Heat at Hornets
Something has to give Wednesday when the surging Charlotte Hornets host a Miami Heat team that has dominated them in recent years. The Hornets have won two straight and seven of eight to edge into the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but they've lost 17 of their last 18 meetings with the Heat. Miami is trying to avoid dipping six games below .500, which would match its low point of the season.
The Hornets kept up their hot streak with a 105-80 rout of visiting Minnesota on Monday, and they got a boost from the return of star center Al Jefferson, who came off the bench after missing nine games with a groin injury. The Heat committed 21 turnovers in a 94-86 home loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday. "To leave a real competitive defensive game like that on the table is pretty disappointing," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Miami), SportSouth (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE HEAT (18-23): Aging Miami star Dwyane Wade (22 points, 5.6 assists) summed up the first half of the season as "trying" after Tuesday's defeat, the Heat's seventh loss in 11 games. Making matters worse, center Hassan Whiteside, who had recorded his first three career double-doubles in the previous seven games, left Tuesday's contest with a sprained right ankle and will not travel to Charlotte. Miami also will be without forward Luol Deng (14.1 points, 4.9 rebounds), who won't make the trip because of illness.
ABOUT THE HORNETS (17-25): Charlotte has pulled within a half-game of eighth-place Brooklyn in the Eastern Conference standings and should be a strong playoff contender with Jefferson (17.7 points, 8.1 rebounds) back in the post. Point guard Kemba Walker (19.2 points, 5.4 assists) has missed two games with a cyst on his knee but practiced Tuesday and hopes to return to the lineup against the Heat. Walker was red-hot before the injury, averaging 29.8 points over his previous six games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Hornets have held nine straight opponents under 100 points and are 13-8 when doing so for the season.
2. Miami is 1-21 when tied or trailing after three quarters.
3. Jefferson had 28 points and 10 rebounds when Charlotte snapped a 16-game skid against Miami on Nov. 5 and has scored 22 or more points in his past four games against the Heat.