Norman Powell led Miami with 25 points as the Heat routed the Charlotte Hornets 126-108 Friday night at Kaseya Center in NBA Cup action. Miami opened the game with a franchise-record 53 points in the first quarter, marking the second-highest opening quarter in NBA history.
Andrew Wiggins contributed 22 points, while Pelle Larsson added 19 for the Heat. Miami held a 26-point lead late in the first half before Charlotte mounted a 27-2 run to narrow the gap to 66-65, but the Hornets never led.
Rookie Kon Knueppel scored a career-high 30 points for Charlotte, with Tre Mann adding 20 and Miles Bridges finishing with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Ryan Kalkbrenner’s field-goal percentage dropped slightly to 81.3% after going 5-for-7 on the night.
Miami’s second quarter was less productive, scoring just 19 points, making them only the second team in the shot-clock era to score 50 or more in one quarter and fewer than 20 in the next during the same game. Despite the lull, Miami regained control in the fourth to secure the win.
The Heat improved to 5-4, while Charlotte fell to 3-6 in the NBA Cup. Miami will host Portland on Saturday, and the Hornets return home to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
