Following a four-game regular season losing streak, as well as an In-Season Tournament finals loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Indiana Pacers bounced back in a big way on Wednesday night.
The Pacers picked up a blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets, taking down the buzz city guys by a score of 144-113, once again showing why they’re one of the best offenses in the league.
Indiana was free-falling down the Eastern Conference standings for a while, but a win over the Hornets has stabilized them a bit, though they now have some ground to make up.
Let’s take a look at two studs and one dud from the Pacers’ big-time win over the Hornets on Wednesday night.
Stud - Jalen Smith
Buddy Hield deserves a shout for this stud spot, as he snapped out of his shooting slump and exploded for 25 points against Charlotte. Bruce Brown, Aaron Nesmith, and Bennedict Mathurin all also played well.
However, despite him only playing 7:58 against the Hornets, we’re going to give Jalen Smith the first spot on the studs list for balling out in his return to action after missing nearly a month.
Smith didn’t miss a beat. He finished the game with 10 points and four rebounds while shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from behind the three-point line.
Before he went down with an injury, Smith was one of the best stories on the Pacers, as he was putting up career numbers. It’s great to see that he’s still in top form despite missing significant time.
Dud - Obi Toppin
First and foremost, it’s important to clarify that there weren’t any true duds in this game, as the Indiana Pacers absolutely blew the doors off the Charlotte Hornets.
That said, Obi Toppin will get the selection for this spot, as he had a rough shooting night and just can’t seem to find any semblance of consistency from behind the three-point line.
Obviously, Toppin is an elite rim-running threat, as evidenced by his big-time lob in tandem with Tyrese Haliburton in this game, but his shooting just isn’t there for him.
Toppin ended the night with six points and four rebounds while shooting just 2-of-5 from the field and 0-of-3 from beyond the three-point arc. That said, he was a +25 on the night.
In addition to his lackluster three-point shooting, Toppin’s defense continues to be a question mark, and while it wasn’t quite as present throughout this game, it’s still a glaring concern.
With the Pacers looking to compete for a playoff spot, Toppin’s limitations on both sides of the ball may soon outweigh the positives he brings to the table.
It’s been an okay season for Toppin (at least offensively), but it may be time for head coach Rick Carlisle to test out a different option in the starting lineup.
Stud - Tyrese Haliburton
Whenever the Indiana Pacers win, it seems like a given that Tyrese Haliburton will be one of the studs of the game. He’s one of the best point guards in the league, and the Pacers go as he goes.
Over the past few weeks, Haliburton’s game has taken a significant dip. In the In-Season Tournament finals, he struggled mightily against the defense the Los Angeles Lakers threw at him.
Ever since then, he’s been rough when it comes to shooting the ball, and while his efficiency still wasn’t ideal on Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets, he still made his mark.
Haliburton ended the game with 19 points, three rebounds, 13 assists, one steal, and one block while shooting 6-of-14 from the field and 3-of-9 from behind the three-point line. He was a +32 on the night, which was second-best on the team behind only Bruce Brown (+34).
As the Pacers look to push forward and earn a playoff spot, Haliburton is going to be the driving force. If he can have an impact on the nights when he’s not shooting well, that’ll be even better for Indiana.
The Pacers need to find ways to win even when Haliburton is struggling, but those nights are rare, and Wednesday wasn’t one of them.