Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle can empathize with the challenges faced by the Charlotte Hornets, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be showing them any mercy in Indianapolis on Sunday.
Following back-to-back road losses against the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets last week, the Pacers’ losing streak extended to four games. However, they snapped their losing streak by defeating the Chicago Bulls 132-123 on Friday night.
That victory came in the second leg of a back-to-back for the Bulls, who had defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Texas the previous evening.
The Pacers will encounter the Hornets in a similar scenario, as Charlotte faces the Pacers just 24 hours after losing at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, 116-102, marking their eighth consecutive loss.
Coach Carlisle acknowledges the challenges of such a demanding schedule.
Indiana took advantage of a day off between games to address some problematic areas.
Tyrese Haliburton led the charge with 23 points, including five 3-pointers, and eight assists, while Pascal Siakam added 21 points.
The Pacers attacked Chicago in various ways, delivering a performance reminiscent of their high-octane style from last season, when they ranked second in the NBA in offensive rating.
Indiana shot 60 percent from 3-point range, dominated the rebounds (46-38), and outscored the Bulls in points in the paint (56-42).
Charlotte and Indiana have already met once this season, on Nov. 8, when the Hornets secured a 103-83 victory, holding the Pacers to their lowest score since December 2022.
It has been a tough stretch for Charlotte recently, given their losing streak and ongoing injury crisis.
Despite trailing 40-18 after the first quarter against the Cavaliers, the undermanned Hornets showed resilience, outscoring Cleveland 84-76 over the final three quarters.
This was despite missing seven players due to injury and illness, including LaMelo Ball (left calf).
Brandon Miller, who scored 25 points, was the only member of Charlotte’s top six scorers to play against the Cavs.
