Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 28 points, 20 of them in the first half, as the Miami Heat dominated the Charlotte Hornets 144–117 at Kaseya Center on Tuesday night.
Bam Adebayo added 26 points, while Andrew Wiggins contributed 21 for Miami, who won their third straight game after opening the season with a loss to Orlando. The Heat played without leading scorer Norman Powell due to a groin injury sustained in the morning shootaround.
Jaquez was instrumental off the bench, shooting 9-for-14 and posting a plus-43 rating. Miami’s bench outscored Charlotte 58–33, giving the Heat a decisive edge in the game.
Pelle Larsson stepped in for Powell, finishing with 17 points and five rebounds, helping Miami close the first half with an 11–0 run to lead 76–60. Charlotte briefly cut the lead to three in the second half, but the Heat responded with a 23–7 surge that extended into the fourth quarter.
LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 20 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, while rookie Kon Knueppel added 19 points. Charlotte played without starting forward Brandon Miller, who continues to recover from a shoulder injury sustained against Philadelphia on Saturday.
Miami’s scoring was balanced, with Jaquez, Adebayo, Wiggins, and Larsson all in double digits. The team shot 54.2% from the field and 90.9% from the free-throw line, outrebounding the Hornets 37–41. Charlotte struggled from deep, hitting 19 of 45 three-pointers.
The Heat improve to 3–1 and will start a four-game road trip on Thursday at San Antonio. The Hornets, now 2–2, host Orlando later in the week.
