LaMelo Ball scored 12 of his team-high 31 points in a comeback third quarter for the Charlotte Hornets in a 123-122 win against the Indiana Pacers in the season opener for both teams Wednesday. The Hornets rallied from a 23-point deficit, which included two P.J. Washington free throws with 4.6 seconds left to take the lead for good.
“We all knew what they did to us in the play-in game,” said Ball, whose Hornets lost to the Pacers 144-117 in the 2021 postseason play-in game. “That was my attitude: ‘We weren’t going to let that happen again.’”
Ball had a career-high seven 3-pointers to go with nine rebounds and seven assists in just 29 minutes. The Hornets needed every one of Ball’s shots to overcome a 33-point, 15-rebound performance from All-Star Domantas Sabonis, and 27 points from rookie Chris Duarte in his debut. Only 12 players in NBA history have scored more in their debut games than Duarte, a first-round pick out of Oregon.
The Pacers had a shot at the game-winner, but Washington defended Sabonis into a miss on a tough jumper in the final seconds. The Hornets outscored the Pacers 33-13 in the third quarter after trailing by 14 at half. Ball had 16 points at halftime, including a 4-of-4 effort from 3-point range.
Malcolm Brogdon added 28 points and 11 assists for Indiana. Gordon Hayward had 27 points for Charlotte.
(Photo: Grant Halverson / Getty Images)
