By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Neil Redmond/AP
The No. 9 Charlotte Hornets defeated the No. 10 Miami Heat in a thrilling finish in the NBA Play-in tournament, 127-126.
It’s been ten years since the Hornets made the playoffs. With the victory, they will face the loser of the Orlando Magic-Philadelphia Sixers matchup for the eighth spot.
The Heat and the Hornets played a very physical game. The Hornets have been a surprising team in the NBA. Their starting five have gone 31-9 this season. LaMelo Ball has been a tremendous young leader for this Hornets group. Ball didn’t have his best shooting night, but he stepped up in overtime by facilitating and driving to the basket. Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists.
Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges were some of the big heroes for the Hornets. When it came to the fourth quarter and overtime, they answered the bell by making threes, drawing fouls, and making defensive plays, especially on the last play by Bridges, when he blocked Davion Mitchell’s potential game-winning layup.
Bridges finished with 28 points, nine rebounds, and made five of ten threes. Miller added 23 points and also made five threes. How about Coby White? He has been a tremendous acquisition for the Hornets. White made some big shots in the second half and finished the game with 19 points, and made five of his eight threes. Moussa Diabate led the team with 14 rebounds. His defense was superb.
When Bam Adebayo went down with a lower back injury in the first quarter, it looked like the Heat were done. Miami was resilient and rallied behind him. The team held up their end. Tyler Herro scored the final six minutes for the Heat. It wasn’t a great shooting night for him, but he redeemed himself in clutch situations. He finished with 23.
Andrew Wiggins and Mitchell played with so much heart and passion. Wiggins scored 27 points and 7 rebounds. One of his best moments is when he nailed back-to-back threes late in the fourth quarter. Mitchell finished with 28.
Kel’el Ware should raise his head. The Heat organization should be proud of what he did offensively and, most certainly, defensively in this game. He recorded 5 blocks. His defense in the third quarter was fantastic. Ware finished with a double-double with 12 points and 19 rebounds. He did a great job stepping up for Adebayo.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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