(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Victor Oladipo scored 21 points and Darren Collison added 19 points and nine assists Sunday, leading the Indiana Pacers past Charlotte 120-95.
Indiana has won four of five and improved to 16 games over .500 for the first time since the end of 2013-14.
Kemba Walker had 23 points to lead the Hornets, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Malik Monk finished with 11 points off the bench for Charlotte, which never led after Collison’s 3-pointer midway through the first quarter.
It didn’t take Indiana long to start pulling away.
The Pacers jumped to a 32-16 lead late in the first quarter, and then answered a 12-2 Charlotte spurt, which cut the deficit to 34-28, by rebuilding a 45-32 lead. Indiana extended the margin to 17 and led 56-41 at halftime.
In the second half, the Pacers repeatedly fended off Charlotte.
The Hornets got as close as 77-71 when Miles Bridges made his second straight 3 late in the third, but the Pacers scored six straight to close out the quarter and sealed the victory with a 7-0 spurt to make it 99-81 with 6:46 to go.
TIP-INS
Hornets: Bismack Biyombo and Jeremy Lamb each had 10 points. Biyombo also had 12 rebounds. … Walker was called for a technical foul with 1:08 left in the first quarter. … Walker and Jeremy Lamb scored 14 of Charlotte’s first 16 points. … Former Indiana University star Cody Zeller did not play because an injured right hand. … The Hornets were 12 of 35 on 3s.
Pacers: Myles Turner had nine points, all on 3s, 16 rebounds and three blocks. … Bojan Bogdanovic and Domantas Sabonis each scored 16. … Nate McMillan earned his 121st victory as the Pacers’ coach, tying Jim O’Brien for ninth on the franchise’s NBA victories list. … Indiana honored the late Jimmy Rayl with a moment of silence before the game. Rayl was a two-time All-American at Indiana University and was the state’s 1959 Mr. Basketball Award winner. School officials announced Rayl died Sunday at age 77.
UP NEXT
Hornets: Visit Memphis, where they have won three straight, on Wednesday.
Pacers: Will try to avoid a three-game season sweep when Toronto visits Wednesday.
