Hornets lose Batum, Game 2 as Heat continue offensive outburst
Three thoughts from the Hornets' 115-103 loss Wednesday to the Heat in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.
1. The Hornets dropped the game, but did they they lose more than that?
Nic Batum suffered a sprained left ankle in the fourth quarter, rolling it while stepping on the the foot of Miami's Justice Winslow. He didn't return after scoring nine points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists.
It remains to be seen if he'll be available for Saturday's Game 4 in Charlotte, but it was an unfortunate turn -- quite literally -- given that ankle was a point of concern for the Hornets entering the series.
The seven-year veteran, who missed the final game of the regular season after spraining the same ankle on April 11 against the Celtics, has averaged a career best 14.9 points and 5.8 assists this season along with a 1.68 real plus-minus that is ninth-best among shooting guards. But arguably his biggest value has come in being able to take pressure off of point guard Kemba Walker, who in turn had the most productive season of his young career.
Given the Hornets return home needing a sweep to keep their postseason alive, losing Batum would be a nightmare scenario.
2. Jefferson comes up big
Miami center Hassan Whiteside had designs on claiming the NBA All-Defensive Player of the Year award. Finishing third to the Spurs' Kawhi Leonard -- the repeat winner -- and the Warriors' Draymond Green, and after the voting was released, said "I'm used to not getting credited for anything. I'm used to getting overlooked."
He had his argument, with a defensive rating of 95, the best in the league and topped anyone over the last five seasons as he averaged 3.68 blocks.
But Charlotte's Al Jefferson had Whiteside looking like anything but the league's best defender in the second quarter, scoring 16 points on 8 of 11 shooting. The veteran dominated Whiteside, draining shots with his back to the basket, on step-back jumpers and a nifty turnaround skyhook. Jefferson finished with 25 points on 12 of 17 shooting along with seven rebounds.
Kemba Walker scored a career postseason high 29 points -- on 29 shots -- and outside of Jefferson, the Hornets shot a collective 36.1 percent (26 of 72). They also hit just one 3-pointer, going 1 of 16 from distance after hitting an average of six per during the regular season.
As their most efficient player -- and the one able to exploit a matchup -- Jefferson has the potential to turn Game 3 in Charlotte in the Hornets' favor.
3. Heat's offense feasts, again
Miami is officially playing out of its collective minds. Ranked 23rd during the regular season with 100 points per game, the Heat are -- so far -- the highest scoring team in the playoffs, dropping in 119 per and they've shot 57.7 percent in the series, including 57.9 (44 of 76) in Game 2.
Most surprising is that after hitting just 33.6 percent from beyond the arc, the Heat have hit 18 3-pointers at a 52.9 rate.
As good as the Hornets were for 82 games on defense -- ranking ninth at 100.7 ppg allowed -- and as great as they've been at home, with a 30-11 record that is the third-best among East teams, they'll need to rediscover that mojo or their season will come to a frustrating end.
That is unless the Heat continue to reinvent themselves offensively in these playoffs. Play like this, and they'll be a nearly impossible out for most of the East.
Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney and Facebook. His book, 'Tales from the Atlanta Braves Dugout: A Collection of the Greatest Braves Stories Ever Told,' is out now, and 'The Heisman Trophy: The Story of an American Icon and Its Winners' will be released Nov. 1, 2016.
