However, they did win 98-95 as four-point road underdogs on the betting lines at the sportsbooks at Time Warner Cable Arena on February 5 behind a triple-double from center Hassan Whiteside, who totaled 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks.
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During the two games in Charlotte, which both resulted in wins for the Hornets, the Heat were outscored by 20 points. “Look, it never is decided by those plays, but from my vantage point Dwyane certainly looked like he got fouled”, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. The Heat won Game 2 comfortably with a 27-3 advantage from three-point range, but their perimeter shooting came back down to earth in the two games in Charlotte. Miami got off to a quick start, roaring out to a 14-6 lead. Lin hit a long jumper of his own to cut the lead to 88-87, before Lee’s heroics again ruled the day and sent the Hornets home with their third win of the series.
The Charlotte Hornets now hold a 3-2 series lead against the Miami Heat in their first round playoff series after a tight 90-88 victory Wednesday night. “If we can do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance to win”. But the Heat came up empty on the ensuing possession, and Lee got an offensive rebound and eventually scored on Charlotte’s next trip down the floor.
This is one of the reasons why they tried so hard to secure a top four spot for the playoffs, because it was nearly inevitable that the team would fall apart on the road. The Hornets entered this series averaging 10.6 three-point makes per game during the regular season.
If the Charlotte Hornets were going have a shot at advancing to the next round, they were going to have to steal a game in Miami. The Heat won six consecutive home games in the interim.
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After winning the first two games of the series in dominant fashion, the Heat are now one game away from elimination. “Yeah, it’s possible. I have seen a lot of criticism when (coach Frank Vogel) has taken me out, but we’re supposed to maintain that lead whoever is in there”. The over/under total for the game has been set at 194 points. Al Jefferson continued to be consistent and effective, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes. They also can drive into the paint and make hard shots. They did it past year in the same situation, winning Game 6 in San Antonio before taking Game 7 of a classic first-round series back home.
