The Miami Heat defeated the Charlotte Hornets in their last matchup (Oct. 28) behind Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s 28 points.
The Charlotte Hornets (34-34) host the Miami Heat (38-30) at Spectrum Center on Tuesday. Miami has won four straight and 17 of its last 20 games against Charlotte.
Here are three key storylines to know heading into tonight’s matchup:
1. The Heat remain hot: Miami suffered a narrow loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday, but they’ve been one of the best teams in the NBA over recent weeks, winning 10 of 12 games before that defeat. The scorching stretch is no surprise when looking at statistics, as Miami ranks fourth in offensive efficiency and sixth in defensive efficiency during that 13-game span. The Heat sit seventh in the Eastern Conference but are only three games back of the Cleveland Cavaliers in fourth. They have two matchups with Cleveland and two games against the Toronto Raptors, who are in sixth place, over their final 14 contests. That means the Heat can avoid the Play-In Tournament if they remain hot, which is the ultimate goal since they’ve gone three straight seasons.
2. Charlotte continues to surprise: Charlotte’s season was teetering when it sat at a 16-28 record on January 21, but something has changed. The Hornets have won 18 of 24 games since then, posting six and nine-game winning streaks. That’s the best stretch of basketball this franchise has played since the Kemba Walker days, and it’s all due to the depth of their starting unit. LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller are all averaging over 17.5 points per game. No other team in the NBA can say that, and the Hornets are ranked second in offensive efficiency since the All-Star break. That run has Charlotte sitting 10th in the East, but they have a 4.5-game cushion over the Milwaukee Bucks. They’re also only 4.5 games behind the Orlando Magic in fifth, so don’t count out more climbing for this surging Charlotte squad.
3. Bam Adebayo’s best stretch of his career: Everyone knows Adebayo had the best game of his career last week, but he’s been incredibly consistent outside of that. The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week has at least 20 points and nine rebounds in nine straight outings. He’s also averaging 29.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in that span. The 83-point eruption obviously stands out, but his consistency has led to Miami’s best stretch of the season. The one thing that’s not discussed enough about Adebayo is his amazing defense, which ranks in the Top 10 among qualified players in defensive win shares. That’s particularly impressive considering Miami plays at the fastest pace in the NBA, which has ultimately made Bam one of the best two-way players in the league.
