Pacers knock out Hornets, will play Wizards for 8th seed

The Indiana Pacers' bid for a playoff berth continues after the team eliminated the Charlotte Hornets with a 144-117 win in the first game of the Eastern Conference's inaugural play-in tournament.

The ninth-seeded Pacers will face the No. 8 Washington Wizards for the East's eighth and final postseason berth Thursday.

Despite missing several key members of the rotation - starting center Myles Turner and wing Caris LeVert chief among them - eight Pacers players scored in double digits; Oshae Brissett, who only joined the team in April after initially signing a pair of 10-day contracts, led the way with 23 points.

Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points and eight assists, while Domantas Sabonis finished with 14 points, 21 rebounds, and nine assists. Both Pacers mainstays had been listed as questionable until just under an hour before tipoff.

Indiana shot 55.2% from the floor, including 45.7% on 3-pointers. The Pacers also dominated the glass, outrebounding Charlotte 54-36.

Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 23 points. Star rookie LaMelo Ball tallied 14 points and four assists in 27 minutes of action in his first taste of an elimination scenario.

Hornets head coach James Borrego expressed appreciation for his team while preaching the need to continuing building toward success.

"I love this group, but we have a ways to go," Borrego said postgame, according to The Associated Press' Steve Reed. "We have to get better. It's how we respond this summer - do we feel sorry for ourselves, or do we get better?"