Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat
· National Basketball AssociationJaime Jaquez Jr. scores 28 points to spark high-scoring Heat in 144-117 win over Hornets
Bam Adebayo had 26 points and Andrew Wiggins added 21 for the Heat, who won their third straight game after losing the season opener to Orlando. They played without leading scorer Norman Powell, who had 29 points in the win over New York on Sunday and was scratched because of a groin injury he felt during the morning shootaround.
Jaquez led the Heat to a 58-33 advantage in bench points, going 9 for 14 from the floor while posting a plus-43 rating. The third-year guard, drafted with the 18th pick by the Heat in 2023, is shooting 69% through four games (31 for 45). The Heat, who were just 24th in the NBA last season in scoring, are averaging 132 points.
Pelle Larsson started in place of Powell and pitched in 17 points and five rebounds for the Heat, who closed the first half on an 11-0 run over the final 3:13 to take a 76-60 lead. After the Hornets pulled within three, the Heat used a 23-7 surge that stretched into the fourth quarter to retake control.
LaMelo Ball, who had a triple-double for the Hornets in the previous game in a win over Washington, had 20 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and rookie Kon Knueppel added 19 points. The Hornets played for the second straight game without starting forward Brandon Miller, who suffered a shoulder injury on Saturday at Philadelphia. Miller missed 55 games last season after wrist surgery.
Heat: Visit San Antonio on Thursday to start a four-game road trip.
Regular Season Series
MIA leads series 1-0
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 117 - 144 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 117 - 144 |
| 4th 11.0 |  |
Keshad Johnson makes 18-foot pullup jump shot | 117 - 144 |
| 4th 24.8 |  |
Tidjane Salaun makes free throw 2 of 2 | 117 - 142 |
| 4th 24.8 | |
Tidjane Salaun makes free throw 1 of 2 | 116 - 142 |
Statistics
 CHA |
 MIA |
|
|---|---|---|
| 40-90 | FG | 52-96 |
| 44 | Field Goal % | 54 |
| 18-45 | 3PT | 20-45 |
| 40 | Three Point % | 44 |
| 19-23 | FT | 20-22 |
| 83 | Free Throw % | 91 |
| 41 | Rebounds | 37 |
| 9 | Offensive Rebounds | 8 |
| 32 | Defensive Rebounds | 29 |
| 26 | Assists | 34 |
| 9 | Steals | 8 |
| 3 | Blocks | 2 |
| 17 | Turnovers | 11 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 18 | Total Turnovers | 11 |
| 1 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 1 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 26 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 7 |
| 9 | Fast Break Points | 14 |
| 44 | Points in Paint | 58 |
| 18 | Fouls | 16 |
| 6 | Largest Lead | 29 |
Miami Heat Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Wiggins, F | Day-To-Day | Dec 19 |
| Davion Mitchell, G | Day-To-Day | Dec 19 |
| Pelle Larsson, G | Out | Dec 19 |
| Tyler Herro, G | Out | Dec 19 |
| Nikola Jovic, F | Out | Dec 17 |
Charlotte Hornets Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Collin Sexton, G | Out | Dec 19 |
| Pat Connaughton, G | Out | Dec 19 |
| Tre Mann, G | Out | Dec 19 |
| Grant Williams, F | Out | Dec 13 |
Game Information
Location: Miami, FL
Attendance: 19,600 · Capacity:
2025-26 Southeast Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Orlando |
15 | 12 | .556 | - | L2 |
 Miami |
15 | 13 | .536 | 0.5 | L1 |
 Atlanta |
15 | 14 | .517 | 1 | L2 |
 Charlotte |
9 | 18 | .333 | 6 | W2 |
 Washington |
4 | 21 | .160 | 10 | L1 |
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