Gordon Hayward exits with foot sprain as Charlotte Hornets beat Indiana Pacers on the road

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Already missing Rookie of the Year frontrunner LaMelo Ball, the Charlotte Hornets suffered another injury scare with Gordon Hayward suffering a right foot sprain.

The injury came during the third quarter of the Hornets 114-97 win over Indiana, with the 31-year-old posting 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists in 19 minutes. 

The win ensured the Hornets remained in the four seed in the Eastern Conference and improved the team's record to 25-23 on the season. While the severity of the injury is unknown, if Hayward is to be sidelined for any length of time, the team would press forward without their starting backcourt on the floor.

Appearing in 44 of the Hornets 48 games so far, the unlucky Hayward was finally able to see consistent court time and holds averages of 19.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists.

Hornets upcoming schedule

Opponent Record
at Boston 24-25
at Oklahoma City 20-27
at Milwaukee 30-17
vs Atlanta 24-24
va Los Angeles Lakers 30-18

With just 2.5 games seperating the Hornets in fourth and Indiana in ninth, every game carries significant weight on the road to the playoffs. Matchups in the next week against Boston and Atlanta who are also in the mid standing logjam will be particularly critical with tiebreak implications potentially important down the road. 

While the status of Hayward is likely to be updated in the coming days, the door remains slightly ajar for a potential Ball return, with the electric guard set to be re-evaluated later this month.

The surprising Hornets are attempting to reach the postseason for the first time since 2016.

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