Keshad Johnson's career night and the Charlotte Hornets' fourth-quarter surge defined a surprising, lopsided loss for the shorthanded Miami Heat.
The Miami Heat suffered a 136–106 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night. After what was a close game through three quarters, the trajectory changed in the fourth. Also, it was a night without Bam Adebayo due to right calf soreness, plus Andrew Wiggins missing his sixth consecutive game due to a left big toe sesamoiditis.
Key takeaways from the game:
- Heat; Surprising X-factor: As the Heat were shorthanded, it meant opportunities for others to step up. On Tuesday night, it was second-year forward Keshad Johnson. He finished with a new career-high 15 points on 50 percent shooting, including three three-pointers made, five rebounds, three steals, an assist, and a block in 20 minutes off the bench.
While Kel’el Ware started, Johnson was playing as the backup center. Despite being listed at 6-6, the 24-year-old provided a spark for the Heat. He got himself going with a reverse dunk and made the most of the rest of his minutes.
- Heat; Offensive slugfest: As one of the best offensive teams in the league, the Heat struggled to find consistent scoring, especially from the leaders.
Norman Powell couldn’t find a rhythm at any point in the game. Despite finishing with 17 points on 41.2 percent shooting, six rebounds, three assists, and a block, the 32-year-old couldn’t score in critical moments. He came off the bench in Saturday’s game against the Magic, but was inserted back into the starting lineup against the Hornets.
Alongside him, Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been in a recent scoring funk. He finished with six points on 66.7 percent shooting, six assists, and a rebound in 20 minutes off the bench. As the Heat’s usual X-factor, the 25-year-old only attempted three field goals. He only went to the free-throw line once. The third-year forward has finished in single digits scoring in three of the last four games.
Kel’el Ware couldn’t fill the void of Adebayo on either side of the court. He recorded just seven points on 30 percent shooting, missing all six three-point attempts, eight rebounds, an assist, and a block in 28 minutes.
- Hornets; Late dominance: The Hornets started the fourth quarter on a 27-7 run and didn’t look back afterwards. They outscored the Heat 40-18 in the final 12 minutes of regulation. All-Star guard LaMelo Ball finished with 30 points on 50 percent shooting, along with four three-pointers made, six rebounds, 13 assists, and a steal in 33 minutes.
The Heat missed all 10 three-point attempts in the fourth quarter.
Despite already losing the season series, 0-3 heading into Tuesday’s game, the Hornets regained ground in the Eastern Conference standings, currently 10th and holding onto the final Play-In Tournament spot. They’re looking to end an eight-year playoff drought.
The Heat fall to a 38-31 record, seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. As the Atlanta Hawks are currently riding a 10-game win streak, it closes the gap between them. The Heat will return to South Florida for Thursday’s game, hosting the Los Angeles Lakers.
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