Dwyane Wade refused to let the Heat die and with a terrific performance forced a final showdown with the Hornets for a spot in the second round. Now he'll look to once again lead his team to a Game 7 win in Miami.
Hornets vs. Heat 2016 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch NBA playoffs online
The Heat forced a Game 7 and now have the chance to advance to the second round with a win at home.
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Kemba Walker did everything he could to propel the Hornets to the second round in Game 6. He dropped 37 points, 14 of which came in the fourth quarter. He powered the final push to make it close late with 12 points and one assist in the last six minutes of the game. Unfortunately for him, he ran into an inspired Wade. The Heat's star hit two three-pointers in the last thee minutes after connecting on just seven all season. It was a throwback performance for one of the game's best closers.
Wade didn't do it alone, of course. He had more help than Walker did, as four other members of his team finished in double digits, to just two from the Hornets. Courtney Lee, the hero in Game 5, only had two points while Marvin Williams didn't even get on the board. Jeremy Lin and Nicolas Batum played well below their normal level and Frank Kaminsky didn't make an impact. Without the contributions from Al Jefferson and Cody Zeller, it would have been a blowout.
The fact that Charlotte’s role players didn’t step up to close out the series could be considered a bad sign going into Game 7. If they don’t have it in them to play their best under pressure, their season could end on Sunday. Some of them are experienced playoff performers, though. Their poor showing could simply be chalked up to them having a bad night and the Heat playing with more urgency.
We’ll see what this Hornets team is made of soon enough. There’s no room for passivity while playing on the road in an elimination game, so they should come out of the gate looking to set the tone with their physicality. If they don’t, the Heat will make sure they regret it.
How to watch Heat vs. Hornets Game 7
Place: AmericanAirlines Arena
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Streaming: ABC Live
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Charlotte’s awful possession in Game 2
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