Hornets rally at Charlotte, beat Pacers in season opener 123-122
Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis reacts after missing a shot in the final seconds against the Charlotte Hornets during an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball scored 31 points on seven 3-pointers, and the Charlotte Hornets used a 24-0 third-period run to battle back and stun the Indiana Pacers 123-122 on Wednesday night.
Indiana led 122-121 on Torrey Craig’s foul shots with 12.7 left. P.J. Washington made two free throws with 4.6 seconds left before Domantas Sabonis’ miss from 11 feet sealed the Hornets’ win.
Ball scored 12 points in the third-period run and nearly finished with a triple-double, ending with nine rebounds and seven assists.
Sabonis scored 33 points, Malcolm Brogdon had 28, and Chris Duarte chipped in with 27 for Indiana.