The Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets split the first four games of their first round playoff series.
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The Hornets have won three consecutive games in the series, and will take a 3-2 lead into a potential Game 6 clincher on Friday night.
At that point in the game – well, after Kemba Walker’s missed jumper – the Hornets, down by a point, had just a 39.92% chance of winning the contest.
Miami emerged victorious once again in Game two last April 20th, beating the Hornets with a final score of 115-103. The Hornets barely beat the Heat in the last two games – it’s not a done deal. Miami must be able to contain Charlotte’s distance shooting if it hopes to win Game 6. Courtney Lee was able to make the game winning shot for Charlotte in this one. Charlotte was walling off the paint and Miami’s guards weren’t making shots.Nic Batum left with 10:43 remaining after spraining his left ankle, heading straight to the locker room for examination and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the night. Miami cooled off and the Hornets found a way to dominate the interior and tie this series up.
Since March 2015, the NBA’s “Last Two Minute Report” has provided a public report card of sorts on everything that happens in the final two minutes of games that were within five points or less.
Miami would slightly build on their lead in the early parts of the 4th quarter, but would only by as much as seven. That game will take place in Charlotte and it will be a series deciding game.
“The message after I missed that layup was just ‘Play on, ‘ ” Lee said. Down by 2, Wade grabbed an errant shot out of the air on the left baseline and made an aggressive move toward the basket. The lack of assists and rough 3 point shooting from Charlotte was, in part, due to Nicolas Batum going down to injury in the 3rd quarter.
Since star Dwyane Wade entered the league in 2003-04, Miami is 7-7 when facing elimination. And that hasn’t been an issue thus far as reserve guard Jeremy Lin (14.8 points, 2.5 assists per game) and center Al Jefferson (14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds per) have stepped up to the plate and delivered.
Klay Thompson scored 27 points with seven 3-pointers and the Golden State Warriors rolled into the second round of the playoffs without injured superstar Stephen Curry, thoroughly embarrassing the Houston Rockets 114-81 on Wednesday night in Game 5.
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Skip Bayless also said his opinion on Twitter saying that Dwayne Wade and any other player should receive the whistle they deserve especially in the crucial parts of the game.
