Observations and other notes of interest from Saturday night’s 115-110 loss to the Charlotte Hornets:
– It was as if the Heat recognized that Giannis Antetokounmpo couldn’t do it alone and do it all the time.
– So with their prized offseason acquisition on the bench, the Heat showed the type of spark a week in the making.
– Surging back from a 23-point deficit behind a lineup of Bam Adebayo, Bobby Portis, Pelle Larsson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Davion Mitchell, and into a lead.
– All as Giannis looked on from the bench,
– This was the support system that had been dormant for the first 11 periods of the season.
– But it did at least open eyes to what can happen, and what still needs to be done.
– Larsson sparked.
– Adebayo came around with his play.
– And Mitchell played to his last breath.
– As the Heat moved away from Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic.
– Which creates question about both the lineup and the rotation.
– Buttons still need to be pushed.
– Even if feeling are hurt.
– There is something there for this team.
– But there also are some players who simply aren’t all there.
– The Heat for the third time in as many games opened with a lineup of Adebayo, Antetokounmpo, Mitchell, Wiggins and Klay Thompson.
– The Heat’s three two-way players again were inactive, with Vlad Goldin, Keshad Johnson and Tre Donaldson out of uniform.
– The Hornets opened with a lineup of Dennis Schröder, Naz Reid, Moussa Diabaté, Brandon Miller and Sion James.
– Larsson was first off the Heat bench, after two early fouls on Wiggins.
– And was aggressive early.
– Bobby Portis followed, also having his moments,
– With Hardaway and Jovic then entering together.
– The same initial nine-man rotation utilized the previous two games.
– But one that will continue?
– Portis and the Hornets’ Miller received offsetting technical fouls at the end of the first period for jawing at each other.
– Heat coach Erik Spoelstra spoke pregame of the importance of doing things the right way, the Heat way.
– “It’s not about schemes right now,” he said. “We have to look like a Miami defense.”
– He added, “We’ll get it right. We’ll get it better.”
– Except that again wasn’t the case, at least early.
– Of Adebayo’s uneven start to the season, Spoelstra said, “I mean, he’ll figure it out. When our offense functions the way it needs to function, he’ll get his opportunities to be aggressive.”
– He added, “We want him to be a big part of what we’re doing and continue to work at it.”
– To his credit, Adebayo came around with his play.
– Adebayo is now 15 rebounds shy of breaking Udonis Haslem all-time franchise rebound record (5,791).
– Adebayo also is now one steal shy of becoming the third player in franchise history to record at least 700, joining Dwyane Wade (1,492) and Mario Chalmers (791).
– The game was the Heat’s first visit back to Charlotte since losing in overtime in last season’s play-in opener.
– “It was a fun environment,” Spoelstra said, when asked to reflect. “It went down to a crazy ending. Now we’re down six. And then take the lead. We had our opportunities at the end of regulation and in the overtime to be able to seal it with defensive stops. We weren’t able to do it. And Coby White hit that really tough shot right in front of our bench. But it was a fun environment.”
– He added, “Wish we would have gone the other way, but that’s in the past.”
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– His own team coming off a brutal Friday night loss, Hornets coach Charles Lee said pregame. “It’s easy to come into work after a win. When you didn’t play well and got booed a little bit, those are tougher days.”
– He added, “I think you learn a lot about yourself, grow in those moments. I’m hyped to watch our team find another level to compete on the second night of a back-to-back after what we went through yesterday, and try to do it together, as well.”
– The game concluded the first of the Heat’s 13 back-to-back sets this season.
– The Heat last season went 13-4 on the second nights of such sets last season.
– Earlier in the day, the Heat’s affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, made three selections in the first round of the G League draft, taking Tyler Cochran seventh, Tyon Grant-Foster 15th and Masai Olowokere 24th.
– Cochran, a 6-4, 222-pound guard out of Rhode Island, averaged 15.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.7 steals in 32 games (31 starts) during the 2025-26 season. He led the Rams in scoring, rebounding and steals, earning Atlantic 10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
– Grant-Foster, a 6-7, 215-pound guard out of Gonzaga, averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 blocks in 35 games (six starts) during the 2025-26 season. He shot 47.5 percent from the field and led the Bulldogs with 38 blocks.
– Olowokere, a 6-5, 195-pound guard out of Central Arkansas, played in Spain with Biele ISB in 2024-25 and Marín Peixegalego in 2025-26. In his final collegiate season in 2023-24, he started all 32 games and averaged 8.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals.