Solomon Hill beats the Hornets on accidental alley oop

Nov 10, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward

(44) waits to check into the game against the Utah Jazz at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats Utah 97-86. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers took on the Charlotte Hornets tonight in a game that I can’t imagine very many people watched. After all, due to injuries to the Pacers and problems for the Hornets as they adjust to life without Josh McRoberts, offense was sure to be at a premium. As it turned out offense went so badly that the game was decided on an air ball, thanks to the reaction of Solomon Hill who was able to corrall a terrible miss by Rodney Stuckey and put it in at the buzzer to give the Pacers an 88-86 win.

(h/t to Raj Prashad for the vine)

What a great play by Hill, a second year player who basically didn’t play last year as a rookie on a healthy Pacers team, to bail out Stuckey who just took an awful, terrible, step back jumper. It seems fitting that for a Pacers team that must win every night by grinding out games on the defensive end and coming up with just enough points, a buzzer beating shot comes by outworking someone and putting back an airball instead of from a jumper or rim attack.

Hill can also thank Gerald Henderson who just completely wiffs on a boxout, something that just can’t happen in the final seconds of a tie game. Henderson never even really makes Hill change paths which probably would have been enough to send the game into overtime. It wasn’t exactly a great way for Henderson to earn more minutes once P.J. Hairston returns from injury.