The Charlotte Hornets look to bounce back from a 1-0 series deficit as they visit the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first-round Playoffs on Thursday night.
The Hornets were on the receiving end of a 123-91 drubbing at the hands of Miami in Game 1 of their first round series on Sunday at American Airlines Arena, and desperately need to escape Florida with a win if they want to maintain any hope of advancing. Nicolas Batum dropped a team-best 24 points, adding 2 rebounds and 2 steals while shooting 7 of 14 from the field and 3 of 7 from beyond the arc. Kemba Walker, who emerged as the team's top offensive threat during the regular season, contributed 19 points, going 6 of 13 from the paint and nailing all five of his shot attempts from the free throw line. Al Jefferson played off the bench for 13 points, hauling in 5 boards and forcing a pair of turnovers as Charlotte were simply outgunned on both offense and defense by their division rivals. Marvin Williams, who averaged 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds for the team throughout their campaign, was nearly invisible in the loss, scoring only 2 points in 26 minutes on the court.
The Heat were firing on all cylinders offensively, shooting 57.6% from field goal range, 50% from deep and 76.2% from the foul line as a collective on their way to a confidence-inspiring rout. The team came just one point shy of having all of their starters post double digits, with Luol Deng leading the charge on the back of a 31-point, 7-rebound performance. Deng shot 11 of 13 from the field, 4 of 6 from long range and 5 of 7 from the charity stripe in Miami's first trip to the postseason since losing in the Finals in 2014. Hassan Whiteside got the start and made the most of it, finishing the night with a double-double, scoring 21 points and taking in 11 rebounds. Dwayne Wade added 16 points, 7 assists and 4 boards, going 8 of 16 from the paint as the club looks to head to Charlotte on Sunday evening with a commanding 2-0 series lead. Should the Heat lay waste to the Hornets on Thursday night, it will mark their sixth consecutive victory over the team in the Playoffs, as they swept the then-Bobcats 4-0 in the first round two years ago.
