Don’t Jump on Charlotte Hornets’ Bandwagon Just Yet After Big Game 3 Win

The fiery-hot shooting that powered the Miami Heat to consecutive double-digit victories over the Charlotte Hornets wasn’t going to last forever. Even Miami’s sharpshooters could admit to that.

“I know and understand that this is fool’s gold,” Joe Johnson said after the Heat opened the playoffs by scoring at least 115 points in back-to-back games for the first time all season.

That’s what kept the Hornets’ hopes high for their return to Charlotte. Even with uber-valuable swingman Nicolas Batum sidelined by a foot strain, the Hornets felt that regression alone could turn the tide of this series.

“Sometimes a team just makes shots,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said after Game 2. “That’s really what’s going on.”

The narrative changed early in Game 3.

Miami once again started strong and had 18 points—including four three-pointers from Luol Deng—by the six-minute mark of the opening period. But it managed just 40 points over the next two-and-a-half quarters and carried a 75-58 deficit into the final frame.

The Hornets eventually cruised to a 96-80 victory, a postseason first for the modern incarnation of the Charlotte franchise. But this wasn’t an offensive win. The Hornets shot a dismal 38.9 percent from the field and misfired on 13 of their 18 three-point looks.

Had the Heat’s shooting carried over, Charlotte could’ve face a nearly insurmountable 3-0 deficit. But the Hornets defense wouldn’t let that happen.

Hornets DefenseCreate column charts

“The way we played tonight is how we’ve played all year,” Kemba Walker told sideline reporter Rebecca Haarlow after the game.

The Hornets played like their backs were against the wall. Because they were.

Those lopsided losses weren’t as deflating as the scores suggested—Courtney Lee said the team could “play the law of averages”—but the results still carried the same sting. A 2-0 deficit …

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