CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Hornets were the victims of a pair of killer Bs on Saturday.
Heat forward Jimmy Butler and center Bam Adebayo carried the team as Miami, propelled by a 35-8 run in the third quarter, rallied to a 104-86 win on the road against Charlotte.
Butler, the Heat’s lone All Star representative, led the team with 27 points and had six rebounds with four assists. Adebayo racked up 20 points while notching 12 rebounds, three assists, a pair of blocks and three steals.
Butler and Adebayo carried Miami through a strong first quarter. Butler notched 10 points in the game’s first seven minutes and finished the first quarter with 12 points. Adebayo had eight points and six rebounds through the first period.
The Heat struggled in the second quarter, shooting just 23.1% and getting outscored 28-15 in the second period.
Butler continued rolling in the second quarter, adding another six points to finish the half with a team-leading 18 points. But the rest of the team scuffled, shooting 18% from the floor.
While the Heat struggled, the Hornets took full advantage. Terry Rozier notched 14 first-half points, while Miles Bridges had 13 (including 11 in the second quarter) and LaMelo Ball had 10.
Miami flipped the switch in the third quarter, outscoring Charlotte by 27. After trailing at halftime, the Heat led 81-59 at the end of the third quarter.
While Butler and Adebayo rounded out strong performances, more Heat players got into the mix. Tyler Herro, who had three points in the first half, closed the game with 11 fourth-quarter points, finishing with 19. Kyle Lowry finished with nine points and six assists, and Caleb Martin, in a return to his home state against his former team, ended the game with eight points, eight rebounds and three assists.
