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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Charlotte coach Paul Silas offered no apologies for getting ejected -- then flashing an obscene gesture at a referee -- in Wednesday night's game against Indiana.
|  | | Jermaine O'Neal of the Pacers, right, had two blocked shots to go with his 13 points and 13 rebounds. |
In fact, Silas thought it was the best thing that could have happened to the Hornets, who rallied for a 91-88 victory over the Pacers long after Silas left the game.
"Normally when that happens a team rises to the top," Silas said. "The way it was going, I don't know if we would have won if I had stayed out there, so it turned out to be a good thing."
Silas was ejected in the second quarter for arguing with referee
Jim Kinsey and flipped his middle finger at him as he left the
court. After the game, he laughed as he denied making the gesture,
which is likely draw a fine from the NBA.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
But the message it sent was clear to the Hornets, who rallied from 10 points down at the start of the fourth quarter to win.
"I give Paul Silas a lot of credit," said Indiana's Jalen
Rose. "That move did a lot to influence the game."
David Wesley scored 32 points, including nine straight in a
fourth-quarter run that gave Charlotte the victory.
Trailing 75-66 at the start of the fourth quarter, Charlotte cut
it to 79-77 when Jamaal Magloire hit a pair of free throws.
But Indiana pushed its lead to five on its next possession when
Charlotte assistant Jerry Eaves, filling in for the ejected Silas,
was hit with a technical for stalking off the court when Reggie Miller drew a foul call when Eaves thought he had traveled.
Miller hit all three free throws to make it 82-77 with 5:13 to go.
The Hornets answered with a 12-3 run, getting nine straight points from Wesley.
After Jamal Mashburn's 3-pointer, Wesley hit a jumper that drew
a blocking foul on Travis Best. That led to a three-point play that
gave Charlotte its first lead, 83-82, since early in the second
quarter.
On the next possession, Miller fell down, giving Wesley a clear shot at a long jumper.
"I crossed him up and gave him the business, and that's just how it happened," Wesley said. "Then I hit the shot."
Wesley hit another jumper on the next possession, and after a
3-pointer from Indiana's Austin Croshere, Wesley hit two free
throws to make it 89-85 with 40 seconds left.
Miller hit a 3 to cut it to 89-88 with 30 seconds to go, but Mashburn hit a pair of free throws and Miller and Derrick McKey
missed a series of 3-point attempts.
"We have to come up with the big plays down the stretch and we didn't," Miller said. "We lost our composure and looked lost the last few minutes."
The Hornets trailed 33-27 in the second quarter when Silas was
ejected and flashed the obscene gesture.
He had been pacing the sideline throughout the second quarter, complaining about the physical play under the basket and the lack of fouls being called.
Silas' contention was that Rose was wrapping his arm around the
midsection of Elden Campbell. After Sam Perkins, alone in the left
corner, hit a 3 to put Indiana up 33-27, Silas and Kinsey argued
over whether Rose should have been called for a foul under the
basket
Kinsey then hit Silas with a quick technical.
Silas continued to complain in Kinsey's direction as Miller made his free throw, and when Kinsey walked the ball back to midcourt, the verbal barrage continued and Kinsey threw Silas out.
Silas then flipped his middle finger at Kinsey and yelled an
expletive as he left the court.
"They were making some crazy calls so him getting thrown out was probably overdue," Campbell said. "He's the coach so he can take the hit. But the way things were going, either he was getting kicked out or I was."
Game notes
The game was the 500th of Wesley's career and his 223rd
consecutive start. ... Indiana forward Jonathan Bender strained his
left ankle during warmups and did not play. He was joined on the
bench by center Zan Tabak, who aggravated his neck during warmups.
... Mashburn, who was 3-for-17 in Tuesday night's loss to
Cleveland, was 11-for-21 for 26 points against Indiana.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Indiana Clubhouse
Charlotte Clubhouse
RECAPS
LA Clippers 93
Washington 88
Charlotte 91
Indiana 88
Miami 95
Denver 78
Milwaukee 109
New Jersey 87
Cleveland 92
Chicago 88
Dallas 94
New York 85
Portland 95
Toronto 88
Detroit 112
Seattle 99
Golden State 125
LA Lakers 122
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