- Bam Adebayo reveals he didn’t recruit Donovan Mitchell to Miami Heat
- Former NBA executive says Bam Adebayo’s defense has not been as ‘fearsome’ this season as it was in previous 2 campaigns
- Report: Omer Yurtseven cleared for high-impact work with hope to return after All-Star break
- Brian Windhorst thinks the Miami Heat need to make a trade because they have ‘one of the worst benches in the league’
- Report: Teams continue to call Miami Heat to gauge Kyle Lowry’s trade status
- Jimmy Butler makes heartfelt post for kid who traveled far to see him play: ‘Incredible kid that has an amazing life ahead of him’
- Kyle Lowry speaks out on trade rumors involving him and complaints from Miami Heat fans about his scoring
- Report: Heat began talking to Timberwolves about possible Kyle Lowry-D’Angelo Russell trade in December
- Shaquille O’Neal leaves Bam Adebayo off of his All-Star reserve ballot
- NBA executives believe the Miami Heat may not be willing to part with Caleb Martin for Cam Reddish
Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets Game Recap: The Cinderella Season Continues
- Updated: March 8, 2017
(Miami, FL) – In what continues to be a jaw-dropping turnaround to their season, the Miami Heat (31-34) fought tooth and nail with their Southeast Division rival Charlotte Hornets (28-36) on Wednesday night en route to a come-from-behind 108-101 victory at American Airlines Arena.
The Heat, who started the season at a dismal 11-30 mark well into mid-January, continue their trek as the hottest team in the NBA and have won 20 of their last 24 games to further solidify them as a threat in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
“You have to continue to try to get better,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said during his postgame press conference. “Our game can still get to another two, three, four levels. Whatever it is, we’re not going to put a ceiling on it.”
Miami shooting guard Dion Waiters had a second straight game in which he took over down the stretch, as the former fourth-overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft went off for a team-high 24 points, five assists and three rebounds.
Waiters’ backcourt partner Goran Dragic, who recorded his fifth double-double of the season, finished with an impressive 22 points (6-of-13 from the field and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw line) to go along with 10 assists and six rebounds.
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“It says a lot about this team in that we never quit. We’ve had some ups and downs, a lot of players were injured or hurt. But, you know, we never complain. We just stick with our plan,” Dragic said.
Heat star center Hassan Whiteside added to his extensive double-double arsenal with 10 points, a team-high 15 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Starting forward Luke Babbitt finished with 12 points on four made threes, while forward James Johnson came off the bench in a solid effort with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots.
The Heat, who made a whopping 17-of-41 threes on the night, continue to be a dangerous threat with the playoffs looming.
“It’s just part of our work ethic,” Johnson said. “Everybody on this team has confidence in anybody who takes that three, and we move on regardless of what happens. When you have guys rooting for you to make shots or rooting for you to take shots, it just makes it easier.”
Wednesday night’s game was perfectly indicative of a game involving two teams frantically competing for a playoff spot, with the Heat finally being able to get the best of the Hornets for the first time this season.
For Charlotte, star point guard Kemba Walker led all scorers with 33 points (11-of-24 from the field, 5-of-11 from behind the arc and 6-of-6 from the charity stripe) and four boards, while shooting guard Nicolas Batum and small forward Marvin Williams had 16 and 14 points, respectively.
Up next, the Heat will remain at home when they host the Toronto Raptors (38-26) on Saturday night at American Airlines Arena. The contest, which is scheduled to tip off shortly after 8:00 p.m. ET, will be broadcast live locally on Fox Sports Sun.
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