After winning 10 of their previous 13 games, the Miami Heat lost on the road to the Charlotte Hornets 106-136.
It was a jarring final score, especially considering Miami beat Charlotte just 10 days prior, but the Heat were without Bam Adebayo for this meeting and felt like it on both ends.
The Heat made just 7-of-36 three-pointers, and three of their makes came from Keshad Johnson. That meant the Hornets could clog up their driving lanes without punishment throughout the entire game. When the game slowed down, scoring became much harder.
The Heat's struggled without their captain
Tyler Herro scored 20 points on 5-11 shooting, and Pelle Larsson drove his way to 14 points and eight free-throw attempts, but the rest of Miami's lineup struggled. Norman Powell managed 17 points on 17 shots, Davion Mitchell scored just four points on seven field goal attempts, and Kel'el Ware finished with seven points on 3-10 shooting, including 0-for-6 from long distance in Adebayo's starting spot. After scoring 21 points in their last matchup, Jaime Jaquez Jr. could only muster six points and three shot attempts (though he did add six assists).
On defense, Miami's biggest issue was dribble penetration in the backcourt. Nobody could stay in front of LaMelo Ball, who went for 30 points and 13 assists. Miami's defenders gave him too much space for shots or drives coming off of screens; when they sent multiple bodies, Ball picked them apart with the pass.
It wasn't just Ball they couldn't guard, though; Coby White came off the bench for 24 points in 20 minutes. Whether it was Davion Mitchell, Larsson, Jaquez, Simone Fontecchio, or Dru Smith, Miami couldn't find someone to get consistent stops at the point of attack. Even without their All-Defense Team mainstay in Adebayo, it was an uncharacteristic showing for one of the league's elite defenses.
Despite all this, Miami only faced a two-point deficit at halftime thanks to free throws, a banner night from Johnson (who finished with a career-high 15 points), and foul trouble from Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. Even after three quarters, Miami was only down eight, and a comeback felt feasible.
But Charlotte came out swinging in the fourth quarter, bludgeoning Miami in transition and ballooning their lead to 22 within five minutes. In what felt like a heartbeat, the game was over.
"That was disappointing to see," Erik Spoelstra said postgame, noting the competitiveness leading up to that point. "It was set up to be a great finish."
With the loss, Miami falls to 38-31 on the season, half a game behind the Orlando Magic and one game behind the Toronto Raptors for 5th. The Heat are also just half a game ahead of the Atlanta Hawks for 7th.
If it's any consolation, even though the Heat lost to the Hornets, the Heat still holds the head-to-head tiebreaker after finishing the season series 3-1.
The Heat will have a full day to recuperate before facing the Lakers at home on Thursday. Adebayo should hopefully be ready to go for that game, and the Heat can try to bounce back to their winning ways of late.