The Miami HEAT defeated the Charlotte Hornets 104-98 Friday night at Spectrum Center. Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington led the way for the HEAT with 16 points apiece. Five other players scored in double-figures for Miami.
1. Mr. Versatility
Simply put, James Johnson was everywhere on Friday night.
Not only did the burly forward set up his teammates supremely well, but he also came up with a handful of deflections and blocks.
An example of the latter came early in the third quarter when Johnson deflected a pass intended for Dwight Howard and converted a tough and-one on the other end:
Throughout the contest, the 30-year-old did a nice job of defending both Howard and Marvin Williams.
In all, Johnson tallied 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting, five rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals.
2. Ellington & TJ Light It Up
What else would you expect from these two?
After a slow start, Tyler Johnson got hot in the third quarter and scored eight points in the period. For an example of how much he was feeling it, just check out this deep three during the flurry:
On the flip side of the ball, Johnson competed hard against Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum when matched up with him.
In addition to his 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 4-of-4 from deep, the 25-year-old also had two rebounds and a block.
Wayne Ellington, meanwhile, led the team with five made threes (of course) and a plus-13 rating to go along with his 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
One of his treys came off a great outlet pass from Josh Richardson early in the fourth:
3. Bam Sticks With It
Although Bam Adebayo picked up some early fouls, he stuck with it and still made an impact against the Hornets.
How so?
Well, the rookie rocked the rim as usual…
…but he also continued to show quick feet on the defensive end against Frank Kaminsky, Treveon Graham, Dwight Howard and Marvin Williams.
Here’s a perfect example of that against Kaminsky:
Adebayo finished with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, five rebounds and an assist.
Other Takeaways:
With Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk in some foul trouble in the first half, Jordan Mickey took advantage of some extended playing time. Throughout the first two quarters, the 23-year-old did a lot of damage in the pick-and-roll, such as on this play early in the second quarter:
Mickey ended up with eight points and seven rebounds against the Hornets.
Game Note:
-Justise Winslow (left knee strain) and Hassan Whiteside (left knee bone bruise) sat out. Okaro White (left foot surgery), Rodney McGruder (left tibia surgery), A.J. Hammons (Sioux Falls assignment) and Matt Williams Jr. (Sioux Falls assignment) were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will get right back to it Saturday night against the L.A. Clippers at AmericanAirlines Arena. Tickets for that game can be found here.