NBA: Hornets 129, Pacers 108 — Game recap

Friday, April 3, 2026 | Spectrum Center, Charlotte, N.C.

The takeaway: Charlotte kept its playoff push rolling with a wire-to-wire 129-108 win over Indiana, blowing the game open with a first-quarter avalanche and never letting the Pacers recover. The Hornets hit 24 threes, put six players in double figures, and clinched both a winning season and the largest year-over-year win improvement in franchise history. (ESPN.com)

Full game highlights are available here. (YouTube)

Score & line

• Final: Hornets 129, Pacers 108
• Quarter scores: Charlotte led 38-24 after one, 69-50 at halftime, 100-82 after three, and finished it off by 21.
• Records after the game: Charlotte improved to 42-36 and Indiana fell to 18-59. (ESPN.com)

Key stats

Charlotte shot the lights out, finishing 24-for-49 from three-point range and piling up 31 assists on the night. The Hornets also got strong bench production, with Sion James scoring 13 and Coby White adding 11, while Indiana was led by Pascal Siakam’s 30 points and Quenton Jackson’s 16. (ESPN.com)

The balanced Hornets attack was led by Brandon Miller’s 22 points, followed by Kon Knueppel with 20, Miles Bridges with 19, and LaMelo Ball with 18 points and nine assists. Ball knocked down five threes, while Miller and James each made four. (ESPN.com)

Game flow — the moments that mattered

• Lightning start by Charlotte: The Hornets wasted no time putting Indiana on its heels. Behind a barrage of early threes — including three in the first quarter from reserve Sion James — Charlotte ripped out to a 31-11 lead and essentially established control before the game had settled in. (ESPN.com)
• Halftime separation: The Pacers never got comfortable defensively, and Charlotte made them pay from deep all half long. The Hornets hit 14 threes in the first half and carried a commanding 69-50 lead into the locker room. That early offense gave Charlotte all the cushion it needed. (ESPN.com)
• No let-up in the second half: Indiana had brief stretches where it looked ready to cut into the margin, but the Hornets kept answering with another three, another transition bucket, or another extra pass. Charlotte never allowed the Pacers to get back within striking distance and stayed in control through the third quarter. (ESPN.com)
• Knueppel’s continued marksmanship: One day after setting the franchise single-season three-point record against Phoenix, Knueppel followed it with another 20-point night and three more made threes, continuing one of the best rookie shooting stretches in the league. Ball and Miller also extended their streak of games with at least two made threes to 22, setting a new team record. (ESPN.com)

Player & coaching notes

This was one of Charlotte’s cleanest offensive performances of the season. The Hornets got scoring from everywhere, shared the ball, and played with the kind of rhythm that has fueled their late-season surge. Hornets coach Charles Lee said afterward, “To have six guys in double figures, 31 assists; [I] love how we played.” He also emphasized that the group remains focused, saying the Hornets are still “hungry.” (Charlotte Hornets)

Miller’s 22 points gave Charlotte its top scoring line, but this game was really about collective pressure. Ball controlled tempo, Bridges attacked gaps, Knueppel continued spacing the floor, and James gave the second unit a huge spark early. It was the kind of complete performance that showed why Charlotte has won eight of its last 10. (ESPN.com)

Why Charlotte won

1. The first-quarter blitz: Charlotte’s 31-11 opening run put Indiana in a deep hole almost immediately. (ESPN.com)
2. Elite three-point shooting: The Hornets’ 24 made threes were the biggest difference in the game. (ESPN.com)
3. Balanced offense: Six double-figure scorers and 31 assists meant Indiana could not key on any one Hornet. (Charlotte Hornets)
4. Playoff urgency: Charlotte entered the night sitting eighth in the East and played with the sharper edge from the opening tip. (ESPN.com)

Quick look ahead

The win kept Charlotte firmly in the Eastern Conference race and sent the Hornets into their next game at Minnesota with real momentum. Indiana, meanwhile, headed to Cleveland after seeing its two-game win streak snapped. (ESPN.com)