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Slow starts have been a recurring theme for the Charlotte Hornets, who have lost three straight following a season-opening victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hornets will look to reverse the trend when they face the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night in Indianapolis.
Indiana snapped a two-game losing streak with a 121-116 win over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday in their first game of the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament.
Charlotte returns to action for the first time since losing 128-119 to the host Houston Rockets on Wednesday. The Hornets trailed 39-27 after the opening quarter.
“What we haven’t done, we haven’t started well,” Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. “You’ve got to play 48 minutes in this league. … The effort has been good, but playing hard in this league is not enough.
“Playing hard gives you a chance, especially a team like we have. But we’ve got to be purposeful from the beginning, and it’s been different things different nights.”
Clifford is exercising patience with guard LaMelo Ball, who is off to a rough start after playing just 36 games last season due to ankle surgery. Ball is shooting 30.5 percent from the field and 8-for-30 (26.7 percent) from 3-point range through four games.
“I just try to tell him to stay positive,” teammate Gordon Hayward said. “The thing that I’ve tried to tell him is he’s such a gifted and talented passer, he’s got to first think about getting everybody going and getting our team going, getting us some good looks. Because he can do it at a level that not very many guys can. And then his shots will come after that.”
The Hornets lost two of their three meetings against Indiana last season.
The Pacers are riding a wave of momentum after bouncing back from a 51-point loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. With two rotation players back in the lineup, Indiana turned in a complete effort against Cleveland on Friday.
Myles Turner scored 27 points in the victory, while Tyrese Haliburton returned after missing one game with a sprained right ankle and recorded 18 points and 13 assists.
Center Jalen Smith also returned after missing one game with a left knee sprain, and he had 13 points and five rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.
“It was a strong show of character for our team,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “First win in the history of the in-season tournament. We hung in. Myles had a great game. Our fans are connecting with this team. It’s pretty cool.”
Turner said the victory could be a springboard to bigger things for the Pacers, who shot 48.4 percent from 3-point range (15 of 31).
“It’s playoff basketball, man,” Turner told Bally Sports Indiana. “That’s what it’s about. We got a little taste of what it’s like tonight. This is what it’s going to be like all season. It’s not going to be easy. I’m glad we’re getting tested early.”
Indiana will be challenged on Saturday by Charlotte’s frontline of Mark Williams and P.J. Washington, who have played well in the season’s first two weeks. Washington made five 3-pointers and scored 23 points in the Wednesday loss to Houston.
–Field Level Media