Two teams that have been finding the right gear at an ideal time will meet when the Miami Heat visit the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.
The Hornets carry a six-game winning streak — the longest active streak in the NBA — into the game after Wednesday’s 118-89 thumping of the host Boston Celtics. All the outcomes in the streak have come by double-digit scores.
The Hornets have been rolling at a high clip for the past month and a half.
“It just comes down to our pace and physicality,” Charlotte center Moussa Diabate said. “Obviously, we have great shooters and we can make shots, but overall it’s just being physical and running, never stop and keep attacking no matter what.”
The Heat will be aiming for their first four-game winning streak since a stretch from Dec. 26-Jan. 1. They’re trying to climb in the pecking order for a guaranteed spot in the playoffs.
“I think we need that pressure to really kick us into another gear,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And there will be a lot of pressure in these games. There’s going to be a lot of clutch games.”
Miami topped visiting Brooklyn 126-110 on Thursday night with a big boost from Tyler Herro’s 25 points.
The game in Charlotte will be a certain test for Spoelstra, who said he’s willing to give primary players more minutes at this time of the season with heightened importance on results.
“There’s going to be other cases that we just have to go for it and play bigger minutes for our main guys,” he said. “I’ve been starting to do that.”
But he’s also cognizant that he doesn’t want to push players who might have some ailments. So there could be some complicated decisions with the Heat playing the second game in as many nights.
“I know at this time of year, everybody’s kind of dealing with something,” Spoelstra said. “We have some competitive, tough-minded guys in the locker room.”
The Hornets continue to get used to having guard Coby White on the floor in what has been a positive development since he was acquired from the Chicago Bulls and then recovered from an injury. He racked up 17 points in 20 minutes off the bench against Boston.
“He’s going to keep getting better and learning,” Charlotte swingman Brandon Miller said. “It’s all about his confidence. He plays with that flow and that free mind. That’s all I ask for is him to just play free and confident.”
White said he likes what the Hornets are able to accomplish defensively as they’ve held three consecutive opponents to fewer than 95 points.
“We’re just playing physical, making them take tough contested shots,” he said.
Charlotte’s lineup rotation could be impacted by the status of forward Grant Williams, who missed the Boston game because of soreness on his right knee.
For Miami, this will be the first of two visits to Charlotte in less than a two-week period, returning March 17. The Heat beat the Hornets 144-117 on Oct. 28 in Miami and also 126-108 on Nov. 7.
–Field Level Media
