Charlotte Hornets commit 21 turnovers, fall to Miami Heat

The Charlotte Hornets have had a variety of problems this season. Turnovers have not typically been among them.

Wednesday was different, and that was consequential: The Hornets committed 21 giveaways against the Miami Heat, a team contending with them for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. That was a big factor in the Hornets’ 91-84 loss at Spectrum Center.

With this loss, the Hornets dropped to 29-35, falling behind the Heat (30-34) and out of the top eight in the East. The Hornets’ turnovers matched a season high. The Heat was similarly sloppy with 18 turnovers.

The Heat’s Dwyane Wade secured this victory in the final minute with an offensive rebound to retain possession ahead by four. Josh Richardson then hit one of two free throws with 20 seconds left.

The Hornets got 20 points off the bench from Frank Kaminsky. Kemba Walker added 20.

The Heat got 22 points and 11 rebounds from Kelly Olynyk. Hassan Whiteside added 18 points and 15 rebounds.

This was the Hornets’ fifth consecutive home loss at Spectrum Center.

Kaminsky: Third consecutive double-figure scoring game off the bench.

Olynyk: One of the few players from either roster in any sort of offensive rhythm Wednesday.

Whiteside: Came off the Heat’s bench for a double-double.

▪ The Hornets broke a nine-game streak of allowing 30 or more opponent points in first quarters. However, they still trailed 29-18 entering the second quarter.

▪ Hornets guard Malik Monk, the 11th overall pick in 2017, didn’t play against the Brooklyn Nets or Portland Trail Blazers. Asked pregame Wednesday what Monk needs to do to play again, coach James Borrego said the change doesn’t reflect a lack of faith in Monk, but rather Borrego’s desire to shorten his rotation.

▪ Hornets turnovers were a big problem early. The Hornets committed seven in the first quarter, including a shot-clock violation against a Miami zone.

▪ Neither team could keep control of the ball: There were a combined 25 turnovers in the first half.

▪ The Hornets did a tribute video for Wade, who has said this is his last NBA season. Wade almost single-handedly won Game 6 of the Hornets-Heat playoff series in 2017 with his fourth-quarter clutch shooting. That victory extended the series to seven games and the Heat won Game 7 in a blowout in Miami.

▪ The Heat scored 14 points in the second quarter, the fewest points by any Hornets opponent in the second quarter this season.

▪ Wade shot just 1-of-8 from the field in the first half.

▪ Whiteside, who grew up in Gastonia, has been replaced by another North Carolinian, Bam Adebayo, as the Heat’s starting center.

“All the quarters that I have looked at the last couple of days, not one quarter has sort of started the same way or finished the same way.” – Hornets coach James Borrego on a pattern of giving up 30 or more points in nine consecutive first quarters.

“It’s just about shortening the rotation, and he is the odd man out.” – Borrego pregame on not playing guard Malik Monk two consecutive games entering Wednesday.

F OFFENSE: Those turnovers were uncharacteristic and costly.

C DEFENSE: .A good second quarter, but they gave up way too many second-chance opportunities to Miami

F COACHING: A huge game as far as playoff implications at home and they lost to a team just as flawed.