Charlotte Hornets seek third straight win over the Miami Heat

It’s been quite some time since the Charlotte Hornets have won the season series over the Maimi Heat. They have a chance to do just that Wednesday night in the Spectrum Center.

Since they both came in the league back in the 1988-1989 season, the Charlotte Hornets (29-34) and Miami Heat (29-34) have built up quite the rivalry. Granted, that rivalry became quite skewed in the Heat’s favor once LeBron James joined them in the 2010-2011 season, resulting in 15 straight wins over the Hornets.

Since then, the season series between the two teams have been split 3 of the past four seasons, with last season seeing Charlotte swept by the Heat. In fact, the last time the Hornets won the season series against Miami was the 2009-2010 season, just before LeBron made took his talents to South Beach.

So, their next game against the Heat isn’t just important because it has serious playoff implications. It’s also important because it would mean Charlotte would, in fact, win the season series over Miami for the first time since they were the Bobcats. I’m sure many of the longtime Hornets are familiar with this statistic. A series win over their divisional rival would definitely improve morale.

Charlotte’s last game was a 108-118 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. They are 8th in the Eastern Conference. The Heat’s last contest was a 114-113 win over the Atlanta Hawks. They are 9th in the East. This is the third of four meetings against Miami this season.

Charlotte Hornets vs Miami Heat
7:00 p.m. EST, Wednesday, March 6th, 2019
Spectrum Center
Fox Sports Southeast

Injury Report:

CHA:

None

MIA:

Goran Dragic – Calf (Out)

Things to watch for:

This will be Dwayne Wade‘s final game in Charlotte. The surefire Hall of Famer has had quite the career against the Hornets, and I’m sure the fans will look to send him off graciously. Miami not having the services of point guard Goran Dragic will certainly make it easier on Charlotte as he has given the Hornets fits over the past few years.

Keys to the game:

Miami holds teams to a mere 44.5% shooting from the field, good enough to be tied for second in the NBA. Charlotte doesn’t shoot far off from that, making 45% of their shots, but they would still be best served by trying to get open looks and run efficient ball screens.

With a player like Hassan Whiteside, it should be no surprise that the Heat enjoys a lot of success on the offensive glass. They rank 6th in the league in that category, so it would be wise for Charlotte to box out and establish position under the rim when Miami does miss their shots.

This is a game the Hornets absolutely must win if they want to remain in playoff contention. They’ve shown they can beat the Heat, winning twice so far this season. Can they make three straight? We’ll find out Wednesday night in the Queen City.