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Apr 26, 2016 - 9:26 PM Dwyane Wade was in college the last time the Charlotte Hornets won a road playoff game. Kemba Walker was in grade school.

Home court has played a prominent role in this series between the Hornets and Miami Heat, who look to once again utilize that advantage in Wednesday night's Game 5 and regroup from back-to-back losses to a younger and deeper Charlotte team.

Just as its considerable postseason experience was evident in two double-digit home victories to open this series, Miami has shown its age in the last two matchups. With Wade and fellow 30-somethings Luol Deng and Joe Johnson logging heavy minutes, the Heat weren't able to keep up down the stretch in Saturday's 96-80 loss at Charlotte and Monday's 89-85 defeat in Game 4.

The Hornets' more spry backcourt rotation of Walker, Jeremy Lin and Courtney Lee was the difference Monday, with Walker and Lin combining for 55 points and Lee limiting Wade to 12 on 4-of-11 shooting as the star guard's primary defender.

Walker had 19 of his playoff career-high 34 points in the second half and did all of the scoring an 11-5 run that put Charlotte up 87-80 with 3:10 left.

''He's a handful in the pick-and-rolls and there is only so much you can do with that little guy,'' Wade said. ''He's crafty. ... And every time we tried to make a comeback, he hit a big shot.''

Improved interior defense has also allowed Charlotte to even the series. The Heat attacked inside at will in the first two games, shooting a combined 67.1 percent in the paint. They've been held to 41.4 percent while being outscored 96-58 in the lane in the last two.

The Hornets have made Hassan Whiteside, in particular, less of a factor. After the 7-footer went 17 of 19 from the field in totaling 38 points in Miami's two wins, he's scored 21 while getting off only 11 shots in the two losses.

Wade shot a combined 35.5 percent in Games 3 and 4 after amassing 28 points in the Heat's 115-103 win in Game 2.

"We have to find a way to carry this defense on the road," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said.

That's been tough for Charlotte to do in Miami, where it's lost 19 of 21, including playoffs. The Heat have shot 54.7 percent from the floor and averaged 112 points in the four meetings at AmericanAirlines Arena this season.

Miami has history working in its favor as well. The Heat are 13-2 in their last 15 postseason home games, with the losses coming to San Antonio in the 2014 Finals. Charlotte has dropped nine straight playoff games on the road since the franchise's first incarnation defeated Orlando in Game 4 of the 2002 opening round.

The Hornets will likely need to shoot better to end that drought. Fourth in the NBA in 3-pointers made during the regular season, Charlotte is 16 of 67 (23.9 percent) from beyond the arc for the series and was 1 of 16 in Game 2.

Charlotte has been able to compensate for those struggles by excelling at the foul line. It's shot 82.8 percent and attempted 122 free throws to Miami's 94.

"We've probably fouled more in these four games than we have in the last four weeks," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "But you have to give them credit. They're aggressive."

That ability to draw fouls has also added more pressure to a Miami bench that's mostly been a liability during this series. Even with Nicolas Batum out the last two games with a sprained left ankle, the Hornets' reserves have outscored the Heat's by 15.7 points over the past three.

Batum, who had 24 points in Charlotte's 123-91 loss in Game 1, is expected to be a game-time decision Wednesday.