Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets Predictions, Picks and Preview – 2016 NBA Playoffs – Eastern Conference First Round Game Three – April 23, 2016

The Miami Heat have literally been on fire in their first two postseason games this year, with Game 2 this Wednesday serving as another emphatic statement that the Charlotte Hornets simply cannot stand the heat at all (pun intended).

The series now shifts to Charlotte for the next two contests beginning this Saturday afternoon. Will the Hornets finally notch their first win of the series, or will Miami catch fire once again? Let’s find out more about this thrilling Game 3 showdown below.

And after you tap into this weekend blockbuster, go on and check out our previews on a couple of Friday night showdowns in Cleveland vs. Detroit and San Antonio vs. Memphis as well.

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Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets Preview

Where: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte

When: Saturday, April 23, 5:30 PM ET

Line: Miami Heat (+2) at Charlotte Hornets (-2); total: 201.0 – view all NBA lines

Betting on the Miami Heat

The Miami Heat’s 115-103 win over the Charlotte Hornets in Game 2 on Wednesday was a lot like their victory from the opening bout of the series, if not much more impressive.

The Heat shot over 57 percent from the field in both of their meetings with the Bobcats this postseason, and their astounding first-half numbers in Game 2 is truly something to behold. The Heat set new franchise-bests in points scored (72), made field goals (29) and field-goal shooting percentage (74.4 percent) in a half – any half – during the postseason. They also scored a staggering 23 points in the final three-and-a-half minutes of the second quarter.

34-year-old Dwyane Wade didn’t look and play like his age that night, scoring 28 points for his 100th playoff game with 20 points scored or more. Wade’s hot hand caught on with the rest of Miami’s lineup, as four other players – Hassan Whiteside, Luol Deng, Goran Dragic and Josh Richardson – scored 15 points or more in Game 2 as well.

Of those four names we just mentioned, Whiteside remains as the biggest threat to the Hornets. The dynamic seven-footer has back-to-back double-doubles in the playoffs, went a perfect 8-for-8 from the floor on Tuesday, and has just missed two of 19 field goal attempts in Games 1 and 2 combined.

A pair of convincing victories put the Heat in the driver’s seat of this series, but they should still be wary of a road upset, especially in Charlotte. After all, Miami has lost six of its last nine contests away from home (2-7 ATS), and three of its last four at Time Warner Cable Arena.

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Betting on the Charlotte Hornets

Is it too early to start crafting Crying Jordan memes for the Charlotte Hornets’ 2015-16 season? With the defeat at the hands of the Heat on Wednesday, the Hornets have now lost 12-straight playoff games dating back to the 2002 season – way before His Airness even took charge of the organization.

Apart from not being able to contain Miami’s offense in Game 2, Charlotte also shot a pathetic 1-of-16 from beyond the arc, which pretty much explains the team’s scoring struggles in general in this series. Take Kemba Walker for example: he scored a game-high 29 points on Wednesday, but needed 29 shots to get there.

To add insult to injury, Nic Batum suffered a sprained ankle during the fourth quarter of that contest. His Batum’s return in the series is iffy at best, and this is a huge blow to a Charlotte team that lacks the playoff tenacity that the Heat have in spades.

All hope is not lost for the Hornets, though, as Al Jefferson still had a solid night from Game 2 (25 points on 12-of-17 shooting). A fevered Charlotte crowd this Saturday may just be the right cure for the team’s playoff woes as well, as the team still won eight of its last 10 home games (5-5 ATS) to wrap up the regular season.

Writer’s Prediction

The Heat (+2) seize a commanding 3-0 series lead with a superb 94-87 road victory.