Charlotte Hornets force overtime vs the Miami Heat as Ball and Bridges drive third-quarter push

The Charlotte Hornets moved to 127-126 over the Miami Heat at Spectrum Center, while the Heat left at 126-127 in the Play-in Tournament game on 7:30 PM EDT with 19,698 in attendance.

The Charlotte Hornets vs Miami Heat match summary starts with a 17 tie count and 16 lead changes that set up a 13-12 overtime edge for the Hornets.

First quarter

The Charlotte Hornets opened with 26 points in the first quarter while the Heat scored 24, and Charlotte led for 22:26 of game time.

The Hornets used 4 steals and 7 blocks in the game data, and Miami matched 4 steals with 8 blocks.

Second quarter

The Heat won the second quarter 30-26 as Miami built toward 32 assists on the night compared with 26 assists for Buzz City.

The Heat shot 48 percent from the field on 103 attempts, and the Hornets finished at 44 percent on 113 attempts.

Third quarter

The Hornets took the third quarter 37-29 as LaMelo Ball produced 30 points and 10 assists in the previous-game player log.

Miles Bridges added 28 points and 9 rebounds in that player line, and Brandon Miller supplied 23 points on 53 percent shooting.

Charlotte’s extra possessions showed up in 65 total rebounds and 17 offensive rebounds, while Miami posted 55 rebounds with 12 on the offensive glass.

Fourth quarter

The Heat won the fourth quarter 31-25 as Miami generated 17 fast-break points on 73 percent fast-break conversion, compared with Charlotte’s 5 fast-break points on 33 percent.

The Hornets kept pace at the line by going 9-for-9 on free throws for 100 percent, while Miami went 12-for-14 for 86 percent, which frames what went wrong for Charlotte Hornets in transition defense rather than at the stripe.

Overtime

The Hornets closed overtime 13-12 as Charlotte’s 25 second-chance points on 20 second-chance attempts countered Miami’s 20 second-chance points on 15 attempts.

The Hornets committed 8 total turnovers while the Heat had 7, and Charlotte’s edge came with 58 points in the paint compared with Miami’s 62 in a game defined by Charlotte Hornets vs Miami Heat key moments on the glass.

The Heat hit 16 three-pointers on 39 percent shooting, and the Hornets made 18 threes on 32 percent volume, which fits the Charlotte Hornets vs Miami Heat tactical recap around shot quantity versus shot accuracy.

The Hornets are scheduled to play at 7:30 PM EDT on 2026-04-17 at the Kia Center at 400 W. Church Street in Orlando, Florida, and the broadcast will air on Amazon Prime Video.

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