Heat Bench Shines Against the Hornets as Charlotte Suffers Second Loss of the 25-26 Season
The Miami Heat defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 144-117, on Tuesday night. Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the Heat with 28 points on 64 percent shooting. LaMelo Ball led the Hornets in scoring with 20 points and floated with a triple-double. Charlotte battled with Miami through the third quarter, but once they got within three points, the Heat amped up the pressure and did not look back. The Heat averaged 127 points per game this season and blew this game wide open, turning a competitive basketball game into a blowout. Miami shot 54 percent from the field, and the bench was the real catalyst in this Heat victory. They scored a total of 58 points in the win. Charlotte shot 40 percent in the game, but what ultimately doomed them were ball protection and transition defense.
In the first quarter, both teams got off to a fast start as they are both in the top ten in pace this season. They battled back and forth with the Hornets finding most of their scoring from outside the paint, whereas the Heat scored the majority of their points in the paint. LaMelo Ball had 15 points in the first twelve minutes of play, shooting four of five from the three-point line. Jaime Jaquez Jr. led Miami with 10 points in the first quarter, shooting an efficient four-of-four from the floor, including knocking down his first three-pointer of the year. Miami is looking for another reliable scorer in this game due to Norman Powell suffering a groin injury in the morning practice leading into the game. Powell is a part of a Heat lineup that has been potent this season. The first quarter had everything that fans who love offensive basketball love. It had a fast-paced, three-point shooting, and alley-oops from the big men. This quarter had it all between two teams that are evenly matched, with the Heat taking a 37-34 lead into the second quarter.
The second quarter was more of the same, with the only difference being that the Miami Heat ramped up the defense by playing more zone, leading to four turnovers in the second quarter. Charlotte turned the ball over a total of 10 times in the first half. Ball also struggled getting into foul trouble in the quarter, which sent him to the bench. The Hornets' starting point guard watched as his team struggled to get back into the game. A bright spot for the team was again the rookie trio of Kon Knueppel, Sion James, and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Knueppel, who leads all rookies in three-point makes, continued to display his marksmanship. In this game, he set an NBA record for making the most three-pointers in a rookie’s first four games in NBA history with 15. James showcased his defensive tenacity in holding his own against the likes of Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell. Kalkbrenner continued to show his dominant presence by altering shots, blocking shots, and converting easy layups and putbacks in the paint. The next step for him will be to showcase his outside shot because that will stretch out the defense. Similar to what Bam Adebayo is doing this season by showcasing a consistent three-point shot. For the Heat, their main player was Jaquez, the third-year pro, who led all scorers with 20 points and shot perfectly from the floor. The Heat led 76-60 at halftime.
In the third, the Hornets did a good job of slowing the Heat down and found ways to penetrate Miami’s zone. Ball was great at getting to the free-throw line, cutting the Heat's lead while the clock was stopped. This worked in their favor as they opened the quarter on a 14-to-four run while the Heat struggled to shoot the ball in the opening minutes of the third. However, the Heat offense seemed to turn around when Jaquez entered the floor. The former UCLA Bruin used his strength to muscle his way and speed to start Miami’s fastbreak. Charlotte managed to cut the lead to three, 84-81 at the 5:50 mark; however, after a Miami timeout, the Heat went on a 21-7 run to increase their lead to 105-88 heading into the fourth quarter. In a fast-paced game, the Heat displayed their physicality to really set them apart from their Southeast Division rival.
As Charlotte tried to get back in the game, Miami’s physicality was too much for them. The Heat’s efficient shooting from the three-point line continued, and the Hornets struggled with turnovers, leading to Heat points in transition, which Charlotte was slow to defend. Overall, this was a great showing for the Miami bench; three players scored in double figures, with Jaquez leading the charge. The Heat led by as many as 29 and showcased their depth without Powell and Tyler Herro, who will be out indefinitely as he recovers from left ankle surgery. For Charlotte, in this game, they did not display the physicality to match the Heat; they also have to do a better job of ball protection, as they turned it over a total of 17 times in the game. Charlotte will get a chance to correct these issues on Thursday night when it faces the Orlando Magic. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST.
