Pacers rally to beat Hornets

"As a group we felt that we had to get our legs back," West said. "We came out struggling in that first half. I thought the team did a good job of just gaining our composure and getting a little more focused defensively (in the second half)."

West made nine of his final 11 shots, including late baskets that helped seal the victory.

"He really took over the game made unguardable shots," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "It was reminiscent of Dirk Nowitzki, with his fadeaway. He really just willed us, willed our team to a win."

Paul George steadied Indiana in the first half with 11 points, and finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds to help the Pacers win for the seventh time in eight games.

Robin Lopez had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets, stuck in their worst stretch since December 2004. Greivis Vasquez added 14 points, and Anthony Davis had 10 for the Hornets.

After the Hornets took a 46-24, the Pacers outscored them 57-29 — including 24-7 in the third quarter.

"We didn't really understand the moment," Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "When your starters don't have it, you expect somebody to come in from the bench and give you a little boost and we didn't get that tonight. I thought we played not to lose instead of playing to win. It's a tough one to swallow."