LaMelo Ball and P.J. Washington fuel Hornets over Pacers, despite stellar Domantas Sabonis performance / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Reuters-Scanpix Credit Reuters-Scanpix

LaMelo Ball scored 31 points and P.J. Washington sank two free throws with 4.6 seconds remaining to lift the host Charlotte Hornets to a 123-122 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday in the season opener for both teams.

Player of the Game EFF 32 LaMelo Ball Points 31 Accuracy 11-23 Rebounds 9 Assists 7

Torrey Craig drained a pair of free throws to give the Pacers a 122-121 lead with 12.4 seconds left. Craig's foul at the other end of the floor set the stage for Washington, who sank his two shots from the charity stripe.

Washington then provided aggressive defense and forced Domantas Sabonis into taking an off-balance shot that caromed off the rim as time expired.

Ball, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, scored 12 points as part of the Hornets' spirited 24-0 run during the third quarter.

Gordon Hayward scored 27 points for Charlotte, which was facing Indiana for the first time since dropping a 144-117 decision in a play-in tournament game on May 18.

Sabonis collected 33 points and 15 rebounds for the Pacers, who squandered a 23-point lead in the first game of Rick Carlisle's second tenure as the team's head coach.

Malcolm Brogdon added 28 points and rookie Chris Duarte highlighted his NBA debut by scoring 11 of his 27 points in the first quarter.

Indiana's advantage ballooned to 82-59 after Duarte drained a 3-pointer as part of a 7-0 run to begin the third quarter. Charlotte provided a swift response by scoring 24 straight points during a larger 28-2 run, with Ball erupting for 12 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. sinking a 3-pointer to give the Hornets their first lead at 85-84.

Charlotte built a 10-point advantage before Sabonis and Brogdon combined to score all of their team's points in a 14-3 run, giving Indiana a 110-109 lead.

Sabonis made all six of his shots from the field and both free-throw attempts to stake Indiana to a 23-14 with 4:57 remaining in the first quarter. Duarte capped his 11-point quarter with a pair of late 3-pointers to push the Pacers' advantage to 38-27.

Ball answered with a pair of 3-pointers to begin the second quarter before Sabonis responded in kind. Duarte's step-back 3-pointer and ensuing driving layup pushed the Pacers' lead to 57-40 with 5:20 to play.

Hornets: LaMelo Ball 31 (9 REB, 7 AST), Gordon Hayward 27 (5 REB), Ish Smith 14 (5 REB), Kelly Oubre Jr. 14, Miles Bridges 13 (8 RER, 4 AST), Cody Martin 10 (6 REB).

Pacers: Damantas Sabonis 33 (15 REB), Malcolm Brogdon 28 (11 AST), Chris Duarte 27 (5 REB), Justin Holiday 11 (7 REB, 4 AST).

Domantas Sabonis performance

LaMelo Ball performance

Full game highlights

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