Hornets cool off Heat to snap losing streak
Charlotte wins its first playoff game in 14 years, with Lin scoring 18 points
CHARLOTTE, N.C.— Jeremy Lin scored 18 points, Kemba Walker had 17 and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Miami Heat 96-80 on Saturday night to snap a 12-game playoff losing streak and earn their first post-season victory in 14 years.
Rookie Frank Kaminsky, who got the starting nod, scored eight of his15 points during an18-0 run in the third quarter that broke open a 53-all game.
The Heat lead the series 2-1, with Game 4 set for Monday night.
Marvin Williams, a nonfactor in the first two games, had 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Hornets.
Luol Deng scored 19 points on five 3-pointers, and Dwyane Wade added 17 for Miami. Hassan Whiteside had 13 points and18 rebounds but battled foul trouble.
Miami, which shot 58 per cent from the field in the first two games, was limited to 34 per cent shooting.
The Hornets outscored the Heat 52-28 in the paint and had four turnovers to Miami’s 15.
Looking to combat the Heat’s height advantage on the perimeter, Hornets coach Steve Clifford moved Williams to small forward — in place of the injured Nicolas Batum — and inserted Kaminsky and Al Jefferson into the starting lineup. It didn’t help early on. Miami started off Game 3 similar to the previous two, with Deng hitting four three-point attempts in the first six minutes for an early 20-15 lead.
But Charlotte withstood the early Heat assault and took the lead near the end of the first quarter behind eight points from Lin, who found his way to the basket repeatedly and drew a second foul on Whiteside.
Charlotte opened a 49-44 halftime lead after Miami cooled off significantly, shooting just 36.6 per cent from the field. That was a remarkable turnaround from Game 2, when Miami shot 74.4 per cent from the field in the opening half and scored 73 points.
Kaminsky gave the Hornets a spark in the third quarter with 11 points, including two spin moves against Wade and a turnaround jumper over Joe Johnson. Lin followed with a three-pointer from the right wing to push the lead to 14, raising the fans clad in black “Enter the swarm” Tshirts and white Hornets headbands off their seats.
Thunder 119, Mavericks 108
Russell Westbrook had 25 points and15 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks 119-108 on Saturday night, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in a testy firstround series that got quite a bit testier. Enes Kanter had his second straight playoff career high with 28 points on 12-of-13 shooting for the Thunder, who never trailed in two games in Dallas after the Mavericks evened the series with a one-point win in Oklahoma City following a 38-point loss in the opener.
Kevin Durant scored 19 points before he was ejected in the final minute for a flagrant foul on Dallas’s Justin Anderson. It was the last of several tense moments, and Dallas team security had to make sure Durant didn’t leave the court in front of the Mavericks bench.
Curry to return for Game 4
Stephen Curry and the Warriors agree that he is expected to return to action in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets on Sunday.
Curry practised on the eve of the game and tested his right ankle.
“I like where I’m at right now,” Curry said.