Hornets Hold Off Giannis & Co.: Miller’s 34 & Clutch Allen 4-Point Play Seal the Deal (10-24-26)
By: Xavier Jones
Headline Photo Credit: Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Less than 24 hours after suffering one of the worst home losses in franchise history, the Charlotte Hornets responded with resilience and timely scoring Saturday night, holding off a furious Miami Heat rally to win 115-110 at Spectrum Center.
Brandon Miller led the charge with a game-high 34 points, bouncing back emphatically from a disastrous six-point effort the night before in a 47-point loss to Atlanta. Dennis Schröder added 25 points, Naz Reid scored 23 with five threes, and Grayson Allen contributed 20 points, including the decisive four-point play that proved the difference.
The Hornets improved to 2-1. The Heat dropped to 0-3 — the first such start in Erik Spoelstra’s 19 seasons as head coach — despite a spirited fourth-quarter surge that nearly erased a 23-point deficit.
How The Game Unfolded
The teams traded blows early and were tied 31-31 after the first quarter. Charlotte pulled ahead in the second, taking a 66-58 lead into the break. In the third, the Hornets exploded. A barrage of threes fueled a 24-7 run that ballooned the lead to 92-70 with under three minutes left in the period. Five of Charlotte’s 16 made threes on the night came during that decisive stretch.
Miami looked buried. Giannis Antetokounmpo, limited by foul trouble throughout, finished with just 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting and fouled out with 1:57 remaining. The two-time MVP had averaged 35.5 points in his first two games with Miami after the blockbuster offseason trade from Milwaukee.
Then the Heat flipped the script. Spoelstra turned to a high-energy unit featuring Davion Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, Pelle Larsson, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Bobby Portis. Miami ripped off a massive run, outscoring Charlotte 27-4 at one point in the fourth and tying the game at 100, 102, and 104.
Just when it appeared the Heat would steal the win on the road, Allen delivered. With 3:46 left and the score knotted at 104, the veteran wing hit an acrobatic three from the left wing while being fouled by Hardaway at the end of the shot clock. The free throw completed the four-point play and gave Charlotte a 108-104 lead it would not relinquish.
Mitchell kept Miami alive with a three that made it 113-110 with 8.1 seconds left, but Allen sealed it at the line. Mitchell finished with 22 points and 10 assists, Adebayo added 20 points and eight rebounds, Larsson scored 15, and Klay Thompson chipped in 14.
Key Context
Charlotte was missing starters and came in on the heels of a humiliating 128-81 home loss. The bounce-back showed real character. Miller’s scoring outburst and the Hornets’ ability to close the game after nearly blowing a massive lead were the difference.
For Miami, the 0-3 start raises early questions about chemistry and consistency in the Giannis era, even as the late fight offered. The Heat generated 24 fast-break points and forced nine steals but couldn’t overcome the early deficit or Antetokounmpo’s limited minutes.
The teams last met in the 2025-26 Eastern Conference play-in tournament, when Charlotte edged Miami 127-126 in overtime. LaMelo Ball, who hit the game-winner that night, was traded to Minnesota in the offseason.
What’s Next
Heat host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. Hornets host the Washington Wizards on Monday. Miami showed it has fight. Both teams will need more consistency as the young 2026-27 season continues.
