Miami @ Charlotte preview
Spectrum Center
Last Meeting ( Feb 5, 2022 ) Miami 104, Charlotte 86
The Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets will try to head into the NBA All-Star break with a victory Thursday night when they meet in Charlotte, N.C.
Each team lost its most recent outing, but it's far easier for the Eastern Conference-leading Heat to shrug off a loss than it is for the sub-.500 Hornets.
"I don't think we're (anywhere) near where we need to be," Heat guard Kyle Lowry said. "We don't want to be there yet, honestly. We're only in February. ... We want to be our best team in April, May. We don't want to be at that high point."
The Hornets have won just one of their past nine games, a string of misfortune that includes a 104-86 home loss to Miami on Feb. 5.
"This whole thing is really a mental game," Hornets coach James Borrego said. "We'll find our spirit again on Thursday night. ... We've just got to get our heads square. A great opportunity to get a win before the break."
The Heat had won five in a row before Tuesday night's 107-99 loss at Dallas.
"We weren't aggressive enough," Lowry said. "You always learn from every game, every opportunity. We look at it and see what we can do better."
The Heat and Hornets are the top two teams in the Southeast Division, though Miami is up by 8.5 games in the standings. The Heat has won both matchups so far, with the fourth and final encounter slated for April 5 inMiami.
The Hornets looked like a team on the rise until the past couple of weeks, as they lost some nice momentum in which they had won seven of eight. But Borrego said some of that is to be expected from a roster with an average age under 25.
"We have highs and lows. Don't point the finger. Keep battling," he said. "We have to get over those hurdles at times mentally. This young group is getting better. We just have to stick with it and keep battling."
The Hornets have lost their past six home games. They've scored more than 101 points in just two of those games, although they average a robust 113.9 on the season.
"We're going to break through," Charlotte's Mason Plumlee said.
The Hornets have aimed to become more formidable in the post with the addition of Montrezl Harrell in a trade from the Washington Wizards.
"He has had great energy for us," forward Miles Bridges said of Harrell, who has averaged 16 points and 7.3 rebounds in his three games with the Hornets.
Plumlee has been a rebounding force for Charlotte even with limited point production as he has averged 11.8 rebounds over the past 10 games.
Still, there are glitches, in Tuesday night's 126-120 overtime loss at Minnesota, the Hornets allowed the Timberwolves to grab nine fourth-quarter offensive rebounds.
--Field Level Media