Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Daggers Indiana
The Charlotte Hornets guaranteed a winning record on their five game road trip by beat the Pacers 96-95.
The Charlotte Hornets got back to work last night, doing the things they do best- winning close games late. For the second time in the month of February it was the Indiana Pacers that found themselves on the short end of a Hornets performance. Charlotte’s 96-95 victory was their second straight over the Pacers in Indiana where the Hornets have had a history of coming up short.
The man with the big shot to win it was Kemba Walker. This shouldn’t really surprise anyone at this point, Walker has been the appointed big shot taker in the Queen City for a couple of years now. His comfort with it no doubt goes back to his days at UConn where he had to take those shots.
With 2.4 seconds left, Walker passed up a long shot and went straight for the rim and scored the winning bucket over Paul George to seal it for the Hornets. Walker had twenty-two points in all and added ten assists for the first time in a long time. Ever since Nicolas Batum had joined the team that part of Walker’s game had been less on display.
Forward Marvin Williams had a big game against rookie Myles Turner. He scored twenty-six and was the hot hand in the third quarter with fifteen coming that period. He also had thirteen rebounds, important against a team known for physical play like Indiana. Williams’ front court partner Cody Zeller chipped in fourteen points as the only other Hornet in double figures.
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This win pulls the Hornets back into that tie for seventh that they share with the Chicago Bulls. They have identical 30-27 records. The Hornets also moved a half game back of the Pacers for the six spot. That made this game so much more important. The Hornets got a win, they got a road win, and they beat a team ahead of them in the playoff chase.
The Hornets’ road travels will soon be over for a little while but not before they take on the rival Atlanta Hawks down in the Peach State. The Hawks occupy the fifth spot in the East and are one game ahead of the Hornets in the standings. A win there could greatly improve the Hornets’ playoff positioning.
That matchup takes place tomorrow.