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Hornets snap 16-game skid against Heat

Nov 6, 2014 - 4:03 AM Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Al Jefferson poured in 28 points with 10 rebounds to lead the Charlotte Hornets to their first victory over the Miami Heat in over 4 1/2 years, a 96-89 decision at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Including last year's four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, the Heat had won 20 straight meetings between the clubs since an 83-79 loss in Charlotte on March 9, 2010.

The Hornets finally got some payback behind Jefferson's prowess in the paint and a strong defensive effort that limited Miami to a 39.0 percent performance from the floor and an off-target 4-of-22 rate from 3-point range.

"It just seemed like we could never get over the hump," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We didn't play with great energy."

Kemba Walker delivered 18 points and seven assists to help Charlotte halt a three-game overall skid, with Cody Zeller chipping in 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

"To come back and bounce back against a team we haven't beaten in a while in front of our crowd is something we've got to build off of," Jefferson said.

Dwyane Wade scored 25 points and Chris Bosh netted 23 in the loss, the Heat's second in a row since a 3-0 start to the post-LeBron James era. Bosh added 13 rebounds and Wade tallied seven assists.

Charlotte began to draw clear midway through the third quarter, putting forth a 15-5 run over the last six minutes of the period to turn a tie game into a 72-62 lead.

Zeller hit a pair of free throws and rookie P.J. Hairston buried a 3-pointer to put the Hornets up 67-60 with 2:34 left in the third, and Charlotte gradually increased the margin as the Heat continued to miss shots.

Miami failed to record a basket over the final 6:37 of the quarter, misfiring on nine straight attempts to conclude the frame.

"We don't have that grace period like we had before, where we could make mistakes, not make the effort plays, and still find a way to win," Bosh said. "We can't dig holes, especially on the road."

The Heat did fight back down the stretch to get within striking distance, with Bosh draining back-to-back jumpers to ignite an 8-0 push capped by Shabazz Napier's cutting layup off a Mario Chalmers feed that cut the deficit to 88-85 with 2:17 left.

Walker knocked down a clutch three on the ensuing possession, however, then later sank a pair from the foul line to keep Miami at bay and give the Hornets a 93-87 lead with 21.7 seconds remaining.

The Heat were cold during the game's initial stages as well, missing seven of their first nine shots from the field and falling behind 22-13 late in the opening quarter after a 9-2 Hornets' run.

Charlotte continued to hold a nine-point advantage early in the second quarter until Bosh and Chalmers led Miami on a 12-3 spurt that forged a 29-29 tie near the midway mark of the period.

The score remained tight through the remainder of the half, with the Hornets taking a 46-44 edge into the break after Walker fed Gerald Henderson for a short jumper.

Game Notes

Miami's 16 straight regular-season wins in the series was tied for the longest active streak by one team over another and one shy of the franchise record for consecutive victories over a single opponent ... The Heat had made at least nine 3-pointers in each of their first four games ... Charlotte forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist missed a second straight game with a rib contusion ... Wade registered his 700th career block in the fourth quarter, making him only the sixth guard in NBA history to reach the milestone ... Former Charlotte fan favorite Josh McRoberts faced his ex-team for the first time since with the Heat over the summer. He finished with two points in eight minutes.