Don't Jump on Charlotte Hornets' Bandwagon Just Yet After Big Game 3 Win
The fiery-hot shooting that powered the Miami Heat to consecutive double-digit victories over the Charlotte Hornets wasn't going to last forever. Even Miami's sharpshooters could admit to that.
"I know and understand that this is fool's gold," Joe Johnson said after the Heat opened the playoffs by scoring at least 115 points in back-to-back games for the first time all season.
That's what kept the Hornets' hopes high for their return to Charlotte. Even with uber-valuable swingman Nicolas Batum sidelined by a foot strain, the Hornets felt that regression alone could turn the tide of this series.
"Sometimes a team just makes shots," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said after Game 2. "That's really what's going on."
The narrative changed early in Game 3.
Miami once again started strong and had 18 points—including four three-pointers from Luol Deng—by the six-minute mark of the opening period. But it managed just 40 points over the next two-and-a-half quarters and carried a 75-58 deficit into the final frame.
The Hornets eventually cruised to a 96-80 victory, a postseason first for the modern incarnation of the Charlotte franchise. But this wasn't an offensive win. The Hornets shot a dismal 38.9 percent from the field and misfired on 13 of their 18 three-point looks.
Had the Heat's shooting carried over, Charlotte could've face a nearly insurmountable 3-0 deficit. But the Hornets defense wouldn't let that happen.
"The way we played tonight is how we've played all year," Kemba Walker told sideline reporter Rebecca Haarlow after the game.
The Hornets played like their backs were against the wall. Because they were.
Those lopsided losses weren't as deflating as the scores suggested—Courtney Lee said the team could "play the law of averages"—but the results still carried the same sting. A 2-0 deficit with no Batum felt like a death sentence.
It may have been, had the Hornets not won the battle of aggressiveness by such a wide margin.
That said, Charlotte isn't out of the woods yet. Not by a long shot.
The offense still isn't clicking. Walker is shooting just 36.1 percent for the series and averaging almost as many field-goal attempts (20.3) as points (21.7). Al Jefferson has failed to fluster Hassan Whiteside as he did at times during the regular season. As a team, Charlotte is shooting an abysmal 12-of-51 from range.
Game 3 showcased some of this group's depth. Spot starter Frank Kaminsky had more than a few defensive stumbles, but he still supplied 15 points and six boards. Jeremy Lin paced the club with 18 points and combined with Walker to toss out 11 assists without committing a single turnover. Marvin Williams finally surfaced and delivered a 14-rebound, 12-point double-double.
"Our intensity, our defense, communication and organization was so much better," Clifford told reporters. "It was a good win."
But whether that translates beyond this game could hinge on Batum's status. Even in victory, his absence was noticeable.
Walker was forced back into the volume-scoring role that Batum's presence had eased him out of. Clifford's limited defensive options resulted in Kaminsky trying and failing to keep Deng in front of him.
Clifford provided a brief update on Batum's situation afterward but stopped short of laying out his status for Monday's Game 4, per the Palm Beach Post's Jason Lieser:
It's tough to imagine the Hornets extending this series without Batum in action.
He's arguably their most important player, given his wide-ranging impact. He can score, distribute, space, rebound, defend and typically carries a heavy load in many of those categories at once. During the regular season, the Hornets fared 4.1 points better per 100 possessions with him than without, per NBA.com.
"Nic is a huge, huge part of what we do," Walker said, per Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. "One of our best players."
Against an experienced Heat team playing its best basketball of the season, the Hornets can't afford to be without one of their primary pieces.
They made it work for one night. And they deserve credit for the effort.
But anything can happen in one game. Just like the Hornets found faith in the odds of regression before, the Heat have that option now. How often will Dwyane Wade have fewer points (17) than shots (20)? What are the chances Lin can score as much as Goran Dragic and Johnson combined again? Or that Kaminsky can outscore Whiteside?
The Hornets are officially awake and engaged in this series. But they're also undermanned—at least until (or if) something positively changes with Batum.
Charlotte can't mask the Swiss army knife's absence forever. If that's the challenge, then the Hornets are fighting an uphill battle they don't have the legs to complete.
Unless otherwise noted, quotes obtained firsthand. Statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
