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Charlotte Sails Past Pacers

By Sam Perley, hornets.com

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Result
Looking to head into the All-Star Break with some momentum, Charlotte started fast and held on in the second half to easily take care of the hometown Pacers for a 117-95 win on Wednesday, Feb. 10, in Indianapolis. Although the victory was the Hornets’ fifth in their last six games and moved their record back above .500 for the first time in over a month, the win lost much of its luster as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist left the game in the third quarter after re-dislocating his recently reconstructed right shoulder and did not return. Kemba Walker led six Hornets players in double figures with a game-high 25 points while Paul George tallied 22 points for the Pacers in the loss.

Turning Points
With both teams knotted at 25 after the first quarter, Charlotte’s bench started the second on a quick 17-4 run to open up a 13-point lead over the Pacers with 7:50 remaining before halftime. The Hornets finished out the frame by connecting on 13-of-22 field-goal attempts (59.1 percent), including 5-of-10 from three-point range (50.0 percent) to take a 60-43 lead over Indiana at the break. The Pacers came back to life offensively in the third following the exit of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist but the Hornets quickly responded and ended the quarter with a 19-point advantage, essentially eliminating any chance of an Indiana comeback.

Inside the Box Score
Kemba Walker tallied a game-high 25 points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Hornets… Jeremy Lamb exploded off the bench for 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting in just 14 minutes of play… Jeremy Lin also shined with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists, a game-high three steals and a game-high-tying two blocks… Cody Zeller notched his career-high third double-double of the season, finishing with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds… Nicolas Batum also scored 11 points to go along with six rebounds and a team-high five assists… Frank Kaminsky finished just shy of a double-double with 10 points and a career-high-tying eight rebounds… Paul George led the way for Indiana with a team-high 22 points and a team-high-tying eight rebounds… George Hill tacked on 12 points, two rebounds and two assists… Myles Turner and Monta Ellis each added 10 points… Ian Mahinmi chipped in eight points, a team-high-tying eight rebounds and three assists… Charlotte connected on 12-of-28 attempts from behind the arc (42.9 percent) which is its 30th game of the season with at least 10-or-more made three-pointers… The Hornets were a perfect 8-of-8 for 18 points on fast-break scoring opportunities… Charlotte’s bench outscored Indiana’s bench, 54-33.

Hornets Player of the Game
Kemba Walker finished with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-21 shooting, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals to lead the way for the Hornets in the victory. This is Walker’s 23rd game of the season with 20-or-more points, which is more than twice as many as any other player on the team.

Pacers Player of the Game
Paul George led the Pacers in both scoring (22 points) and assists (six) to go along with a team-high-tying eight rebounds in the loss. This is George’s 32nd game of the season with 20-or-more points and also the 30th time he has led the Pacers in scoring. 

Game Notes
Prior to tonight, Charlotte had not won in Indiana since Nov. 28, 2008… Indiana’s Jordan Hill exited the game prior to the start of the second half and did not return (dislocated finger)… Charlotte is over .500 at the All-Star Break for the first time since the 2009-10 NBA season.

Next Up
The Hornets have nine days off for the All-Star Break before they take on the Bucks at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19 in Milwaukee. This game can be seen on FOX Sports Southeast or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.