With inconsistency being one of the Charlotte Hornets’ chief characteristics, inquiring minds wanted to know if the team was finally going to make changes.
A date with Indiana two days after their most complete effort of the season provided the Hornets with an opportunity to see if they were able to handle prosperity and accomplish something they’ve been able to do only once this season: win consecutive games.
They couldn’t.
Unable to protect a nearly double-digit, fourth-quarter lead, the Hornets fell to Indiana 116-111 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday.
Here are some key takeaways from the Hornets’ first loss in Indiana in their past four outings:
Pesky fouls plague LaMelo
One of the things LaMelo Ball has had issues with during his two-plus seasons is foul trouble.
It hasn’t been as frequent as during his rookie and sophomore campaigns, but it’s crept up on occasion in some of his outings this season and happened against the Pacers. Ball missed the game’s final 53.3 seconds after fouling out.
The guard collected three fouls early in the first half, forcing him to sit for a portion of the second quarter and allowing Indiana to claw back into the game. He also collected a fourth foul before the midway point of the third quarter and, although coach Steve Clifford kept him on the floor for a few more minutes, had to take a seat for the final 5:01 of the period.
Ultimately, it didn’t cost the Hornets as they closed the quarter on a 10-0 run. But those are the small things that increase an already thin margin of error. Charlotte needed Ball to stay out of foul trouble to assist in maintaining a six-point edge going into the fourth quarter.
Ball also picked up a technical foul in the fourth quarter after Tony Brothers whistled him for showing his frustration by hitting the padding on the stanchion following what Ball thought was a no-call on a drive to the hoop.
He was called for his fifth foul with 7:37 remaining and had to take a seat with the team up by two. Ball’s streak of scoring 20-plus points in 14 straight games, which was the longest stretch of his career and the second-longest in franchise history, came to a halt as he finished with 13 points and eight assists..
A new-look second unit
Clifford has been unable to utilize certain combinations and lineups with the roster constantly in flux; however, he might have stumbled on an effective one against the Pacers.
The Hornets went with a new-look second unit early in the first half and were rewarded with some solid production. Dennis Smith Jr. and Cody Martin spearheaded the defensive effort. Charlotte’s frontline, meanwhile, was loaded with length that caused some fits for the Pacers with starter Jalen McDaniels playing alongside JT Thor and Mark Williams.
That unit helped hold Indiana scoreless for the final six minutes of the first quarter and limited the Pacers to 15 points, early the fewest amount of points the Hornets have yielded in a quarter this season.
