Heat vs. Hornets: Game 6 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 NBA Playoffs
The Miami Heat staved off elimination in enemy territory with a 97-90 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday at Time Warner Cable Arena, pushing their opening-round playoff series to a decisive seventh game.
A thrilling fourth-quarter duel between Heat headliner Dwyane Wade and dynamic Hornets point guard Kemba Walker determined the outcome of what turned out to be a magnificent Game 6.
In the end, it was Wade's side who prevailed. The 34-year-old veteran scored 10 of his 23 points in the last quarter, featuring a rare three just 46 seconds from the final horn following Walker's missed jumper for the tie and an amazing contested jumper with 19.5 seconds left.
The NBA on ESPN highlighted how seldom Wade converted from downtown this season, which only added to how clutch he was to close:
ESPN's J.A. Adande remarked on Wade's vintage performance that he may have had a chip on his shoulder to dismiss the upstart Walker:
"Wade basically told Kemba: not yet, young’un. Not quite LeBron’s Game 6 in Boston, but still impressive with season on line.
— J.A. Adande (@jadande) April 30, 2016"
Even former Florida governor Jeb Bush couldn't help but take notice of Wade:
Although Wade dug deep to carry the load when he had to, capped by a block of Walker at the rim, the Heat had to band together early to avoid potential disaster.
In its bid to survive, Miami kicked itself into another gear after Charlotte had rushed out to an 18-11 advantage and could have made the contest lopsided early. Hot shooting in the opening quarter—63.2 percent, per NBA on Twitter—allowed the Heat to race out to a 27-24 lead, led by Luol Deng's 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
The defense picked up for both squads near the beginning of the second quarter in a fascinating end-to-end sequence of swatted shots:
Wade even got in on the act—and made some serious history in the process, per the Heat's official Twitter account:
But make no mistake, the opening of this Game 6 was a shootout in the Heat's favor.
Deng's three-pointer late in the first half put Miami up by as many as 13 before the visitors settled for a 59-50 edge at the break. Wade poured in 13 points to supplement Deng's team-high 16 at the half.
Miami center Hassan Whiteside helped shut down the hosts with four blocks in the first half, with one particular sequence less than five minutes before the intermission highlighting his all-around impact:
Zach Harper of CBS Sports noticed how much Whiteside stepped up his level of play in the midst of a pivotal stretch:
Charlotte didn't go down without a fight, though, cutting the Heat's margin to 75-70 entering the final 12 minutes, thanks largely to Al Jefferson getting going in the paint, putting up 10 third-quarter points. His level of play also put Whiteside in foul trouble.
Wade hit a potential dagger three-pointer—his first make from beyond the arc in the series—to put Miami on top 90-81 with about three minutes to play. Then Walker responded with seven unanswered points, the first two of which drew Whiteside's sixth foul and swung the late momentum.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith was among those who commented on Walker's special form as he tried to push the Hornets to the conference semifinals:
Even with Walker scoring 14 of his game-high 37 points in the fourth quarter and playing all-out hero ball, Charlotte ultimately couldn't prevail in front of the home fans due to Wade's greatness.
This was sure to displease Hornets owner and six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan, as captured in essence by Twitter user Austin (@ChefTrillie):
The Hornets have to be kicking themselves for blowing the chance to close out a dangerous opponent at home, and they now will have to bounce back in time for a decisive Game 7 on the road on Sunday.
Now Wade and Co. get to return to South Beach for the decider. Based on Wade's superior playoff experience and the fact that Whiteside has been improving through the series at defending Jefferson in the post, there's reason to believe the Heat can grind and advance to the next stage.
Charlotte has thrived in the underdog role, yet it needs to find another source of perimeter offense outside of Walker. The man for the job may be Jeremy Lin, but he must elevate his game after missing seven of eight shots from the field on Friday if the Hornets are meant to steal Game 7 on the road.
Postgame Reaction
Hornets coach Steve Clifford couldn't help but give Wade credit for the plays he made to push the series to the maximum distance, per NBA TV:
"The rebounding game was a big problem and those are the things we'll have to do better Sunday," added Clifford after witnessing his team get out-rebounded 46-31 in Game 6, per the Hornets' official Twitter feed.
Wade expressed love for his fellow Miami players, but indicated afterwards he was going to be the chief determinant as to whether the Heat played another game in the postseason.
"I love my teammates and I trust them, but if we were going to lose tonight I was going to go out shooting," said Wade, per the Heat's official Twitter feed.
"Coach put the ball in my hands and it came to a point where I had to make shots," Wade said. He added, "
Asked about the man who battled him in the closing quarter, Wade said, per the Miami Herald's Ethan J. Skolnick, "Kemba Walker, he's a beast, man."
Looking ahead to Game 7, Walker understood the stakes at hand for Sunday's rubber match.
"It's do or die. Both teams want to advance," Walker said, per the Hornets' official Twitter feed. "It's going to be a battle, a war, just like this whole series."
