CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets matched their season high in 3-pointers made, with 16, to hold off the Indiana Pacers, 108-105, Friday at Spectrum Center.
The victory was just their second in the past eight games, improving the Hornets to 8-11. The Pacers fell to 11-8.
Terry Rozier and P.J. Washington scored 19 points each for the Hornets. Rookie LaMelo Ball added 16 points, seven assists and six assists.
Cody Zeller made two layups and Rozier hit a 3-pointer late to put the Hornets up by 3 in the final minute.
Hornets forward Gordon Hayward threw a pass late in the fourth quarter that went out of bounds. Initially it was ruled the Pacers tipped that pass, but a review reversed that call and gave Indiana possession with 20.4 seconds left.
Zeller was called for a non-shooting foul, which meant the Pacers in-bounded the ball with 8.7 seconds left. Indiana’s Malcolm Brogdon missed a 3-pointer and the ball ended up out of bounds off the Pacers, giving the Hornets possession with 2.1 seconds left.
The Hornets called a timeout to advance the ball to the frontcourt, and ran out time for the victory.
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Hornets coach James Borrego is always pushing the players to be more mindful of shot value; that a majority of shots should come from 3-point range or the rim.
The challenge is making those high-value shots. The Hornets did in the first half, making 10 of 21 from outside the arc, including Rozier’s 4-of-5 performance.
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For the second straight game, shooting guard Malik Monk played instead of Caleb or Cody Martin. He performed immediately, with all six of his points and both of his two assists in nine first-half minutes.
Obviously, Monk making shots (he was 2 of 3 from 3-point range) is a factor in him playing, but staying on the court is greatly contingent on Borrego seeing him focused at the defensive end.
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It was obvious Wednesday that the Pacers paid more defensive attention — as in double-teams — to Hayward than any other Hornets opponent this season. That succeeded to a large extent, with Hayward scoring four points in the second half of a loss.
The Pacers kept shading their defense to Hayward on Friday, and he responded with five first-half assists. Hornets assistant Ron Nored — a college teammate of Hayward’s at Butler — describes this well: Hayward will make the right decision with the ball, sizing up what teams present him — won’t matter whether that’s a shot or a pass.
Hayward finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
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Before the game, Borrego said he wants to find power forward P.J. Washington more minutes as a small-ball center.
Washington subbed in for starting center Cody Zeller, ahead of Bismack Biyombo, who started at center when Zeller was out with a broken finger. If this week is any indication, Biyombo’s minutes figure to trim way back from the 26 he averaged the first month of the season.
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Borrego is now 4 for 4 this season in challenging referees’ calls. He successfully challenged a block call, on a baseline drive by Indiana’s Malcolm Brogdon, that was reversed to a charge on Brogdon.
