The Miami Heat’s struggles continued Monday night as they surrendered another sizable lead, falling 105-102 to the Charlotte Hornets at Kaseya Center. Charlotte’s Miles Bridges scored 35 points, while Mark Williams added 24 points and 10 rebounds to help the Hornets secure their first divisional win of the season.
This marked the third time in March that Miami has blown a lead of at least 17 points — all three meltdowns occurring at home. The Heat squandered a 19-point lead against New York on March 2, a 17-point lead versus Chicago on Saturday, and then watched a 17-point advantage slip away against Charlotte.
Bam Adebayo led Miami with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists, while Tyler Herro chipped in 21 points. However, the Heat’s recent struggles continued as they dropped their fourth straight game and fifth in their last six contests.
LaMelo Ball contributed 15 points and 10 assists for Charlotte, while the Hornets displayed exceptional efficiency from the free-throw line, going 22-for-23. Miami, by contrast, struggled from the stripe, shooting just 14-for-20.
The pivotal moment came late in the fourth quarter when Bridges drilled a 3-pointer with 1:15 remaining to give Charlotte the lead. He followed that with another clutch three on the next Hornets possession, sealing the win for Charlotte.
Charlotte used a 14-0 scoring run in the third quarter to erase Miami’s lead and added a 10-0 surge in the fourth to take control.
The Hornets entered the game 0-11 against Southeast Division opponents this season. No team since the NBA adopted the current divisional format in 1970-71 has finished a season winless within its own division.
Rookie center Kel’el Ware saw meaningful fourth-quarter minutes for just the second time in Miami’s last six games. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra hinted that Ware’s opportunities could increase moving forward.
“He’ll definitely get his opportunities moving forward,” Spoelstra said. “Look, I get it… If you lose games, the coach puts himself out there to be second-guessed. There’s no question about it.”
The Hornets continue their four-game road trip on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks. Meanwhile, Miami looks to snap its losing streak when they host the Los Angeles Clippers in the fourth game of their five-game homestand on Wednesday.
