Charlotte Hornets Gameday: at Miami Heat
7 p.m., American Airlines Arena, Miami
TV: NBA TV, Fox Sports Southeast Radio: WFNZ-AM 610.
Projected Starters
Hornets | Heat | |||||
Pos, Player | PPG | RPG | Pos, Player | PPG | RPG | |
G K. Walker | 20.9 | 4.4 | G G. Dragic | 14.1 | 3.8 | |
G C. Lee | 9.6 | 2.6 | G D. Wade | 19 | 4.1 | |
F N. Batum | 14.9 | 6.1 | F J. Johnson | 12.2 | 3.6 | |
F M. Williams | 11.7 | 6.4 | F L. Deng | 12.3 | 6 | |
C C. Zeller | 8.7 | 6.2 | C H. Whiteside | 14.2 | 11.8 | |
Matchup to Watch
Marvin Williams vs. Luol Deng: For the Hornets to be competitive in this series, the Williams-Deng matchup has to be roughly a draw. Deng totally dominated in the Heat’s Game 1 blowout.
Observations
▪ The Hornets’ facial expressions and body language Sunday said a lot – they looked overwhelmed by how the Heat stepped up its game for the playoffs.
▪ Rookie Frank Kaminsky looked particularly caught off-guard by how much more intense the playoffs are.
Tap-ins
▪ Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who grew up in Gastonia, finished third in balloting for NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
▪ The Heat made a key acquisition when it convinced Joe Johnson, who was bought out by the Brooklyn Nets, to sign in Miami.
Did you know?
Whiteside finished the regular season with 238 blocks. The Detroit Pistons totaled 304.
Rick Bonnell
This story was originally published April 19, 2016 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Charlotte Hornets Gameday: at Miami Heat."