The Miami Heat beat the Charlotte Hornets 104:87 in an NBA game on Sunday. Bam Adebayo led the team with an impressive 24 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Tyler Herro contributed 21 points, including four threes, and Duncan Robinson 19 points. Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 15 points despite leaving early with a groin injury.
The Fever showed their shooting prowess from distance, hitting 11-25 three-point attempts, and continued their dominance over their Southeast Division rivals at home to record their 22nd consecutive win in this category. This game also ended their regular season series against the Hornets.
“We need to get better into the game. It’s simple,” Hornets forward P.J. Washington said. “We’re not covering right, we’re not doing the right things on offense, we just have a lot of cleaning up to do.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra praised the team’s focused approach and attributed the success, especially in the first half, to the strong defence.
“It was a potential trap,” Spoelstra said. “I think the approach was great and everything was created, especially in the first half, by our defense.”
For the Hornets, Terry Rozier scored 26 points and LaMelo Ball, who returned after missing 20 games with an ankle injury, contributed 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Miles Bridges also scored 20 points. However, their efforts were not enough to prevent the Hornets from falling further, as they suffered their fifth consecutive defeat.
The Hornets struggled in the first half in particular, scoring only 31 points, the fewest in any half in the NBA this season, and trailing by 21 at half-time. Their three-point shooting was unsuccessful, as they made only one successful shot out of 18 attempts in the first two quarters.
“I thought we really hit a lot of good shots at the beginning of the game, which we have so far. They didn’t get away from us,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “That’s what’s going to happen. I think the biggest part of tonight was that we have to continue to defend when the ball doesn’t fall. We haven’t defended nearly as well as we have the last three games. We need to get back to that.”
Despite a brief surge led by Ball in the third quarter, the Hornets couldn’t overcome the deficit. Miami responded effectively and kept control of the game.
“Basketball is a game where you have to run. They will score baskets,” said Herro. “We just need to respond and make sure we play the right way.”
Jaime Jaquez Jr, who was a fixture for the Heat in his rookie season, will miss the team’s upcoming two-game road trip due to injury.
“It slowly started to get worse over the duration of the game,” Jaquez said. “I don’t think it’s that severe, but there’s a lot of precaution that we’re checking right now.”
Meanwhile, Miami star Jimmy Butler is dealing with a foot injury and may not be eligible for postseason consideration due to participation rules.
The game also had a special moment as the Heat celebrated Dwyane Wade’s induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame with a half-time ceremony. Heat President Pat Riley announced plans to unveil a statue of Wade in front of the Kasey Center.
“I was born and raised in Chicago, but I grew up here,” Wade said. “From the age of 21 to 37, I grew up here. A lot of fans grew up with me. … There’s no love like Miami’s, and every time I come back here, I feel that.”
The Hornets will play the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday and the Heat will play the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. The next home game for the Heat will be particularly memorable as they will retire Udonis Haslem’s number 40 jersey.