Batum, Walker combine for 64 as Hornets complete season sweep of Pacers
The Charlotte Hornets picked up their 11th win in their last 14 games Friday night, solidifying their place as a mid-tier Eastern Conference playoff team, and sweeping the season series against the Indiana Pacers in the process.
With the Pacers just a half-game back of the Hornets for sixth in the conference coming in, Friday's game had relatively significant implications for both teams heading down the stretch, and the principals for each side played up to the occasion in a 108-101 Charlotte win.
Kemba Walker might have a hard time getting a drink in Indiana at this point. Just a week after sinking them with a game-winning layup on the road, Walker torched the Pacers anew back in Charlotte, going off for 33 points on 9-of-17 shooting (11-of-11 from the line), and dishing out a game-high 10 assists. In three games against Indiana this season, the fifth-year point guard averaged 26.7 points and 7.7 assists.
A handful of his 10 dimes Friday went to his equally torrid running mate Nic Batum, who complemented Walker with 31 points of his own. Unlike Walker, Batum had been in a funk coming in, having failed to crack the 20-point plateau in his previous nine games. But he showed no hesitation in this one, popping jumpers from all over the floor, working past some early misfires, and eventually finding his shot in a big way. He finished 12-of-22 from the field and 4-of-10 from 3-point range on his way to his second-highest scoring total of the season.
Paul George did his part to keep the Pacers in the game, stuffing the stat sheet with 35 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, five steals, and just one turnover. But his teammates couldn't quite pull their weight, especially at the defensive end, where the Hornets seemed to get a score every time they needed one.
With the loss, the Pacers fell to 32-30, just a half-game up on the Detroit Pistons for eighth in the East, and just a game out of the lottery. The Hornets, meanwhile, improved to 33-28, remaining a half-game back of fifth-place Atlanta Hawks, though the Hawks have already clinched the tiebreaker.