Charlotte Hornets drop fourth straight with loss in Miami, 105-100

Without Kemba Walker, the Charlotte Hornets struggled once again as they fell to the Miami Heat who were also missing their star player in Hassan Whiteside.

The Charlotte Hornets (8-13) were defeated by the Miami Heat (11-11) as they dropped their eighth straight game away from home and fourth straight overall. Charlotte’s 1-10 road record is tied with the New York York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls for the fewest wins away from home so far this season. The Hornets had no answer for Josh Richardson who scored 27 points.

Kemba Walker, who was questionable coming into this one, missed his second consecutive game with a left shoulder AC contusion. The all-star point guard should be close to returning for Charlotte. Jeremy Lamb (left knee bursitis) was also questionable but ended up playing 25 minutes.

Game Story

The Hornets got off to a fast start as they led 16-1 in the first quarter. Miami missed their first 11 field goal attempts but found a way to battle back and turn things around after the first period. Charlotte’s 15-point lead quickly evaporated as they trailed by 50-49 at the half. It was a close game down the stretch but a late 9-0 from the Heat when they were down 96-95 with 2:36 left gave Miami the upper hand. Despite having seven players in double-figures, Charlotte wasn’t able to overcome their carelessness with the ball as they committed 22 total turnovers.

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Player of the Game

Marvin Williams led the Hornets with 16 points and six rebounds in 31 minutes. He shot 6-7 from the field, 2-3 from three and 2-3 from the free throw line. The 31-year old scored 12 of his 16 points in the third quarter. He also added two steals and one block to his stat line.

Nicolas Batum finished with 13 points, five boards and five assists while Cody Zeller had 12 points and five rebounds off of the bench. Jeremy Lamb also had a strong showing as he helped lead the second unit with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists. Dwight Howard nearly had the wrong type of triple-double with 10 points, nine rebounds and nine turnovers. He also picked up five fouls in only 16 minutes.

Miami was led by Josh Richardson who scored a game-high 27 points. Dion Waiters put up 19 points. The Heat had three double-digit scorers off of the bench in Wayne Ellington (14), Tyler Johnson (12) and Kelly Olynyk (10).

Highlight of the Night:

Tweet of the Game:

"Quick Stings"

• Dwight joined Nic Batum, Stephen Jackson and Raymond Felton as the only Charlotte players to ever commit 9 turnovers in one game.
• Every Hornets’ starter scored in double-figures.
• This game featured 19 lead changes and 15 ties.
• Charlotte only shot 25% (5-20) from the three-point line.
• The Heat’s bench outscored the Hornets’ second unit, 44-39.

With the loss, Charlotte falls to 0-1 in their season series against Miami. The Hornets have now lost three straight games to the Heat. Their next meeting will be on December 15th in the Queen City.

Next: Barber rejoins the Greensboro Swarm

In their next outing, the Hornets will return home to host the Orlando Magic on Monday, December 4th. This will be their second matchup this season after Charlotte was victorious back on October 29th. Steve Clifford’s side will look to snap their four-game losing streak and get back in the win column before their nationally televised game against the Golden State Warriors.