The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Miami Heat 115-110 on Saturday, October 24, at Spectrum Center, dropping Miami to 0-3 despite a late comeback attempt. Brandon Miller scored 34 points, while Grayson Allen added 20 as Charlotte improved to 2-1 after suffering a 47-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
Dennis Schroder contributed 25 points and Naz Reid added 23 for the Hornets, who bounced back from a 128-81 defeat in their home opener. Charlotte shot 16-of-43 from three-point range after making just 11 of 51 attempts against Atlanta.
The Hornets took control with a 24-7 run in the third quarter, turning a 68-63 lead into a 92-70 advantage with 2:55 remaining in the period. Five three-pointers fueled the surge as Charlotte built a 22-point cushion.
Miller finished with 34 points on 10-of-29 shooting, including three three-pointers, and made 11 of 12 free throws. His performance came two days after he signed a five-year, $209 million contract extension and one night after he scored six points on 2-of-14 shooting against Atlanta.
Miami mounted a comeback despite Giannis Antetokounmpo spending time on the bench with foul trouble. The forward, who had averaged 35.5 points across his first two games following his offseason trade from the Milwaukee Bucks, finished with 14 points, six rebounds and three assists before fouling out with 1:57 remaining.
Davion Mitchell led the Heat with 22 points and 10 assists, while Bam Adebayo recorded 20 points and eight rebounds. Pelle Larsson added 15 points, and Klay Thompson scored 14.
Miami erased much of Charlotte’s lead, tying the game at 100, 102 and 104. However, Allen delivered the decisive play with 3:46 remaining, making a three-pointer from the left wing while drawing a foul from Tim Hardaway Jr. His converted free throw completed a four-point play and gave Charlotte a 108-104 lead.
The Heat did not get closer than three points afterward, leaving them winless through their first three games.
Miami will host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, October 26, while Charlotte will welcome the Washington Wizards on the same day.
