Heat vs. Hornets: Game 4 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 NBA Playoffs

Kemba Walker scored a postseason career-high 34 points and Jeremy Lin added 21 off the bench as the Charlotte Hornets evened their first-round series with the Miami Heat at two games apiece Monday with an 89-85 win in Game 4 at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Charlotte had only three players score in double figures—Courtney Lee finished with 11 points—but the Hornets made this series a best-of-three affair. Miami had four players score in double figures and was led by Joe Johnson's 16 points and Luol Deng's 15. Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade added 12 points apiece, but the Heat shot 39.5 percent from the field.

In short, there won't be any crying Michael Jordan memes after Charlotte's performance:

The Hornets took to Twitter after the game to celebrate protecting their home court:

In Game 3 on Saturday, Charlotte used a 26-14 third quarter to pull away from Miami. On Monday, it was the Heat's turn to make the most of the beginning of the second half.

The Hornets shot 41.5 percent in the first half but held a 48-39 lead at the break thanks to their defense, which held the Heat to 34.1 percent shooting overall and 4-of-13 from three-point range. Miami led 26-19 after one quarter, but Charlotte responded with a 29-13 second.

Walker had 15 points in the first 24 minutes after a strong finish to the half, per Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer:

Deng had 10 points at halftime, but it was the first time in the series he was off with his shot, missing six of nine attempts.

Before the Heat took control, it looked like the Hornets were going to repeat the script from Saturday. With a 9-0 run, Charlotte took a 57-39 lead with nine minutes, 27 seconds remaining in the third. By the 5:55 mark, however, Miami had responded with a 17-1 run to cut the lead to 58-56.

After their play in Game 3, it was an inspiring run by the Heat, per Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel:

The Heat made Game 4 look like Games 1 and 2 in Miami, where the Hornets starters were outmatched, per Robin Lundberg of ESPN Radio:

"

Hornets starters getting destroyed again

— Robin Lundberg (@robinlundberg) April 26, 2016"

But Charlotte, after winning its first playoff game in almost 14 years in Game 3, did not relinquish its lead. The Hornets entered the fourth quarter up 69-61, but the Heat cut the deficit to 76-75 on Gerald Green's triple midway through the period.

Walker, however, countered with seven unanswered points in less than a minute.

Lin, who scored seven of his 10 second-half points in the opening two minutes of the fourth, also conducted Charlotte's pick-and-roll offense throughout Game 4. The Miami defense had bottled it up through the first two games, but the Hornets found a way past that with Lin at the helm, per Zach Lowe of ESPN.com:

Linsanity was alive and well in Charlotte as the 27-year-old tied his playoff career high for points, and ESPN Stats & Info noted his efficient play:

He was in such a rhythm during his torrid fourth-quarter stretch that he even banked in a three-pointer—his only make in three attempts from distance:

Walker scored 19 of his points in the second half, including 11 in the fourth.

This was a character-building win for the Hornets. Charlotte had the momentum after winning Saturday, but it needed another win on its home floor to stay in the series.

Neither Game 3 nor Game 4 featured a great offensive performance, but the Hornets figured out how to work their pick-and-roll game against the Heat and have a strategy they can bring with them to AmericanAirlines Arena for Game 5 on Wednesday.

Miami, meanwhile, looks like it's in trouble. It's one thing to lose on the road, but the Heat may need to develop a new strategy to defend Charlotte. The Hornets have also played stingy defense, and if they get one more performance from Walker and Lin like they did Monday, they'll have a great chance to close out the Heat in six.

Postgame Reaction

After his seven unanswered points, Walker added two more buckets as Charlotte took an 87-80 lead with 3:10 remaining.

"He's so confident late in games that he will make the play," Hornets head coach Clifford said, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).

Charlotte has the luxury of two points guards who play well in the pick-and-roll, and Miami's star acknowledged how good Walker was in those situations.

"He's a handful in the pick-and-rolls, and there is only so much you can do with that little guy," Wade said, per the AP. "He's crafty. ... And every time we tried to make a comeback, he hit a big shot."

The Heat were frustrated by the lack of calls that went their way but also said they have to play better, per Ethan J. Skolnick of the Miami Herald:

As Walker showed during his time at UConn, he is at his best when the game is in the balance.

"Throughout my career, I have made big plays—that is what I'm known for," Walker said, per the AP. "Tonight was a good example of it."