The Charlotte Hornets, who lost the first two games of their first round series vs. the Miami Heat by a combined 44 points, are one win away from advancing after stunning the Heat in Game 5 on the road.
They’ll have that chance to close their first round series on Friday night at home in front of the Hornets faithful. Tuesday's upset marked Charlotte’s first road playoff victory since April 30, 2002.
Courtney Lee buried a triple from the top of the arc with :25 seconds left giving the Hornets a 90-88 lead, and it was their defense that kept the score that way until the final buzzer sounded. Kemba Walker, who had 14 points on just 4 for 18 shooting, blocked Goran Dragic’s three-point attempt from the corner. Dwyane Wade recovered only to have his plodding layup blocked as well in the midst of a swarm of Hornets players.
Not that he saw it that way. Wade charged at the referee, incensed at the late—game no call that never came. "I haven't looked at it," Wade said. "It's pointless now. No reason for me to look at it. It's not going to change anything."
Wade finished with a game-high 25 points but lamented passing up chances late in the game.
"I tried to trust my teammates in that instance," he said. "Instead of (playing) hero ball, I threw it back to guys who were open. ... Tonight you're going to be frustrated. Everyone in the locker room should be pissed off."
Marvin Williams shot 1 for 17 in the first two games of the series in Miami but was a menace on both ends of the floor on Wednesday. He finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and three steals, which drew significant praise from head coach Steve Clifford.
"His defense and rebounding have been out of sight," Clifford said. "We always play better when he's out on the floor."
The Heat played well enough to win, receiving double-digit scoring efforts from all five of their starters. They even benefitted when Wade appeared to have goaltended a Lee layup late in the fourth. But the Hornets, who were 12-of-24 from the three-point line, never caved even when Wade started burying shots that few in the NBA can make.
Nicolas Batum returned from an ankle injury and knocked down two huge threes. Jeremy Lin appeared to tweak his right ankle earlier in the game on Wednesday night, yet the Hornets kept charging. They shot just 21 of 60 on two-point attempts, but the Heat never made them pay for their inconsistencies and now face a do-or-die Game 6.
NBA playoffs: Best of the first round
