Welcome to Miami. In a spectacular and thrilling finish, the Miami Heat pulled off a 114-106 victory over the shorthanded Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night, led by six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler’s clutch showing in the fourth quarter, when it mattered most.
The Heat led comfortably by 14, 92-78, with 8:46 left in the game, but the Hornets started a furious comeback with a 21-7 extended run, making it a one possession game, slicing the lead to just three with 2:56 remaining.
That is when Jimmy ‘Buckets’ put his signature on things and took over. Butler swished his only three of the game, then followed that up on the ensuing possession with a turnaround fadeaway jumper over the outstretched hands of LaMelo Ball to extend Miami’s lead. Charlotte refused to roll over and die and fought back with big shots from Tre Mann and Miles Bridges, but the duo of Tyler Herro and ‘Scary’ Terry Rozier responded with clutch threes of their own. The Heat held on to secure their first win of the 2024-25 season.
Ball had 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Hornets on an emotional night when they honored their late longtime public address announcer Pat Doughty, and showed livestream feeds on the arena scoreboard of a star-studded benefit concert for victims of Hurricane Helene taking place less than a mile away at Bank of America Stadium. One of the performers at the concert was musician Eric Church, a Hornets minority owner.
The Hornets (1-2) looked out of sync with 20 turnovers, and twice were whistled for 5-second violations after failing to get the ball in on side inbound plays.
Three games into the season and Charlotte’s depth is already being tested with three starters, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams and Josh Green, all sidelined with injuries.
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After a disappointing performance in the season opener against the Orlando Magic, when he finished the game with only 3 points, Butler was the hero in the win against the Hornets. Butler scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter alone. He believes the only way the Heat can win games is if “we always remember who we are” and he embodied that mindset and spirit. This was the Jimmy Butler the Heat expected, and they hope to see more of his magic as the season progresses.
It was also a great homecoming performance for former Hornets guard Rozier. After spending four and a half years with the organization, Rozier returned to the Spectrum Center for the first time since he was traded back in January. Rozier scored 19 points, shooting an efficient 7 of 12 from the field and 3 for 6 from distance, including the dagger three of the night that extended the Heat’s lead to eight with 34.1 seconds left.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra applauded his team’s response to Wednesday’s disappointing loss to the Magic, noting that “efficiency” was the formula for victory. The Heat delivered on that focus, limiting their turnovers to a baker’s dozen and shooting a solid 41.2% from 3-point range.
It was a total team effort and much needed to avoid a disastrous 0-2 start. It was more than just Butler and Rozier who stepped up. The supporting cast did their jobs on both ends of the court. Herro continued his sharp shooting, contributing 22 points and looked comfortable running the point when Rozier and Butler were both on the bench taking a rest. Alec Burks, who came over from the New York Knicks, got the nod over Haywood Highsmith and played his role to perfection, making three of his four triples.
One downside of the game was Bam Adabayo’s performance. Despite his double-double with 12 points and 11 boards, he struggled from the field, shooting 6 of 17. Adabayo will need to get his jump shot going, as the offense often runs through the three-time All-Star. The Heat also did not protect the glass, allowing 15 offensive rebounds after giving up 18 to the Magic on Wednesday. If Miami expects to improve this season, they need to limit second-chance opportunities. Like their president Pat Riley said, “no rebounds, no rings.”
The Heat had control for most of the game, but when faced with adversity for the first time this season they responded.
The Heat will look to continue their momentum on Monday when they travel to the ‘Motor City’ to take on Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons at the Kaseya Center.
After three days off to lick their wounds and get in a couple of practices, the Hornets host Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
