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For the third matchup of their four-game season series, the Charlotte Hornets will host the Miami Heat at Spectrum Center on February 17th.
The Miami Heat will head into this game on the back of a 99-107 loss against the Dallas Mavericks. With their first loss in five games, the Heat currently find themselves at 37-21 on the season and have fallen to second place in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Charlotte Hornets are also coming off a loss. Suffering a 120-126 OT loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Hornets now find themselves on a two-game losing streak and are one game below .500 with a record of 29-30.
The Heat emerged as winners in the previous two encounters between the sides. With a 2-0 series lead against the Hornets, Miami will look to extend their lead while Charlotte attempts to prevent a potential sweep at home.
Match Details
Fixture - Miami Heat vs Charlotte Hornets
Date & Time - Thursday, February 17th, 2022; 7:00 PM ET (Friday, February 18th, 2022; 5:30 AM IST)
Venue - Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Miami Heat Preview
Although their last game against the Dallas Mavericks resulted in a loss, the Miami Heat enjoyed a fairly consistent run of games last week. Racking up four wins in their last five games, the Heat have continued to be a solid unit this season.
With only half a game now separating Miami and the No.1 ranked Chicago Bulls, one can imagine that the Heat will be eager to win this matchup before the All-Star break to keep the pressure on the Bulls.
The match against Dallas was an uncharacteristic one too as the team failed to break the 100-point mark in that game. With Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo combining for 50 points, the Heat saw Kyle Lowry and Omer Yurtseven as the only other double-digit scorers on the night.
On a very poor shooting night from beyond the arc that saw them convert only 25.9 % of their three-point attempts, Miami will look to turn things around on Thursday. But concerns regarding the availability of players such as Butler may prove to be an obstacle.
Key Player - Bam Adebayo
A key player for the Miami Heat in their upcoming away fixture will be Bam Adebayo. Adebayo's return has been essential to Miami's overall scheme. As one of the best defensive centers in the game, the 24-year old also contributes significantly on the rebounding front.
Adebayo is an extremely versatile big man. Although he is undersized, his athleticism and strength, paired with his defensive reading of the game, allow him to level the playing field against bigger centers.
While he is key in anchoring Miami's defense, Bam Adebayo plays a massive role as a facilitator as well. Although these numbers don't necessarily show up on the stats sheet, Adebayo influences the pace of the game in a hybrid point-center role.
Coming off a double-double performance of 21 points and 12 rebounds, Adebayo may be asked to be an even more aggressive scorer should Jimmy Butler find himself out for this game due to injury.
Miami Heat Predicted Lineup
G - Kyle Lowry | G - Duncan Robinson | F - Jimmy Butler | F - PJ Tucker | C - Bam Adebayo
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Charlotte Hornets Preview
The Charlotte Hornets have been fairly inconsistent as a team in the month of February. Although the side will see All-Star representation with LaMelo Ball's selection this season, the Hornets are in a poor position with regards to their playoff aspirations as they are currently ranked ninth in the East.
The Hornets have lost four of their last five games. With their sole win being a blowout performance against the Detroit Pistons, unfortunately the Hornets have been on a losing slide since.
A big reason for their loss against the Timberwolves was their late-game execution. Although Charlotte led for the majority of the game, the Hornets saw chronic inconsistency in their scoring in the fourth-quarter as well as overtime.
While the Hornets saw solid performances from the trio of Ball (22 points), Terry Rozier (25 points) and Miles Bridges (28 points), another loss in the books sees them only half a game ahead of tenth place in the East.
Key Player - Miles Bridges
A key player for the Charlotte Hornets in their upcoming home fixture will be Miles Bridges. In conversation for the Most Improved Player award earlier in the season, Bridges has continued to be a vital member of the Hornets' rotation.
Coming off a great outing against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 23-year old has been a consistent offensive threat when paired with LaMelo Ball. Delivering a clutch three-pointer to send the game to OT, Bridges kept Charlotte's hopes of a win alive against Minnesota.
Bridges has seen an upward trend in the scoring department over his last five games as he averaged 21.6 points per game in that span, an improvement on his season shooting average of 19.9.
Bridges has been a fairly consistent scorer against the Miami Heat as he averages 18.5 points per game against them this season. However, his three-point shooting and the drop in his rebounding numbers against the side could raise some concerns for the Hornets.
Charlotte Hornets Predicted Lineup
G - LaMelo Ball | G - Terry Rozier | F - Miles Bridges | F - PJ Washington | C - Mason Plumlee
Heat vs Hornets Match Predictions
Although the Charlotte Hornets enjoy homecourt advantage for this game, the Miami Heat should emerge as the winners in this matchup.
The Heat have been in tremendous form over the course of the last week. Although they lost to the Dallas Mavericks earlier, Miami continues to be a top caliber team when it comes to carrying out their schemes on both sides of the ball.
Meanwhile, Charlotte have really struggled to establish a winning rhythm in their previous games. With negative momentum working against them, this matchup poses an uphill battle for the Hornets to say the least.
Where to watch Heat vs Hornets game?
The Miami Heat vs Charlotte Hornets game will be locally broadcast on Bally Sports Southeast. The game will also be available on the NBA’s League Pass platform. Fans can listen to the game by tuning into WFNZ 610 AM/ 102.5 FM.
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