(SportsNetwork.com) – The Charlotte Hornets will try to stem a four-game
losing streak Sunday night when they visit the Miami Heat at American Airlines
Arena.
The Hornets, who have lost six of their last seven, have found brilliant ways
to lose during this terrible run.
In Portland, on Nov. 11, the Hornets nearly won the game, but Gary Neal’s
last-second layup came just a tick too late.
Against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, Solomon Hill tapped in the game-
winning bucket as time expired.
On Friday, the Hornets squandered a 23-point, second-half lead en route to a
105-100 home loss to the Orlando Magic.
Orlando was down 83-65 with under 11 minutes left, then outscored the Hornets
40-17 the rest of the way to send Charlotte to a second consecutive home
defeat.
The Magic’s Willie Green tipped in a missed free throw by Elfrid Payton with
57.2 seconds to go. Charlotte came up empty in two possessions then Orlando
sealed the win at the line.
“We couldn’t get the one-on-one stops that we needed, and yet their two
biggest baskets came on offensive rebounds,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford
lamented. “The free throw one (by Green) was inexcusable.”
Al Jefferson racked up 24 points and 11 rebounds in the Hornets’ latest
stinging setback. Neal finished with 17 points off the bench and Kemba Walker
grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds and dished out eight assists in addition to
recording 15 points.
Chris Bosh led a 3-point barrage and helped Miami continue its stranglehold
over Orlando on Saturday night.
Bosh nailed four from beyond the arc, finished with 32 points and 10 rebounds
and the Heat defeated the Magic, 99-92, in Orlando.
Miami finished 12-of-26 from downtown en route to its 10th straight win over
Orlando, which was just 3-of-16 from long distance.
“I wanted to keep switching it up and giving them different looks. I was able
to get some rhythm,” Bosh said.
Mario Chalmers posted 24 points, eight assists and five rebounds for the Heat,
who had dropped four of their last five games coming in.
Dwyane Wade and Norris Cole both missed the game against the Magic.
The Hornets beat the Heat, 96-89, in Charlotte on Nov. 5. That victory ended a
16-game regular-season losing streak to the team that has dominated the
Southeast Division.
Miami hasn’t lost at home to Charlotte since Jan. 2, 2010.
