Butler Leads Heat to Win Over Hornets in OT
The Hornets trailed for most of the game, getting outscored in each of the first three quarters. The Hornets then got hot in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Heat 31-19. It looked like Charlotte would pull out the victory on the road. Jimmy Butler had other plans.
He finished with 35 points and hit four shots in a row in the fourth quarter to keep the Heat afloat.
In overtime, the Hornets had a chance to win it, down by only 1 point with 13.1 seconds left. Kelly Oubre Jr. caught the inbounds pass but was called for a traveling violation. Gabriel Vincent hit two free throws on the other end, and the Heat never looked back.
The Hornets shot the ball very well and Kelly Oubre Jr. had his best scoring game of the season with 29 points. Jalen McDaniels contributed 16 points off the bench.
The Hornets shot better than the Heat from the field (49% to 44%) and from the 3 point line (36% to 28%). The bugs even out rebounded them 50 to 38. The main difference was in the turnovers - Charlotte had 20 while Miami only had 10.
This reflects the lack of LaMelo Ball, the typical lead ball handler for the Hornets.
Dennis Smith Jr. filled the void of starting PG very well for most of the game. He contributed 12 points and was a key part in the late fourth quarter surge. Unfortunately, he had to leave the game in overtime with an injury.
The good news for the Hornets is they have another chance to beat the Heat on Saturday in Miami.
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