Hornets tie series with Heat: 6 things to know

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We’ve officially got a series. The Charlotte Hornets defended their home court in Game 4 to even the series with the Miami Heat 2-2 with an 89-85 victory Monday night. The game featured wild swings, crazy comebacks by both teams, and in the end, a lot of Charlotte point guards running wild in the win.

Here are six things to know about Charlotte’s Game 4 victory:

1. IT’S GOING DOWN, I’M YELLING ‘KEMBA:’ Kemba Walker has needed a moment like this. After getting swept two years ago, and after a season where he made huge strides — coming in second in Most Improved Player votes — Walker needed a moment where he stepped up and took over the game with his dizzying array of crossovers and his ability to finish inside.

Walker finished with 34 points on 28 shots, along with three steals and two blocks. The Heat simply do not have answers for him in pick and rolls, especially any time Hassan Whiteside sits as he did in Game 4 with foul trouble. Walker’s size should mean he can’t finish in the trees but he was hitting tough shots off the glass in the fourth consistently.

Of note, when Whiteside re-entered the game at 2:52 remaining in the fourth, Walker did not score again.

However, Walker did score 11 points in less than three minutes to help establish the Hornets’ lead. He’s been the Hornets’ best player this season and as the franchise point guard, he needed this moment in his building. For a guy who was doubted coming out of UConn and doubted through his first years in the league, this was a big step forward.

It should be noted, however … he finished a minus-seven for the game.

2. RUN AWAY TRAINS NEVER GOING BACK: In a microcosm of how this series has gone, the Heat opened up the game with a 13-4 run. The …

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