On Tuesday night, the Charlotte Hornets saw their season come to an end in what seemed like the first quarter of their NBA play-in game against the Indiana Pacers. From the opening tip, the Pacers dominated this game against the Hornets and ultimately won 144-117, propelling themselves into a matchup with the Washington Wizards for the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference. 

With Caris LeVert being ruled out earlier in the day due to health and safety protocols and numerous players on the injured list, it was looking like the Hornets had the momentum coming into this game, but with Malcolm Brogdon deciding to play through a hamstring injury and some other Pacers players deciding to play, Indiana looked locked in from the start of this game. 

READ MORE: NBA Rumors: Exec thinks Pacers will try to trade Malcolm Brogdon in offseason

When you look back on this game, it just seems like that the Pacers wanted this game more than the Hornets and that showed early on in the first quarter when Charlotte’ defense was non-existent. Indiana put up 40 points on the Hornets in the first quarter and from then on, it was all Pacers in that game. 

The Indiana Pacers will now face the Washington Wizards in a battle for the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference and while the Charlotte Hornets 2020-21 season may be over, this offseason is going to be critical for them, especially if they have hopes of making the postseason next year. 

With that said, let’s dive in and take a look at the three biggest takeaways from Tuesday night’s Hornets-Pacers play-in game and how this game shapes the future of both of these franchises.