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Heat compete but lose to Hornets

Originally posted on thePeachBasket | By Eric Labrador | Last updated Apr 15, 2026 12:53 AM ET

The Heat compete but lost to the Hornets. Lamelo Ball made a two-point layup with four seconds left to ensure the Hornets move to the next round. The Heat practically won the game when Tyler Herro got fouled on a three-point attempt. The Heat were up by 1 with nine seconds.

Teams fought back and forth

Charlotte was up 93-85 in the fourth quarter. The Heat fought back to tie the score at 93. Then, the Heat pulled ahead 102-95. The two teams fought back and forth and the Heat were up 112-108 with 28 seconds left. The Hornets out-scored the Heat 6-2 in the final seconds to force overtime.

In the OT period, Charlotte controlled it and was up 125-120 with :26 seconds left. Tyler Herro got fouled shooting a three-pointer and knocked down all three shots with nine seconds remaining. Even when Lamelo Ball hit a layup, the Heat tried again but Brandon Miller blocked Davion Mitchell‘s layup attempt.

Heat Stars

Davion Mitchell scored 28 points, Kel’el Ware had 12 points and 19 rebounds and Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points. Jaime Jaquez had eight assists and 13 points. Heat beat writer Ira Winderman put it best:

“And then a loss as stinging as any in years, taking us back to Heat-Knicks heartbreak. Yes, there will be questions about the roster: The approach, The lineups, the rotations. But that is not what this is about, this is about fighting to the last breath. Which is the essence of sports.

Even when fighting the good fight isn’t enough. So before breaking down a season, consider Tuesday night. That type of fight without Bam Adebayo — Pushing until time expired. Admire this moment: With plenty of time to ruminate on the 82 games that preceded this one.

Because what the heck just happened? Unreal. And, yet, it’s almost as if this is how it had to be.”

Hornets stars

The Hornets were the hottest team in the NBA since January. They tore the Heat apart in the March 10 game and managed to finish ahead of them even though they lost the season series. Lamelo Ball had 30 points, 10 assists and five rebounds. Miles Bridges had 28 and Brandon Miller had 23 points for the Hornets.

The Hornets again outrebounded Miami 65-55. The Heat out-played them in all other categories. Late in the third quarter, Coby White, a trade pickup this season for the Hornets scored 11 straight points to put the Hornets up 89-83. It appeared that the Hornets would run away with the game but the Heat fought back.

Next Steps

The Heat season mercifully is over. The franchise is currently at an inflexion point in their history. It was only right that the team “fought the good fight” but bowed out of the tournament. The Heat are currently picking #13 in the NBA draft. The team needs to “figure out a way forward.”

Charlotte was 33-16 since the new year. The better teams are the Spurs, Thunder, Celtics, Pistons and Cavaliers (all in the top five of their conferences.) The lineup of Ball, Bridges, Miller, Kneuppel and Diabate was the most efficient in all the NBA. They will play the loser of the Sixers-Magic game to see who advances to play the Detroit Pistons in the first round.

This article first appeared on thePeachBasket and was syndicated with permission.

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