INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MAY 18: Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Indiana Pacers and Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets battle for a loose ball in the 2021 NBA Play-In Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on May 18, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges did not hold back when evaluating his teams’ play-in performance Tuesday night.
Miles Bridges was candid in his postgame comments following the Charlotte Hornets‘ 144-117 loss to the Indiana Pacers during the opening game of the NBA‘s play-in tournament.
“We got our ass whipped today,” Bridges said, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. “They played like they wanted to be in the playoffs and we didn’t.”
Miles Bridges candid assessment of Hornets’ effort amounts to ‘they wanted it more’
Indiana dominated the game right from tip-off, out-pacing the Hornets 40-24 in the first quarter alone. The Hornets defense was so bad, the Pacers at one point held a 39-point lead.
For his part, Bridges led the Hornets with 23 points and 8 rebounds while shooting 10-for-16 from the field. He also chipped in 4 assists, but with the Hornets allowing the Pacers to shoot 55.2 percent overall and 45.7 percent from deep, it simply wasn’t enough.
Charlotte shot just 45.7 percent collectively, but it was on the other end of the floor where the game slipped away. The Hornets’ defense was non-existent for significant stretches, which is simply inexcusable in a win-or-go-home scenario.
It’s a disappointing ending for a young Hornets squad that looked promising at times during the regular season. Outperformed in nearly every aspect of the game on Tuesday, they looked unprepared for the intensity of playoff basketball. It was Charlotte’s first playoff game since 2016.
Bridges himself may not be to blame for the loss, but he wasn’t making any excuses and was clearly frustrated with his team’s effort. In his view, Indiana wanted it more, and they get to continue on in the NBA play-in tournament as a result.