Hornets Beat Heat 78-76 For 8th Win In 9 Games
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kemba Walker scored 15 points, Bismack Biyombo had 12 points and 12 rebounds, and the surging Charlotte Hornets edged the Miami Heat 78-76 on Wednesday night.
Charlotte (18-25) won for the eighth time in nine games despite going without a field goal for the final seven minutes. The Hornets had a 56-41 rebounding edge against the Heat, who played without Hassan Whiteside and Luol Deng.
Miami had a chance to win the game on its final possession, but Chris Bosh missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Mario Chalmers ran down the loose ball and fired up another 3 that missed from corner.
Bosh and Dwyane Wade each had 17 points for Miami (18-24).
Walker returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous two games with a left knee cyst. He was 4 for 17 from the field, but went 5 for 6 at the line in the final minute.
The Heat trailed by 10 entering the fourth quarter, but took the lead when Bosh and Chalmers hit back-to-back 3-pointers with 3:37 left.
Miami then struggled to score, and Walker made three four throws and Marvin Williams added one to get the lead back for Charlotte. Bosh's driving layup trimmed the Hornets' advantage to one with 15 seconds left.
Walker made 1 of 2 free throws with 12 seconds remaining, leaving the door open for the Heat. But Miami was unable to score on its final possession and lost for the third time in four games.
Walker averaged 29.8 points in the six games before his knee began giving him problems. Al Jefferson had 12 points for the Hornets in his second game back from a groin injury.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had eight points and 14 rebounds for Charlotte, and Cody Zeller had 12 rebounds.
With Whiteside (sprained ankles) and Deng (illness) out, the injury-plagued Heat started their 17th different lineup of the season and struggled on the glass all night.
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