The Charlotte Hornets did not show up tonight. They looked like a JV team as the Pacers effortlessly dominated the game on both ends of the floor. They struggled offensively, which has been commonplace as the season has wound down. But more disappointingly, they did not show any defensive fight. They left the Pacers wide open from three early and often, and when they weren’t doing that, they were letting the Pacers cut and drive past them for easy layups.
The worst culprit was PJ Washington. He gave up at least two uncontested layups off of inbounds passes where he let his man saunter to the rim without a screen or any other action to challenge him.