CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Slow starts plagued the Charlotte Hornets throughout the early stages of the season.

That all changed Monday night at the Spectrum Center, as the Hornets exploded for 43 first-quarter points and went on to an easy 122-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

The Hornets scored on their first 12 possessions and hit 11 of their first 13 shots from the field, pulling out to a 21-point lead in the first 10 minutes. They led by as many as 28 later in the game, with the Pacers never mounting any kind of rally.

"Obviously, the big thing was our readiness to play," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "We've had four games where we were playing from behind after the first six minutes, and tonight the starters were terrific. So it's a step in the right direction."

Kemba Walker led the way with 24 points and 10 assists, playing only 25 minutes and sitting out the entire fourth quarter because of the blowout. Seven other Hornets scored in double figures. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cody Zeller and Spencer Hawes scored 13 each, Marco Belinelli and Marvin Williams had 12 each, Frank Kaminsky contributed 11 and Ramon Sessions scored 10.

The Hornets (5-1) won their third straight. They are off to the best start in franchise history.

"I'm really pleased with this start," Clifford said. "You have to like what we can become. It's still hard for me to get a definitive idea of how good this team can be, because we haven't had our full team together, but I love what we're doing. I love this team. I love where we are. I love our attitude and the way we practice."

The Hornets either trailed or were tied after the first quarter in each of their past four games, but they exploded out of the gate this time, scoring 20 points in the first four minutes, taking a 30-12 lead, and going on to lead 43-22 at one point in the quarter.

Kidd-Gilchrist scored all 13 of his points in the period, and Walker added 10.

"I think what happened was, our guys want to win and they know we have a good team and they realize it's been a problem," Clifford said. "You could hear them when we did pregame, 'Let's start fast.' So it was an awareness thing and a readiness. Our ball movement was really good at the start of the game."

Walker added, "The last couple games, at the start of the game we've been pretty bad and have had to fight our way back. We don't want that to become a habit. There's some really good teams in this league, and if we keep on doing things like that, they'll put you away fast. So we want to be the aggressors, bring it to other teams, just play as fast as possible."

The Hornets eventually led 75-55 at halftime and 99-78 after three quarters.

The Pacers (3-4) have lost all four of their road games this season. They never got closer than nine after the Hornets' initial haymaker.

C.J. Miles came off the Indiana bench to lead the way with 23 points. Al Jefferson and Myles Turner scored 12 each, but Paul George was held 12 points under his average, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

"They just jumped on us," Miles said. "We turned the ball over and we weren't making any shots. You can't come out and turn the ball over and give them extra possessions and not stop them on regular possessions. But don't take anything away from them. They move the ball well and they've got guys that can make shots."

Pacers coach Nate McMillan said he had no explanation for why his team has been so bad on the road so far this season.

"We were a different team night and day from our last game against Chicago," McMillan said. "That effort and establishing the style of play both offensively and defensively is something you have to build consistency with. We are not seeing us play solid ball consistently."

NOTES: The Hornets opened a three-game homestand. They face Utah on Wednesday and Toronto on Friday. ... Hornets G Kemba Walker came into the game ranked 10th in the NBA in scoring at 24.4 ppg. ... The Pacers were without G Rodney Stuckey (strained hamstring) for the fifth straight game. ... C Roy Hibbert (knee) and G Jeremy Lamb (strained hamstring) remain out for the Hornets. Hibbert missed his fourth straight game and Lamb his third. ... Monday's game was a homecoming for Pacers C Al Jefferson, who spent the last three seasons in Charlotte. ... The Hornets came into the game leading the league in fewest turnovers (11.6 per game) and the Pacers led the NBA in 3-point percentage (.406). ... The Hornets won all three games between the teams last season. The clubs will face each other four times this season. ... The Pacers return home to play Philadelphia on Wednesday.