NBA Playoffs
Eastern Conference – Round 1
Tip-off: Monday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Line: Charlotte -2.5, Total: 195.5

The Hornets will be looking to even up the series with a home victory over the Heat in Game 4 on Monday.

The Heat had a great chance to go up 3-0 in this series, but they’ll now be hoping to keep their lead heading into Game 5. Miami was miserable in Game 3, shooting just 34.2% from the floor. The Heat will need to shoot the ball better moving forward, as the Hornets can really get hot in a hurry. Charlotte also makes the most of its possessions and does not turn the ball over very often. The Hornets coughed the ball up just three times on Saturday and have only turned the ball over more than 10 times in one of the past four games. One thing worth noting when looking at this series is that 20 of the 26 games played in Charlotte between these teams have gone Under the total since 1996. Miami is 14-6 ATS when coming off of a road loss this season and 15-6 ATS after playing a game as a road underdog as well. The Hornets, however, are an impressive 12-3 ATS after a blowout win by 15 points or more this season. They’re also 13-3 ATS after a game committing eight or less turnovers on the year. PF Chris Bosh (Blood Clot) and SG Tyler Johnson (Shoulder) remain out for the Heat and SF Nicolas Batum (Ankle) is questionable for Charlotte.

The Heat did not play well in Game 3 and will now be playing with a bit more desperation in Game 4. They do not want to head back to Miami in a 2-2 series, so it’s important that they take control of this series with a win on Monday. One guy that will need to be better is SG Dwyane Wade (20.3 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.7 RPG in playoffs). Wade was just 7-for-20 from the field in Game 3 and needs to be more efficient moving forward. If he is not finishing around the rim then it’s going to be touch for the Heat to right the ship on Monday. PG Goran Dragic (12.7 PPG, 6.0 APG in playoffs) also needs to be a lot better moving forward. He had just 11 points on 4-for-13 shooting from the field and 0-for-3 shooting from the outside on Saturday. He was badly outplayed by the Hornets’ point guards and that can’t keep happening. He must hold his own on both ends of the floor or Charlotte will win this series. Two guys that are, however, doing what they can to help Miami have an edge in this series are PF Luol Deng (22.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG in playoffs) and C Hassan Whiteside (17.0 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.0 BPG in playoffs). Deng has been incredible in the postseason, shooting 63.9% from the field and 64.7% from the outside. If he can continue to hit shots from deep then it’ll help Miami with spacing. Whiteside, meanwhile, has been a two-way monster for the Heat. If he can continue to dominate the paint and the backcourt steps it up then Miami should be able to put Charlotte away soon.

The Hornets were unbelievable in Game 4 and the heroes of the game were PG Jeremy Lin (12.7 PPG in playoffs) and PF Frank Kaminsky (6.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG in playoffs). Lin came off the bench and had 18 points, four assists and four boards for Charlotte. He was unstoppable going to the basket and also went 2-for-3 from the outside. If he can continue to provide a spark off the bench then the Hornets should be able to hang around in this series. Kaminsky, meanwhile, started for the injured SF Nicolas Batum (16.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG in playoffs). The Hornets went with a bigger lineup and really took advantage of Kaminsky’s size. He was able to make a number of plays around the rim and finished the game with 15 points, six rebounds and a block in 35 minutes of action. He likely earned himself more playing time moving forward and he’ll need to continue to be aggressive for this Hornets team. Charlotte does, however, need PG Kemba Walker (21.7 PPG in playoffs) to find his game. He’s shooting just 36.1% from the field and 23.5% from three in the postseason and that is not going to cut it moving forward. He is the best player on this team and needs to start playing a more efficient brand of basketball.