Indiana Pacers rookie Chris Duarte earned the start on Wednesday in the season opener versus the Charlotte Hornets, and made a bit of history during the process.
Duarte finished with 27 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal in 33 minutes of work. He went 9-of-15 from the field, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range, during the 123-122 loss as the Pacers blew a 23-point lead in the third quarter.
The 27 points and six 3-pointers by Duarte were a Pacers franchise record by a rookie in a debut game. He also became the first Pacers rookie to record at least 25 points and five rebounds with five 3-pointers in a game since Jamaal Tinsley in 2002, according to StatMuse.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle previously praised Duarte for being a fearless player on the court and he showed just that on Wednesday. He started off hot, scoring 11 points in the first quarter alone and looked to be in a rhythm for the rest of the game.
He would later hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minutes to give the Pacers the lead but they were unable to hold it. Domantas Sabonis had an opportunity to win the game as time expired but his jump shot was too long and the Pacers lost.
The Pacers believed Duarte could play a large role to start the season and his spectacular debut on Wednesday certainly offered a glimpse of what he can do on the court. The team may have lost but Duarte proved that he is capable of producing this year.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
[lawrence-related id=39949,36377,39784]
[mm-video type=video id=01fg2ezrg24cj8andxrd playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fg2ezrg24cj8andxrd/01fg2ezrg24cj8andxrd-6fe464d95373bbcd955730fe4f4dc575.jpg]
[listicle id=40868]