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Game 2: Hornets 103 - HEAT 115 Recap

The Miami HEAT defeated the Charlotte Hornets 115-103 Wednesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round. Dwyane Wade led the way for the HEAT with 28 points. Miami now leads the series 2-0.

1. Wade Shuts the Door

Wade simply did it all against Charlotte. Whether it was drives off the pick-and-roll, mid-range jumpers or attacks in transition, the vet was feeling it in Game 2. Hassan Whiteside did a nice job of freeing him up with some hard screens, but Wade’s most impressive drive on the night didn’t require one.

With 3:31 to go in the first quarter, the shooting guard brought the ball down court after securing the defensive rebound. Once he approached the right wing, he showed excellent burst on a drive right past Jeremy Lin, absorbed contact from behind and finished the play. Wade also sank the ensuing free throw to put the HEAT up 24-17 early.

As the Hornets inched closer in the fourth quarter, Wade attacked Courtney Lee inside and drew fouls to make sure Miami wouldn’t relinquish its lead.

In addition to his 28 points, nine of which came in the final period, the 34-year-old also tallied a team-high eight assists.

2. Another Strong Outing for Whiteside

In the second quarter, Whiteside was put in a precarious situation guarding Al Jefferson with two fouls. While Jefferson converted some difficult shots, Whiteside held his own later in the period and anticipated an entry pass from Kemba Walker inside to the big man. The former Marshall product also had a few impressive sequences on Jefferson where he remained disciplined.

In all, Whiteside had 17 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in his 30 minutes of action.

3. Rooks Sharp on Both Ends

Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson continued to show that they are not afraid of the moment. Both rookies answered the call and hit some key outside shots for Miami, mostly off catch-and-shoot opportunities. In fact, Winslow hit his first four shots on the evening and ended up with nine points and four boards. Richardson, on the other hand, hit two threes en-route to a 15-point performance on 5-of-9 shooting.

Other Takeaways:

-Goran Dragic nailed three 3-pointers in the first half, with two of those coming off great screens by Whiteside and Luol Deng. Later, Dragic drove to the basket and continued to keep up his strong play. The Slovenian finished with 18 points and four assists on the evening.

Game Note: Chris Bosh and Tyler Johnson (shoulder) sat out.