For the second time this season, the Miami Heat defeated the Charlotte Hornets in a, 104-86, win on Saturday night. Given that the Hornets were on the latter half of a back-to-back set, the opportunity was right there for Miami as they took care of business on the road.
Even after a slow start in the first half, a strong and collective two-way effort propelled a 35-8 advantage for the Heat in the third quarter.Jimmy Butler led the way with 27 points on 10-13 shooting, while Tyler Herro added 16 but above all else, a much-needed offensive assertion was on display for fifth-year big man, Bam Adebayo.
Despite a 20 point scoring effort being outnumbered by a career-high 21 field-goal attempts, Adebayo’s tendencies to shy from carrying Miami’s scoring load during certain stretches have been well documented and an emerging topic over the last two seasons.
However, there has been a clear point of emphasis for the Heat to rev up their franchise centerpiece to help him find his confidence. This particular trial couldn’t have continued against a more favorable opponent, as the Hornets currently allow the third-highest scoring average (114.2) in the NBA.