by Sam Perley
Shortly after the Hornets acquired Courtney Lee at the trade deadline earlier this season, Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford spoke during a post-game press conference how he was never going to be the kind of player that put up eye-popping statistics in the box score. Lee might never be a first-round pick in your traditional fantasy basketball draft but it’s hard to argue any player has had as big an impact on the Hornets late-season success from a defensive standpoint.
For the second-consecutive game, the eighth-year veteran out of Western Kentucky put on a defensive clinic against Miami’s Dwyane Wade. The eight-time All-NBA selection was held to just 4-of-11 shooting for 12 total points and four turnovers in Game 4 after spending much of the night in the presence of the pesky Lee. Lee routinely switched mid-game to cover Joe Johnson as well, a talented scorer who has two inches and 40 pounds on the Charlotte guard. Lee finished Game 4 with a modest 11 points and four rebounds but arguably was one of the most important players on the floor the entire night.
Ironically, Lee’s two biggest plays of the game on Monday night came on the offensive end of the floor. With the Hornets up, 87-84, with just under a minute remaining, Lee missed a mid-range jumper yet skied to grab his own offensive rebound, allowing the team to run precious time off the clock. After a Kemba Walker three-pointer rimmed out, Miami would trim the lead down to two points on its next possession, giving Charlotte yet another chance to put the game out of reach.
Thanks to some staunch Miami defense, Walker was forced to put up a desperation heave from near half-court with the shot clock expiring that came up short but once again found the hands of the elevating Lee. Even better, the Heat’s Luol Deng was whistled for a loose-ball foul on the play, sending Lee to the line where he calmly knocked down both free throws with just under five seconds remaining to seal the Hornets victory.
Although he played a draining 42 minutes for the second-consecutive game, the Hornets will need Lee more than ever in what has now turned into a three-game series with the Heat. Help could be on the way though as Charlotte could have Nicolas Batum back after the Frenchman missed the last two games with a left foot strain. Regardless, the Hornets’ fate in this series could very well rely on the continued outstanding defensive efforts of Courtney Lee as they gear up to head back to Miami for a huge Game 5 showdown with the Heat on Wednesday night.