charlotte 33 38 42 45 — 158
Indiana 36 34 24 32 — 126
3-Point Goals—Charlotte 24-45 (Oubre Jr. 10-15, Rozier 4-8, Ball 3-4, Bridges 3-5, Martin 2-5, Bouknight 1-4, Washington 0-2), Indiana 10-34 (Holiday 3-7, Lamb 2-4, Craig 1-2, Duarte 1-3, Sykes 1-3, Washington Jr. 1-7, Bitadze 0-2, LeVert 0-2, Stephenson 0-2). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_Charlotte 36 (Ball 10), Indiana 41 (Bitadze, Brissett, Stephenson 6). Assists_Charlotte 37 (Ball 13), Indiana 33 (Stephenson 10). Total Fouls_Charlotte 29, Indiana 31. A_14,116 (20,000)
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers vs Hornets: 5 takeaways from the historic loss
