INDIANAPOLIS — After getting their doors blown off up in Toronto on Sunday night the Indiana Pacers redeemed themselves on Tuesday night. They returned home without Jeremy Lamb who suffered a season ending knee injury against the Raptors and Victor Oladipo who’s out with a sore lower back. They were still able to beat the brakes, doors, windows and transmission off of Charlotte 119-80.
It looked as though both squads were ready to battle as they jumped out of the ride hustling in the seven minutes. Initially, it was the TJ Warren and Miles Bridges Show!! At the first time out the Pacers were up 14-9 with both Warren and Bridges each scoring 7 points.
Indiana started to do work early and by the time I could bite into my hot dog good the Pacers were up 28-16 with Myles Turner causing all kinds of trouble on the defensive end. Turner had 4 of his 8 blocks before the first quarter was over. At the end of the opening period JaKarr Sampson closed the joint out with a break away dunk that brought the house down. Pacers were up 35-25.
Indiana opened the the second quarter on a 6-0 run with guys like Sampson and Doug McDermott throwing down explosive dunks. Then Indiana started reigning 3’s and the massacre was on as the Hornets went down 51-27 with 7:29 left in the first half.
It was so out of hand that the Pacers were shooting 70 percent from the field and 64 percent from behind the arc to close out the half up 69-44.
Unfortunately, it was more of the same in the second half and as a matter of fact, it got worse. The Pacers had six players in double figures with Domantas Sabonis leading all scorers with 21 points and 15 rebounds. TJ Warren finished with 19, Justin Holiday came off of the bench with 16 and Malcolm Brogdon dropped off 15. Both Doug McDermott and JaKarr Sampson finished with 10 apiece. Charlotte’s Miles Bridges finished with 17.
Up next for the Blue and Gold will be Portland rolling into town on Thursday.
