The NBA play-in tournament took place Tuesday night with two Eastern Conference games. The first game of the night between No.9 Indiana Pacers and No.10 Charlotte Hornets is on the books, and that was the definition of a one-sided affair. The Pacers took a big lead early on and they never looked back as they headed for a 144-117 victory.
Behind a 16-point first quarter from Doug McDermott, the Pacers opened up a double-digit lead early on and the Hornets were never really able to make things interesting afterwards, with Indiana winning the first 36. minutes of the match by 30 points. . With a mountain of deficit in front of them, the Hornets did their best to get back into the competition in the last frame of the night, but by then they had dug themselves too big a hole early to put a real pressure on the Pacers.
Domantas Sabonis led the way for Indiana with 14 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists – just one assist within a triple-double – while McDermott and Oshae Brisset both played major roles in keeping Charlotte on edge. of arms during the match. course of the competition. With the win, Indiana now maintains its playoff hopes and will face the loser of Tuesday night’s game between the No.7 Boston Celtics and the No.8 Washington Wizards for last place in the Conference playoffs. ballast. Here’s a look at three takeaways from Indiana’s big win.
1. Hornets embarrassed by lack of playoff experience
The Hornets are a very young team. That’s part of what made them so fun and unpredictable during the regular season. It’s also why Hornets fans have real reason to be optimistic about the future of the franchise. However, on Tuesday night, these young people worked against them. As a team, the Hornets don’t have a lot of playoff experience. Terry Rozier and Cody Zeller are their only key contributors who have such experience, and that was evident against Indiana.
Charlotte didn’t come out with the urgency or intensity, one way or the other, that one would expect given their season was on the line. They were punched in the throat. mouth very early and fell behind 20-7 after the first few minutes. After that, they never really got back in the contest. The Pacers got pretty much anything they wanted on the offensive end, both on the edge and beyond the arc, and they kept Charlotte’s offense from working effectively. Unlike the Hornets, the Pacers roster is full of players who have playoff experience and, as a group, they knew what they had to do. They came out of the gate focused and ready, and once they got a sizable lead, they didn’t give up. As a result, they will live to fight another day.
2. McDermott, Brissett stepped in for Indy in LeVert’s absence
When it was reported that Caris LeVert could not play against the Hornets due to league health and safety protocols, it became apparent that the Pacers would need someone to step in in his absence. After all, LeVert scores 20 points per game for Indiana. That player who decided to step up was Doug McDermott. McDermott came out shooting and he helped the Pacers bury the Hornets early on. He started Game 4 of 4 from the floor, and he beat Charlotte himself 11-7 in the opening minutes. He tallied 20 points overall in the first half – well above his season average of 13.6 points per performance.
McDermott only played nine minutes in the second half, and not at all in the fourth quarter because his services were not needed. So he finished the game with 21 points, three rebounds and two assists. In addition to McDermott, Oshae Brissett has also stepped up his efforts for Indiana. He led the team with 23 points and also added five rebounds and two assists. Both players shot very well from the ground, as McDermott finished 7 for 9 and Brissett 10 of 14. As LeVert is also expected to be sidelined for the next game (s), the Pacers will need McDermott, Brissett and others to continue supplying production.
3. A difficult evening for the alleged rookie of the year
Most people expect LaMelo Ball to win Rookie of the Year this season, and the Hornets young guard undeniably has a bright future in the league. However, he had a very tough game against the Pacers, and the truth is the final numbers won’t even properly reflect how poorly he played, as Ball hit several shots in the fourth quarter when the game was already good. out of reach. During the first 36 minutes however, it was largely ineffective and ineffective. He couldn’t drop any of his shots and he returned the ball several times. In all, Ball finished with 14 points on 4 of 14 shots from the field and 2 of 6 from long distance. He had as many turnovers (4) as he had assists (4), and he finished with a low -35 game. It was an extremely forgettable performance for Ball, but hopefully he will be able to learn and grow.