Marvin Williams led Charlotte with 17 points and the Hornets also got 14 points each from Al Jefferson and Walker.
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The health of Batum will certainly be a big thing to watch over the next 36 hours as he braved through playing with a left ankle strain, which clearly affected his performance in Game 5 (Batum had eight points on 2-of-6 shooting, three rebounds and three assists). In Game 5, he first missed a contested layup with a minute left with Charlotte down 88-87, but then came back with another rebound off Kemba Walker’s miss and made the deciding 3-pointer.
Courtney Lee was traded from Memphis to Charlotte earlier this year, where he’s been a solid contribution off the bench, averaging 9 points and 3 rebounds per game while shooting 40% from behind-the-arc.
Hassan Whiteside: He protected the rim and grabbed plenty of rebounds.
During the fourth game of the series, Lin attempted a three-pointer over his Heat guard.
The Charlotte Hornets will have a chance to end the series in the next game, as the two teams return to the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. The tip-off time has yet to be announced. But the Hornets, who were 12-of-24 from the three-point line, never caved even when Wade started burying shots that few in the National Basketball Association can make. Based on the first two games in South Beach, the Hornets haven’t exactly shown that they can match up well. He had another chance to redeem himself in that game, but missed on another layup with 0.6 in regulation. After the Heat, a team that owned the paint after the All-Star break, destroyed the Hornets in the paint in Game 1, the Hornets have turned the tables.
He scored 10 of his 14 first-half points in the final 5:49, sparking a 17-7 Miami burst to get within 49-47.
The Charlotte Hornets just got their biggest win in more than a decade, and they may owe it to some unconventional healing methods.
After a great defensive series from the Hornets, Wade drove into the teeth of the defense and appeared to take some heavy contact.
Including this series, Charlotte has won five of six at home against Miami. After Walker was blocked buy Josh Richardson, it was Wade again who gave the Heat a three-point cushion on a midrange jumper to make it 88-85 for the home team.
While this should’ve been the outcome, it wasn’t because the Hornets earned the win. They can’t let this go to a Game 7 in Miami.
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THOMAS OKAY: All signs point toward Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas being able to play in Game 6 tonight against the Hawks, coach Brad Stevens said.
