What: Charlotte Hornets (3-5) (2-3 home) vs. Indiana Pacers (4-4) (2-3 away)

When: 7:00 PM Eastern

Where: Spectrum Center; Charlotte, NC

How to watch: FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass

Equipment: Hornets – Icon (teal), Pacers – Statement (yellow)

Game lines: Hornets +6.5, Hornets moneyline +210, O/U 233.5

Injuries:
Hornets: Brandon Miller likely (shoulder), Grant Williams likely (back), Miles Bridges-out (knee), Mark Williams-out (foot), Nick Richards-out (ribs), DaQuan Jeffries-out (hand)

Pacers: TJ McConnell-questionable (illness), Aaron Nesmith-out (ankle), Isaiah Jackson-out (achilles), James Wiseman-out (achilles),

The Pacers have stumbled out of the gate from last season’s breakout season thanks to a pretty brutal opening to their schedule. They will likely view the Hornets as a break from a five-game stretch in which they played the Celtics, Pelicans, Mavericks and Magic (twice). Their season was a bit strange. They are one of only two teams to beat the Celtics, but they are also the only team to lose to the 76ers. Any given night.

The matchup to watch when these two teams play is always between LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton. The two are draft classmates with similar profiles as oversized point guards. Haliburton was a breakout star last year, establishing himself as one of the league’s better up-and-comers, while Ball was out for most of his second straight season with ankle problems. So far this season, LaMelo has flipped the script.

Haliburton has struggled to assert itself since the Pacers acquired Pascal Siakam midway through last season. His goals and assists are both well below par, and he’s shooting under 40% from the field and under 30% from three so far this season. That probably means he goes crazy against the Hornets.

Meanwhile, LaMelo is having his best season yet. His 28.7 points per game are seventh in the league. His assists and rebounds are down, but that seems to be the intention as the team leans on him for his shot. He is tied for second in the NBA in three-pointers made per game.

Outside of Haliburton, Siakam was the Pacers’ biggest problem. He’s averaging less than 20 points per game and filling out the rest of the stat sheet as he always has. The Pacers have been bad when he hasn’t been on the floor. Myles Turner has maintained his improved form from last year and Bennedict Mathurin has had quite a strong start to the season.

This creates a points festival. The Hornets just climbed out of the cellar in terms of defensive rating after a good game against the Pistons. The Pacers have been fixtures in that area since last season. Neither team seems ready to make many stops, so that means points, points, points.

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