Charlotte Hornets (42-36) beat Indiana Pacers (18-59) 129-108 at home on Friday, April 3. The final margin was 21 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Hornets struck first, taking the opening quarter 38-24 and a 14-point lead after one. The Hornets kept the pressure on with a 31-26 second quarter, carrying a 19-point lead into halftime.
The Pacers won the third 32-31 to stay in front, taking a 18-point lead into the fourth. The Hornets took the fourth 29-26; the Hornets finished the job for a 129-108 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Hornets got more from their shots, finishing at 60.4% effective field-goal shooting compared with 54.3% for the Pacers. The Hornets made 13.5 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 7.5 for the Pacers. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
At roughly 99 possessions per team, the Hornets produced 131 points per 100 possessions to 109.6 for the Pacers.
Who stood out
Pascal Siakam was the game's biggest individual force for IND: 30 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast on 13-24 shooting. His Game Score of 21.9 led everyone. His team was -11 with him on the floor.
Brandon Miller led the Hornets with 22 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast on 9-17 shooting, good for a 18.9 Game Score.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Hornets about a 91% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, the series is even.
The Hornets are now 42-36, and the Pacers are 18-59. The Hornets last five before this game: W-L-L-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.