The Miami HEAT fell to the Charlotte Hornets 96-88 Thursday night at Spectrum Center. Rodney McGruder led the way for the HEAT with 19 points.
1. Young Guys Show Out
Both McGruder and Okaro White made the most of their opportunity on Thursday night. As usual, McGruder worked tirelessly on both ends. In addition to nailing four 3-pointers, he also made some impressive stops in transition on the other end. McGruder simply never gives up on a play, which is a great quality to have.
The 25-year-old also led the team with three steals, including a great heads-up play in the fourth quarter.
With 4:31 left in the period, McGruder swiped an errant pass from Kemba Walker, raced down court and finished the one-handed jam.
In addition to his 19 points and three steals, the former Kansas State Wildcat also amassed seven boards, three assists and a plus-10 rating.
White, meanwhile, showed his offensive versatility like in Summer League. He did damage both inside and outside, while also cleaning up the boards pretty well. The former Florida State Seminole tallied 13 points, 12 rebounds (four offensive), one steal and one block against the Hornets.
2. Reed Keeps It Up
After notching a double-double in Miami’s last game against Orlando, Willie Reed simply continued his torrid stretch on Thursday night. The 6-foot-10 center was very active around the rim once again and threw down some thunderous jams. On the flip side of the ball, Reed remained disciplined and swatted four shots.
One of his best plays of the evening came as the HEAT were gaining momentum in the third quarter. With 4:43 left in the period, Reed set a screen for Brianté Weber and rolled to the basket. Weber then took a dribble, got into the paint and threw up a lob for Reed. From there, the big fella reached high with one arm to get the tip-in to go despite being fouled by Roy Hibbert.
Shortly after that, Reed attacked the basket and finished over one of the best defenders in the league in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
In short, it was an impressive all-around performance for the former Saint Louis University product. In all, Reed tallied 12 points and five rebounds to go along with his four blocks.
3. Williams Finds the Range
While Derrick Williams is primarily know for his slashing ability, he mixed things up against Charlotte. In fact, all four of Williams’ made field goals were catch-and-shoot jumpers. The 25-year-old finished with 13 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Other Takeaways:
-Dion Waiters and Hassan Whiteside started the contest, but didn’t play in the second half. Still, Whiteside fought hard on the glass and had this fantastic block on Hibbert in the first quarter.
Waiters, meanwhile, continued to create for his teammates.
Waiters totaled five points and two assists, while Whiteside had four points, six rebounds and two blocks on the night.
-Miami’s newest member, Luis Montero, got some burn in the second half and looked pretty quick off the dribble. He finished with six points, two rebounds, two steals and a block in 15 minutes of action.
Game Note:
Josh McRoberts (right foot), Josh Richardson (sprained right MCL), Luke Babbitt (groin strain), Justise Winslow (back tightness), James Johnson (tweaked left ankle), Goran Dragić (rest) and Tyler Johnson (rest) all sat out.
Looking Ahead:
The HEAT will be right back in action Friday night against the 76ers at AmericanAirlines Arena. Tickets for the game can be found here.