Mark Williams, Hornets send Heat to 4th straight defeat 108-103

CHARLOTTE,N.C. (AP) — Gordon Hayward scored 21 points, rookie center MarkWilliams had a huge game with 18 points and 20 rebounds — bothcareer highs — and the surging Charlotte Hornets defeated the MiamiHeat 108-103 on Saturday night for their season-best fourthstraight win.

LaMelo Ballhad 16 of his 19 points in the second half and finished with 13assists for his sixth straight double-double. Kelly Oubre Jr. andDennis Smith Jr. each had 15 points off the bench for theHornets.

Tyler Herrohad 33 points on six 3-pointers and Jimmy Butler added 28 points asMiami lost its fourth straight. Kevin Love had 13 points and 13rebounds in his second game since joining the Heat.

Herro calledlosing games on back-to-back nights coming out of the All-Starbreak “disappointing.”

“This is apoint in the year where we can either come together or we can goaway and split,” Herro said.

The Hornetsearned a season series split with the Heat, with each team winningtwice at home.

Williams wasa dominant force inside all night for the Hornets and scored thegame’s final four points on an alley-oop from Ball and a thunderousdunk of an offensive rebound to help bury the Heat. He finished 9of 12 from the field.

“I thinkeverybody viewed him as a talented defensive rim protector, but hehas a chance to be a very good offensive player, too,” Hornetscoach Steve Clifford said of Williams, the 15th overall pick inlast year’s draft.

Williamsstepped into a starting role when the team sent veteran MasonPlumlee to the Los Angeles Clippers at the trade deadline.

“The more andmore I play, the more and more comfortable I get,” Williams said.“Offensively, getting ready to catch passes from whoever, lobs,drop offs, on the offensive glass.”

Charlotte ledby 22 in the first half before Miami clawed back to cut the lead tothree at the break.

But Ball, whowas 1 of 11 from the field in the first half, erupted with three3-pointers in the first three minutes of the third quarter to setthe tone for the second half. He added two more crucial 3s in thefourth quarter after Miami had cut the lead to one.

“He’s superconfident and he puts so much time in, so that gives youconfidence,” Clifford said. “He works at it and his game is inrhythm, so I think he feels like he’s always going to be able tomake them.”

Miami’soffensive struggles — it has failed to reach 110 points in sixstraight games — carried over to the first half.

The Heat shot20.8% from the floor in the first quarter to fall behind 29-16.Charlotte extended the lead to 22 in the second quarter beforeMiami closed the first half on a 24-6 run sparked by 10 points byLove and a pair of 3s from Herro.

“We putourselves in a hole and it’s just tough to get out of in thisleague with a bunch of good teams and good players,” Herro said.“That’s on us as players to bring out best effort every night.”

Miami wouldcut the lead to one with under two minutes to play in the game onBam Adebayo’s driving dunk and had a chance to take the lead on itsnext possession. But Adebayo turned the ball over on a fast-breakopportunity with 1:30 left.

Williams madethe Heat pay with back-to-back baskets.

Miami failedto score on its final four possessions, turning it over twice.

TIP-INS

Heat: KyleLowry (left knee soreness), Nikola Jovic (lower back stressreaction) and Omer Yurtseven (ankle surgery) did not play. ...Butler was 16 of 20 from the foul line.

Hornets: P.J.Washington (right foot soreness) and Cody Martin (left kneesoreness) sat out. ... Dennis Smith Jr. had a monster one-handeddunk over Max Strus in the second quarter that brought the crowd toits feet, but was assessed a technical foul for talking trash afterthe play.

UPNEXT

Heat: AtPhiladelphia on Monday night.

Hornets: HostDetroit on Monday night.