Bam Adebayo praises Hornets fans after road victory vs. Charlotte originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Charlotte Hornets hosted the Miami Heat Friday night in an important matchup that had playoff implications.
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Charlotte entered the contest trailing the Heat by two games for the eighth seed, while Miami hoped to extend their lead on the Hornets and catch the Orlando Magic for seventh in the process.
In a back-and-forth game, it was ultimately the Heat who were victorious, stealing a win on the road despite injuries to Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins and more.
Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo led the way for Miami, as Herro finished with a game-high 33 points including eight three-pointers.
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As for Adebayo, he posted a double-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal.
Following the game, Adebayo spoke on the Hornets’ home crowd, feeling much more intensity as a visitor than in previous years.
“It felt like a playoff game. It’s cool to see Charlotte get behind a team like this. Sold-out crowd, that type of intensity.”
With the win, not only did the Heat extend their lead on Charlotte in the standings, but they also clinched the season series between the two sides, jumping out to a 3-0 lead with one game remaining.
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Given the tight Eastern Conference race, this could come in handy for Miami if they were to need a tie-breaker against the Hornets.
In the meantime, the Heat will return to action Sunday against the Detroit Pistons.
Charlotte will begin a West Coast swing in their next matchup, taking on the Phoenix Suns.
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