Despite big games from Kemba Walker and Dwight Howard, the Charlotte Hornets ran out of gas and lost to the Miami Heat.
The Charlotte Hornets (20-28) fell to the Miami Heat (28-21) as they were swept in their season series versus their divisional rivals. Kemba Walker’s 30 points weren’t enough as the Hornets blew a 15-point second half lead. Wayne Ellington scored 17 points for Miami and knocked down a dagger three late in the fourth quarter.
Cody Zeller (knee) was inactive for the 25th consecutive game. Michael Carter-Williams also missed this game as he is dealing with a left shoulder strain. It’s unclear how serious MCW’s injury is but, for the time being, Malik Monk is seeing more minutes at the backup point guard spot with him out.
Game Story
After going on a 20-4 run to take a 15-point lead in the third quarter, the Heat slowly battled their way back into the game. Miami outscored Charlotte 24-13 in the final period and made clutch shots while the Hornets struggled to find reliable offense down the stretch. Steve Clifford played Kemba the entire second half and it might’ve cost them the game as fatigue took its toll on Walker. The all-star point guard made his field goal at the 7:16 mark of the fourth quarter.
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Player of the Game
Kemba Walker and Dwight Howard were the only two players who showed up for the Hornets in this one. They combined for 50 points as Kemba scored 30 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists while Dwight put up 20 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks. No other players scored in double-figures for Charlotte.
Two players outscored the rest of the team, 50-41.
Nicolas Batum only had nine points on 3-13 shooting while Frank Kaminsky, Jeremy Lamb and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist each scored eight points. The Hornets’ bench only managed to score 18 points on the night.
Miami was led by Josh Richardson who finished with 19 points and five assists. Wayne Ellington and Kelly Olynyk led the Heat’s bench with 17 points and 16 points respectively. James Johnson pulled down a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Hassan Whiteside was held to only six points and 10 rebounds.
Highlight of the Night:
Tweet of the Game:
"Quick Stings"
- Kemba scored 20+ points for the 23rd time this season.
- Dwight recorded his 30th double-double this campaign.
- Howard grabbed 15+ rebounds for the eighth consecutive game.
- Charlotte only shot 34.5% (29-84) from the field and 20.8% (5-24) from three.
- The Heat out-rebounded the Hornets, 51-46.
With the loss, Charlotte falls to 0-4 on the season against Miami. They were swept by their division rivals for the first time since the 2013-14 season. The Hornets have now lost six straight regular-season games to the Heat.
Next: Top-5 All-Star snubs in Charlotte history
In their next outing, the Hornets will face off against the Indiana Pacers on Monday, January 29th. It will be the first meeting between the two sides this season after they split their season series last year. Steve Clifford’s side will look to bounce back and pick up a much-needed win away from Charlotte.