Recap/Analysis: Hornets commit so many turnovers in loss to Pacers – At The Hive

The Charlotte Hornets turned the ball over at a rate rarely seen at any level of basketball as the bench squandered a double digit lead in a loss to the Pacers, 121-116.

The Summary

The game got off to a frenetic start. Both teams played fast, and the Hornets launched threes. Brandon Miller hit three quick ones, but he alone wasn’t able to keep pace with a hot start from Myles Turner. The game got bogged down by an onslaught of whistles, particularly on the Hornets, who were called for 11 fouls in the first quarter alone. Miller kept up his hot scoring in the second quarter. A 13-0 Hornets run gave the visitors a double digit lead, and they went into the half up by 12.

The Hornets elected to pull their starters for the second half while the Pacers stuck with their usual lineup. Still, the third quarter was played to a stalemate. The fourth quarter saw the Hornets deep bench against the Pacers second-ish unit, and that’s where things unraveled for the Hornets. They recklessly turned the ball over and had more turnovers (9) than made shots (6). They still looked like they’d pull out the win, as they had a six point lead with less than 20 seconds to play. They gave up a bucket, then Tidjane Salaün had a total brain fart and threw a wayward pass in the wrong direction to give the ball back to the Pacers. KJ Simpson was called for a weird foul while laying on the ground as Ben Sheppard hit a three over him. The 4-point play tied the game and sent it to an overtime period that I’m sure no one wanted to play.

The Hornets turned the ball over four more times in the overtime period and got cleaned up on the glass. The Pacers got a couple of dunks and forced a couple of turnovers, which created an avalanche of momentum that they rode to the win.

The Good

Brandon Miller finished the preseason on a very strong note. He scored an effortless 20 points in the first half alone, largely via the three ball. He’s shot the ball very well in the last couple of games. You’d like to see him contribute a little more in the rest of the box score, but the scoring is locked and loaded. He looks like he’ll comfortably average over 20 points per game.

This dunk by Brandon Miller was the one 2-point field goal he made.

OHHHH MY@brandmillerr | 📹 @HornetsOnBally pic.twitter.com/WYQq6Fm3x5

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 18, 2024

Tidjane Salaün had a rough shooting night, but he reeled in 14 rebounds and had one particularly nice dime to Moussa Diabate. He’s flashed a lot of different skills and at the very least has upped the level of intrigue in him as a player compared to where he was in summer league. Just gotta clean up the brain farts.

I love how adamant the Hornets are at getting up 3-pointers. They attempted 42 of them against the Pacers and made just over 40% of them. They should be dangerous from out there in the regular season.

The Hornets came out of the preseason relatively healthy. Depending on Mark Williams’ status, they could start the regular season with their full roster at their disposal.

The Bad

The Hornets had 32 turnovers. That’s an absurd number for a 48 minute basketball game. It’s like three games worth. If there’s one saving grace, 26 of those were committed by the bench (including six from KJ Simpson and seven from Nick Smith Jr.), so it at least isn’t something that’s plaguing the regular rotation guys as much. But 32 is still ridiculous.

What’s Next

The Hornets get six days off before the regular season starts next Wednesday on the road against the Rockets.