Charlotte Hornets get burned by the Miami Heat, 106-105
Amid trade rumors, Kemba Walker scored 22 points but the Charlotte Hornets fell to the Miami Heat after late game mistakes.
The Charlotte Hornets (19-25) were defeated by the Miami Heat (26-20) as their two-game win streak was snapped. Nicolas Batum and Kemba Walker combined to score 48 points but it wasn’t enough to overcome their divisional rivals. Wayne Ellington‘s 26 points led Miami to an improbable comeback victory.
Cody Zeller (knee) was inactive as he missed his 21st straight game for Charlotte. The Heat was without their scorer as Goran Dragic was only an emergency option. Miami was also without Dion Waiters, Okaro White, Tyler Johnson and AJ Hammons. Both of the Hornets’ two-way players were away from the team and in the G-League with the Greensboro Swarm.
Game Story
Charlotte looked to be in control after outscoring Miami by 19 points in the third quarter but a fourth-quarter collapse doomed them. The Heat outscored the Hornets 33-22 in the final period and closed the game on a 15-4 run.
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Player of the Game
Nicolas Batum had his best game of the season scoring a season-high 26 points. The France international also shot 8-12 from the field and 9-10 from the free throw line. He had a season-high in makes and attempts from the charity stripe. He also added six assists and three steals.
Kemba Walker added 22 points and seven assists but had to attempt 25 field goals to get there. Dwight Howard grabbed a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist also chipped in 14 points. Frank Kaminsky scored 12 points off of the bench to lead the Hornets’ second unit.
Miami was led by Wayne Ellington who scored 26 points with six made three’s. James Johnson had 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds while Kelly Olynyk recorded a double-double off of the bench with 16 points and 10 boards. Josh Richardson (17) and Hassan Whiteside (10) rounded out the Heat’s double-figure scorers.
Highlight of the Night:
Tweet of the Game:
This is the most ridiculous loss I can remember
— Travis Hancock (@TBoneWFNZ) January 21, 2018
"Quick Stings"
- The Hornets scored over 100 points at home against Miami for the first time in 20 games.
- Kaminsky scored 10+ points off of the bench for the 76th time in his career passing Kenny Gattison for the fifth-highest total in team history.
- Kemba scored 20+ points for the 24th time this season.
- Nic Batum became the 14th player in Hornets’ history to record 1,000 career assists.
- Dwight recorded his 26th double-double of the year.
With the loss, Charlotte falls to 0-3 in their season series against Miami. The Hornets have now lost five straight games to the Heat dating back to last season. Their fourth and final meeting will be in South Beach on January 27th.
Next: Hornets make Kemba available on the trade market
In their next game, the Hornets will host the Sacramento Kings on Monday, January 22nd in their second and final matchup of the season. It will be the third game of Charlotte’s current five-game homestand. Steve Clifford’s side will look to rebound and get back in the win column against a team their already defeated earlier this season.