Improved Hornets open long homestand vs. Heat
The revitalized Charlotte Hornets will work on better play at home when they face the Miami Heat on Tuesday to open a run of seven consecutive games in their own arena.
The Hornets are just 14-17 in home games this season, while going 20-17 on the road.
"We play a lot of really good competition and sometimes you can be too comfortable being home for that many days," Hornets coach Charles Lee said. "The road, at times, makes you uncomfortable, makes you hungry, and we have to have that same hunger at home."
The last time the Hornets were at home, before its just-completed 2-2 road trip against Western Conference teams, they also faced the Heat and dropped a 128-120 decision on March 6.
"Sometimes you don't get these types of things in the schedule in terms of being at home so long," Charlotte guard Coby White said. "We got to take full advantage of it and come out ready to compete."
The Hornets have played seven home games since Feb. 9, losing four of them.
"We've actually played really well on the road, and our record might say differently at home," Lee said. "Our fans are amazing. We will feed off of that, but we also have to make sure that we bring a level of focus and readiness on this homestand."
Charlotte enters Tuesday's game following a 115-102 loss Saturday at San Antonio. Miles Bridges scored 22 points for the Hornets, while Kon Knueppel had 20, while going 3 of 10 from 3-point range.
Miami won seven consecutive games prior to Saturday's 121-117 home loss to the Orlando Magic. The Heat had a 3-1 homestand since the last visit to Charlotte.
Despite the loss, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra sees his team as a cohesive unit.
"We have everything we need," Spoelstra said. "We got a high-powered offense, we got a very good defense (and) can be as good as anybody in the league defensively."
Five victories in Miami's seven-game winning streak were by double digits.
Each team enters Tuesday's game off of a two-day layoff.
"To really work on the body, stay off your feet," said Miami's Bam Adebayo, who has scored 21 and 20 points, respectively, in the two games following his 83-point effort against the Washington Wizards last Tuesday. "These next four or five games, we've got to be prepared."
Miami guard Tyler Herro racked up 33 points in the earlier visit to Charlotte, hitting eight 3-point shots. He has played in only two games since with a total of 35 points, returning to action for Saturday's game.
Knueppel led Charlotte with 27 points in the March 6 matchup with Miami, while Brandon Miller had 22 points.
Time off after Saturday's game allowed Miller to rest a sore right wrist. He leads the team with 20.4 points per game but had only six points in 33 minutes Saturday.
White has providing 13 or more points in four of seven games since a trade from the Chicago Bulls.
"He adds a lot to our environment and to our product on the court," Lee said. "We have a very deep team, but there is something about having a guy like that who's battle-tested, been through a ton of experiences as a high-level thinker and basketball player."