{"id":696209,"date":"2026-04-03T17:08:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T17:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/696209\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T17:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T17:08:16","slug":"hornets-look-to-extend-playoff-push-against-depleted-pacers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/696209\/","title":{"rendered":"Hornets Look to Extend Playoff Push Against Depleted Pacers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AThe Hornets look to navigate a tightly contested Eastern Conference playoff race by overcoming the Pacers’ scrappy, injury-depleted roster.Boston Today<\/p>\n

The Charlotte Hornets are currently in 8th place in the Eastern Conference standings and looking to solidify their playoff position with a win over the struggling Indiana Pacers. The Pacers have been decimated by injuries this season, with star player Tyrese Haliburton sidelined due to an Achilles tear. Without their top talent, the Pacers have struggled mightily, using 27 different players so far this year. The Hornets will need to avoid overlooking the Pacers, who have shown the ability to get hot offensively and pull off upsets, even with their depleted roster.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

This game is crucial for the Hornets as they look to create separation from the teams chasing them in the Eastern Conference playoff race. A win would extend their lead over the Magic and Heat, while a loss could allow those teams to gain ground. The Hornets have been inconsistent at times this season, so they’ll need to bring focus and energy against an undermanned Pacers squad that can still be dangerous.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

The Pacers will be without several key players, including Haliburton, Ivica Zubac, T.J. McConnell, and others due to various injuries. This has led to Indiana relying heavily on G-League level talent, though they have shown the ability to get hot offensively at times. The Hornets will need to play solid defense and transition defense to prevent the Pacers from getting easy looks and scoring in bunches. Containing Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin, if they are able to play, will also be crucial for the Hornets.<\/p>\n

The Hornets and Pacers are set to tip off at 7:00 PM EST on April 3, 2026.The Hornets are playing the second game of a back-to-back after facing the Nets and Suns earlier this week.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

LaMelo Ball<\/a><\/p>\n

The All-Star point guard for the Charlotte Hornets, leading the team in scoring, assists, and steals.<\/p>\n

Tyrese Haliburton<\/p>\n

The Pacers’ star player who is sidelined with an Achilles tear suffered in last year’s playoffs.<\/p>\n

Rick Carlisle<\/p>\n

The head coach of the Indiana Pacers, tasked with guiding his injury-depleted team through a difficult season.<\/p>\n

Got photos? Submit your photos here. \u203a<\/a>
\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can’t afford to take any team lightly, especially with how tight the playoff race is in the East. Indiana may be shorthanded, but they’ve shown they can still put up points and pull off upsets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 LaMelo Ball, Point Guard, Charlotte Hornets<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s been a real challenge this season with all the injuries, but our guys have continued to compete and play hard. We’re going to give Charlotte our best shot and see if we can come away with another surprise win.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Rick Carlisle, Head Coach, Indiana Pacers<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The Hornets will look to build on this game as they continue their push for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Their next key matchup will be against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 5th.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

This game highlights the importance of not overlooking any opponent, even those with depleted rosters, as the Hornets fight to secure a postseason berth. Charlotte’s ability to maintain focus and intensity on both ends of the floor will be crucial in determining the outcome against the scrappy Pacers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a The Hornets look to navigate a tightly contested Eastern Conference…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":696210,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3777],"tags":[7,684,473,3878,685,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-696209","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-charlotte-hornets","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-charlotte","10":"tag-charlotte-hornets","11":"tag-charlottehornets","12":"tag-hornets","13":"tag-nba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116341881434911890","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=696209"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696209\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/696210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=696209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=696209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=696209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}