The Miami Heat (4-7, 3-4 Home) welcome the Charlotte Hornets (3-9, 2-4 Away), who will be hoping to end their losing streak, on Thursday. Charlotte is playing the second of a back-to-back after getting beaten by the Portland Trail Blazers 105-95 at Spectrum Center yesterday, their sixth loss in a row.
With 18 points, Terry Rozier was the top scorer in the loss. Mason Plumlee was another key contributor with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists. The Hornets are 13th in the Eastern Conference. Miami lost a close one on Monday at FTX Arena, falling to the Portland Trail Blazers 110-107. Jimmy Butler had 16 points, seven assists, and six steals in the loss, carrying the team.
The Heat are the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference. The teams are meeting for the first time this season. Miami swept all four games between the teams last season, the last of which was a 144-115 triumph at FTX Arena on April 5, their fifth straight head-to-head victory.
Tyler Herro led the Heat with 35 points, six rebounds, three assists, and one steals. Miles Bridges had 29 points in the losing effort. Kelly Oubre Jr. (17.5 ppg), PJ Washington (15.9), and Gordon Hayward (15.4) are leading the Hornets in scoring this season.
Oubre Jr. leads the league in scoring. Meanwhile, Plumlee is grabbing 8.6 rebounds per game, most in the league, and Dennis Smith Jr. is dishing 6.0 assists (1st). Butler (20.9 ppg) and Herro (19.6) have powered the Heat on offense.
Butler leads the NBA. Bam Adebayo is averaging 8.1 rebounds per game, most in the NBA, and Kyle Lowry is recording 5.8 assists (1st). The Heat have had the advantage in the Hornets’ last 10 visits to FTX Arena, winning seven.
Charlotte is looking to avoid a fifth consecutive road defeat this season. Meanwhile, the Hornets are 1-1 when playing on consecutive nights this season and 1-0 with a rest disadvantage.Charlotte is 2-8 in the last 10 games with an average margin of -7.7 (105.4-113.1). Miami has a 4-6 record over the last 10, allowing 108.5 points per game on average while scoring only 108.0 (-0.5 margin).
HORNETS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Gordon Hayward: 6.0 | 22.9 | -16.9
Points per game:
Gordon Hayward: 3.5 | 15.4 | -11.9
Assists per game:
Terry Rozier: 4.3 | 6.0 | -1.7
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
Miami Heat -10.5 (-110)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
