Duncan Robinson scored 24 points and the Miami Heat overcame some shoddy final-minute sequences to hold on for a 116-114 victory against the host Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.
Jimmy Butler (23 points) and Caleb Martin (20 points and nine rebounds) combined with reserves Kevin Love (19 points) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (18 points), respectively, to give Miami enough offense. Duncan connected on five 3-point shots and Love had four treys.
The Heat won for just the third time in their past eight games. Two of Miami’s past seven wins overall came in Charlotte within a month’s span.
Terry Rozier shot 8-for-13 from 3-point range on his way to 34 points for the Hornets. The rest of Charlotte’s starters combined to shoot 6-for-17 from long distance. Rozier also had 13 assists.
Charlotte’s Miles Bridges scored 18 points, Gordon Hayward posted 17 points, Brandon Miller supplied 16 points and reserve P.J. Washington added 15 points. The Hornets lost for the third time in four games.
With Butler committing two turnovers in the final minute, Charlotte had a chance despite trailing 114-108 at the 50-second mark. Rozer’s 3-pointer trimmed the gap to 114-111 before the Hornets regained possession.
Rozier made one of two free throws with 12.3 seconds left to cut the gap to two.
Miami’s Martin made just 1 of 2 foul shots with 9.8 seconds remaining before Rozier drained a pair of free throws to make it 115-114 less than a second later. Butler made just the second try of a two-shot foul with 4.3 seconds left, but Rozier’s launch from 44 feet was no good at the buzzer.
Miami made 27 of 34 free throws for the game. Charlotte was 17 of 22 at the line.
The Hornets had a big fourth quarter after trailing 89-77 through three.
Charlotte nearly came all the way back, closing within one for the fifth time at 103-102 before Robinson made three free throws at the 4:11 mark.
The Heat kept scoring in bunches, with Butler’s three-point play and Love’s 3-pointer coming on the next two Miami possessions to extend the lead to 112-105 to set up the somewhat chaotic final two minutes.
Charlotte played without starting center Mark Williams (back).
Miami led 59-50 at halftime, as Martin, a former Hornet, and Jacquez each had 14 points before the break. Hayward scored 12 first-half points for Charlotte.
–Field Level Media