Miami Heat's record was 11-30 just around two months ago, yet today they got within half a game behind the playoff seeds. Miami hosted the Charlotte Hornets and defeated them 108 to 101, earning their 31st win of the season. The game was not easy as both teams kept playing well until the final buzzer sounded off, but it was the Heat that emerged as the winners after 48 minutes of regulation.
Once again, everyone on the Heat roster contributed a lot, and it was Dion Waiters who came up big in clutch, as he helped Miami swing momentum to their advantage and earn a valuable win.
Waiters ended the game with 24 points on a very efficient 50 percent shooting from the field.
Miami fought hard and got rewarded for their effort
Charlotte Hornets turned out to be a tough opponent for the Heat, as they were relentless for the entire game, making Miami earn the victory a hard way. Hornets' biggest lead in the game was 7 points and they even entered the fourth quarter leading by 5 points. In their previous matchups this season, Charlotte won both games, but with the playoffs at stake, the Heat could not let that happen again.
Charlotte had a 13-3 run in the first quarter as they took the lead of the game, forcing Miami to commit four turnovers and shoot just 30 percent in the quarter.
However, second quarter was a whole different story as the Heat used a 17-2 run to open it. They gained a 12-point lead, but the Hornets kept fighting back and Kemba Walker scored 15 points in this quarter alone, tying the game at the half. Second half was relatively even as neither team managed to gain control of the game.
Charlotte Hornets took the lead in the first five minutes of it, but the Heat responded in the early fourth quarter, gaining the lead and never looking back after it.
Heat backcourt combined for 46 points
Dion Waiters and Goran Dragic have been incredible for the last two months, as they became one of the best backcourts in the league.
Tonight, they delivered once again, combining for 46 points and 15 assists, playing well from start to finish. Waiters was especially good in the fourth quarter, and he played well when Miami needed him most. The shooting guard scored 9 points, all of them from the long range. Waiters, who is no stranger to big shots this season, played with a lot of confidence and it paid off for the Miami Heat.
Miami made 17 three-pointers in the game, shooting 41.5 percent on their long-range shots. They got a big help off the bench from James Johnson, who had a spectacular game with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Although his stats are not impressive, Johnson did virtually everything on the floor, and his energy propelled the Heat to a big victory.
The Heat now have 17 games left in the season and their next game is against the Toronto Raptors on March 11. Raptors will visit Miami on their second night of a back-to-back and will be without their superstar point guard, Kyle Lowry. At the moment, the situation looks very good for Miami and they are an inch away from making the playoffs. There is, however, over a month of the regular season left to play, and the Heat will have to give their maximum effort every single game in order to reach their goal.
