Charlotte Hornets send Heat to sixth consecutive loss
After the Heat climbed back from seven games under .500 to four games over, it seemed like the turbulence of this disjointed season was very much in the Heat’s rearview window.
Hardly.
Charlotte dismantled the visiting Heat early, racing to a 63-33 lead and withstanding multiple second-half Heat rallies to win 110-105 and send Miami to a sixth consecutive loss.
The Heat (22-24) appeared generally disinterested defensively in the first two quarters, yielding far too many open shots. Charlotte led 72-49 at the half.
A 16-2 Heat run in the third pulled Miami to within 88-74, and the Heat drew to within 92-79 after three quarters when Trevor Ariza - just before the third quarter buzzer - was inexplicably fouled by Malik Monk on a halfcourt three-point attempt.
Miami then unleashed a 12-0 run late in the game, with Bam Adebayo scoring eight points in a row in that stretch, to pull to within 105-100 with 44 seconds left, before a jumper by Terry Rozier.
Down 107-103, the Heat inexplicably allowed 13 seconds to tick off the clock before fouling with 11 seconds left. Spoelstra said he wanted to initially try to trap the Hornets without fouling.
Tyler Herro’s basket pulled the Heat to within 108-105 with 6.6 seconds left, but DeVonte Graham hit two free throws to seal it.
Malik Monk, who torched the Heat for 36 points in the previous game between the teams, erupted for 24 points in 13 first half minutes and closed with 32.
Jimmy Butler, back after missing a game with a stomach illness, finished with 20 points and 9 assists. Duncan Robinson added 20.
Ariza, starting for the second consecutive night, had 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
Charlotte shot 49.4 percent from the field and 41.9 percent (18 for 43) on threes.
Charlotte clinched the three-game season series by winning the first two matchups between the teams this season.
Per the AP’s Tim Reynolds, this was the second time in the past 25 years that the Heat trailed by 30 and ended up losing by single digits.
Five takeaways from Friday’s game:
▪ The Heat’s defense was dismal in the first half and often disruptive in the second half.
This wasn’t merely a case of sizzling Charlotte shooting early on. This was also a case of a Heat defense not contesting enough shots and not being able to contain Hornets guards off the dribble.
“We came out flat,” Bam Adebayo said.
By the time the score was 63-33, Charlotte was shooting 61.8 percent from the field (21 for 34) and 60.8 percent on threes (12 for 20).
“Not guarding, turning the ball over,” Butler said. “Same story, different day. We have to play harder and smarter.”
Monk opened 7 for 7 from the field and 4 for 4 on threes and finished the night 12 for 17 from the field and 5 for 9 beyond the arc.
His two highest point totals this season have come against the Heat.
“Charlotte had us on our heels in the first half,” Spoelstra said.
Hornets guard Terry Rozier scored 17 in the first half and closed with 26.
Nobody was blameless for this first-half defensive meltdown. The wing players permitted too much airspace for Charlotte shooters. There wasn’t rim deterrence when Hornets players maneuvered into the lane.
At halftime, Sun Sports analyst Ron Rothstein gently chided Precious Achiuwa for not getting back quickly enough in transition. “I know he can run harder,” Rothstein said.
The defense stiffened considerably in the second half, and Charlotte mustered 20 points in the third quarter, committing eight turnovers in that period after committing only two in the first half.
Vincent (two steals), Ariza and Butler helped escalate the Heat’s defensive intensity after halftime.
Charlotte scored just 38 points in the second half.
“In the second half, there were so many more multiple efforts,” Spoelstra said.
The Heat entered second in the league in field goal percentage against, fourth in points permitted per game and eighth in defensive rating (points relinquished per 100 possessions). So this first-half performance was out of character.
▪ Adebayo had a slow start on a night Miami couldn’t afford it.
When Charlotte opened up that 63-33 lead, Adebayo - at that point - was scoreless on 0 for 2 shooting with two rebounds. He didn’t score his first points of the night until it was 68-40.
He rebounded furiously late in the game, with the eight consecutive points. Before that stretch, Adebayo had taken only seven shots all night.
He finished with 17 points (7 for 11 shooting) and 8 rebounds.
“At times like that, you have to put your head down,” he said. “I was making plays.”
In the fourth quarter, “we were able to find him on the move,” Spoelstra said. “He’s a handful. He has great hands, great agility.”
Adebayo’s quiet start on Friday came a night after he filled the box score with 29 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks against Portland.
▪ Kendrick Nunn, who had been playing well offensively this week, was lost for the night with an ankle injury.
Nunn sprained his ankle late in the second quarter and was ruled out at halftime.
“Came down on my ankle and twisted it,” Nunn said. “I tried to push through it but it was too painful.”
He said X-rays showed there was no break and he was diagnosed with a grade 1 ankle sprain.
His status?
“Hopefully day to day,” he said.
Even before the injury, Nunn was very much at risk of losing his starting job to Victor Oladipo, who is expected to join the team this weekend.
Nunn’s injury left Miami with nine available players, and Spoelstra used all nine.
Gabe Vincent started the second half in Nunn’s absence and delivered three points and pesky defense.
Nunn left the game with 10 points, giving him 57 points over the past three games.
The Heat played without Goran Dragic (back spasms) and KZ Okpala and Udonis Haslem, who are out due to the NBA’s Health and Safety protocols.
▪ Duncan Robinson shook off foul trouble to help spearhead a Heat rally.
A day after Heat president Pat Riley spoke of how much he valued Robinson and Tyler Herro, before Robinson - in particular - came alive.
Robinson picked up four fouls in his first 10 minutes but then hit three threes in an 11-point second half. He finished with 20 points, shooting for 6 for 9 on threes.
Robinson, on his podcast earlier in the day, spoke of the uncertainty surrounding the trade deadline.
“It’s interesting because you can have a hunch and you can have maybe an intuition of what you think might happen,” he said.
“But nobody really knows. People are making these decisions in live time…. So there’s all these rumors gaining traction throughout the week, but nothing is going to actually happen and no decisions are going to actually be made until teams feel that their backs are pressed up against the wall and pressed up against the deadline. With that being said, you’re definitely at the mercy of others and you just kind of gotta roll with the punches.”
Is there relief with the deadline past?
“Maybe a little bit,” he said. “I think that it just allows the focus to really shift. Maybe prior to, there’s all these potential variables. There’s some uncertainty just around everything.
“Once again, that’s just the human condition, the human element of uncertainty. Now this is the roster that we’ll have for at least the rest of this year. Certainly next year, it’ll probably look different. But this next six weeks of this regular season and moving forward into the playoffs, this is what we have. It simplifies things in a way.”
A night after scoring 29, Herro struggled with his shot (6 of 16) on a 13-point night.
▪ The reinforcements can’t get here soon enough.
Spoelstra declined to say when Oladipo or Nemanja Bjelica would make their Heat debuts. But both remain on track to join the team this weekend in New York and potentially play Monday at the Knicks.
“Both of those guys help us in numerous amount of ways,” Butler said. “Putting the ball in the basket, spacing the floor. They’re able to get their own shot. We will be able to do a lot of switching with both of those guys. Can’t wait for them to get here to introduce them to the squad, the culture and get this thing back on track because we have a lot more basketball to play.... [Oladipo] is a hell of a player in this league.”
Adebayo’s take on the trades: “Vic is another playmaker. Belly is another spacer. Can put the ball on the floor. I feel like they are going to fit in. They have the mentality and attitude; they’re not going to skip a beat. They’re going to come right in and contribute.”
Spoelstra said he spoke with both players and they’re “very excited” to join the Heat.
Besides his offense (20.8 points per game this season), Oladipo should help the Heat’s defense. He’s second among all NBA shooting guards in field goal percentage allowed against the player he’s defending.
Bjelica appears poised to join the power rotation, filling at least part of the role vacated by the trade of Kelly Olynyk.
“I like Belly,” Butler said. “I’ve got to work on my Serbian speaking with him. Played with him in [Minnesota]. He spaces the floor, can create his own shot. Does a lot of things well.”
Butler and Adebayo said incorporating the players won’t be a problem. “They’ll fit right away,” Butler said.
Adebayo said: “We’re going to look for them and get them going.”
Butler said he told Olynyk how much he respected and appreciated him.
LaMarcus Aldridge is reportedly expected to join the Heat as well, though he also is considering the Lakers, Clippers and Nets, according to Yahoo.
Ariza could remain the starting power forward for the foreseeable future, with his game starting to round into form.
This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 10:38 PM.
