Norman Powell scored 25 points, Andrew Wiggins added 22, and the Miami Heat stormed out to a record-setting first quarter on their way to a 126-108 victory over the Charlotte Hornets in NBA Cup group play Friday night — a win that came just one day after head coach Erik Spoelstra’s home burned down.
Pelle Larsson chipped in 19 points off the bench for Miami (1-0 NBA Cup), which set a franchise record with 53 points in the first quarter, the second-highest opening period in NBA history. The Heat led by as many as 26 points early in the second quarter, appearing poised to run Charlotte out of the building.
But the Hornets (0-1) made things interesting. Rookie Kon Knueppel poured in a career-best 30 points, Tre Mann added 20, and Miles Bridges contributed 14 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists as Charlotte mounted a furious rally. The Hornets ripped off a 27-2 run to cut the deficit to one, trimming Miami’s 64-38 lead to just 66-65 late in the first half.
Despite the scare, the Heat never surrendered the lead. Miami regrouped after a sluggish second quarter — in which they scored only 19 points — and reasserted control in the second half. Powell and Wiggins provided timely buckets, and the Heat’s defense locked down Charlotte in the fourth to seal the win.
The bizarre statistical contrast added a historical footnote: Miami became just the second team in the NBA’s shot-clock era (since 1954) to score at least 50 points in one quarter and fewer than 20 in the next. The only other team to do it was Memphis on March 5, 2023, in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
For Charlotte, rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner went 5-for-7 from the field — actually lowering his season shooting percentage from 82.9% to 81.3%.
The win was particularly meaningful for Spoelstra, who coached through personal adversity after a fire destroyed his home on Thursday. His team responded with resilience and poise — a reflection of their veteran coach’s own grit.
Hornets: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. Heat: Host the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night.
