Finally emerging from a long losing streak, the Charlotte Hornets will host the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night hoping to get rolling in the right direction.
The Hornets returned from three games in Florida with their first victory in November to snap an eight-game losing streak, their longest skid since 2019 and one shy of a wrong-way stretch of November 2014.
That’s among the positive aspects they’ll take into the game with Indiana. It will be the home debut for point guard LaMelo Ball, something that’s bound to bring a buzz to the arena.
Ball has played the past two games after missing the first 13 following a preseason ankle injury. His presence in Monday night’s 112-105 victory at Orlando was notable — he had 17 points and nine assists — and at least partly accounted for the Hornets putting seven players in double-figure scoring.
The Hornets have to recognize what worked and aim to repeat parts of that, Clifford said.
The Pacers have won five of their past seven games. They’re hitting the road after a 3-1 homestand, but they haven’t played since defeating the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.
Buddy Hield led Indiana with 22 points in the 118-104 win over the Raptors, and backcourt mate Tyrese Haliburton had 15 assists, giving him double-digit assists in eight of the team’s 12 games.
It has helped to have Myles Turner excelling in the post for Indiana. He’s averaging 21.5 points and 10 rebounds in four November games.
For the Hornets, defensive breakdowns have been a problem, as they cope with unfamiliar combinations on the court. So there’s the notion that stressing personal responsibility might help.
It’s also a matter of doing more on the boards to finish possessions on defense. Orlando pulled in 22 offensive rebounds in Monday night’s game.
