Charlotte @ Miami preview
Kaseya Center
Last Meeting ( Dec 13, 2023 ) Charlotte 104, Miami 115
Tyler Herro had 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists through three quarters as the host Miami Heat routed the Charlotte Hornets 104-87 on Sunday night.
Heat center Bam Adebayo had 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for Miami, which never trailed as Herro was needed for just 1:54 in the fourth quarter.
Former Heat star Dwyane Wade was honored at halftime. The Heat announced they will build a statue for Wade that will be on display in front of their arena, with construction starting this fall.
Heat star rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. suffered a groin strain and missed the second half. Jaquez, who hasn't missed a game this season, scored all 15 points of his points in the first quarter and shot 7 of 11 from the floor in the win.
Charlotte has dropped 16 of its past 17 games, including five straight.
The Hornets were led by Terry Rozier (26 points), LaMelo Ball (21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists) and Miles Bridges (20 points).
But they could not overcome massive injury problems. Brandon Miller, the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, missed the game due to a bruised back. The Hornets were also without Gordon Hayward (calf) and Mark Williams (back).
Miami was without two injured key players: Jimmy Butler (toe) and Kevin Love (knee). Butler's return, reportedly, could be as soon as Monday to face the Brooklyn Nets.
Charlotte, shooting just 29.2 percent in the opening quarter -- including 1-for-10 on 3-pointers -- fell behind 26-16 at the end of the opening 12 minutes.
The Hornets struggled again in the second quarter, shooting just 27.3 percent, including 0-for-8 on 3-pointers. With that, Miami extended its lead to 52-31 at halftime.
Charlotte cut its deficit to 77-61 after three quarters thanks to baskets from Ball and Bridges in the final 1:16, and the Hornets got as close as 11 points in the fourth thanks to a Ball 3-pointer with 10:44 to play.
But the Heat pulled away, sweeping the season's four-game series. The Heat held Charlotte to 34.7 percent shooting for the game.
The Heat also outscored the Hornets in fastbreak points (25-4) and points in the paint (58-38).
--Field Level Media