Hornets 96, Heat 80
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Jeremy Lin led a balanced attack with 18 points and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Miami Heat 96-80 on Saturday evening to cut their deficit to 2-1 in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series.
After dismal performances in two losses at Miami, the Hornets returned home, where they went 30-11 during the regular season and clearly fed off a sellout crowd at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Charlotte led by five at halftime, then went on an 18-0 run midway through the third quarter, holding Miami scoreless for more than 6 1/2 minutes. That turned a 53-53 tie into a 71-53 lead that grew to 24 points in the fourth quarter.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford tried a starting lineup he hadn't used all season, inserting Al Jefferson and Frank Kaminsky and sending Cody Zeller to the bench. Kaminsky responded with 15 points, including 13 in the third quarter, and Jefferson had 10 points and eight rebounds.
The Hornets also got 17 points from Kemba Walker, 12 points from Zeller, and 12 points and 14 rebounds from Marvin Williams.
The Heat, which combined to shoot 57.8 percent from the field in the two opening wins, hit 10 of their first 15 shots and then went completely cold. They missed nine straight shots during Charlotte's 18-0 run and finished at 34.2 percent from the field. Miami also was just 19-of-30 from the free-throw line.
Luol Deng led the Heat with 19 points. Dwyane Wade scored 17 and Hassan Whiteside finished with 13 points and 18 rebounds.
The Hornets led 29-28 after one quarter, 49-44 at halftime and 75-58 after three quarters.
NOTES: The Hornets were without F Nicolas Batum, who suffered a strained left ankle in the fourth quarter of Game 2 on Wednesday. Batum is hoping to return for Game 4 on Monday in Charlotte. ... The Hornets have now used 19 different starting lineups this season. ... Heat F Chris Bosh accompanied the team to Charlotte. ... Both previous playoff matchups between the teams ended in sweeps. The Heat swept in four games in the first round of the 2014 playoffs, and the Hornets swept in three games in the first round of the 2001 playoffs. ... The Heat won Game 1 123-91 in Miami last Sunday and then won Game 2 115-103 on Wednesday. They combined to shoot 57.8 percent from the field in the two wins. ... The Heat have gotten off to a 2-0 playoff lead 13 times previously in franchise history and have never lost any of those series. ... The Heat erupted for 40-point quarters in each of the first two games, scoring 41 in the first quarter of Game 1 and 43 in the second quarter of Game 2. ... Heat C Hassan Whiteside set a franchise playoff record by going 8 of 8 from the field in Game 2. ... Monday's Game 4 is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff on NBA TV.