Miami stretches NBA win streak to 3 after torching Charlotte

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Miami Heat continued their inspired run in the ongoing NBA regular season after crushing the Charlotte Hornets, 144-117, on Oct. 29, 2025, at the Kaseya Center in Florida.

Fresh off a gutsy win over the New York Knicks, the Heat picked up where they left off, dominating the last three quarters to improve their record to three wins and one loss.

Since dropping their opening day game against the Orlando Magic, Miami has been on a heater, winning three consecutive games in a week.

Steering the Heat to the convincing dub was Jaime Jaquez Jr., who scored 20 of his 28 points in the first half, turning a slim three-point cushion into a double-digit advantage at the break.

The versatile power forward was unstoppable after checking in midway through the first and schooled the small Charlotte frontcourt rotation, helping the Heat cap off the opening quarter on an 11-3 run.

Jaquez Jr. backed down Charlotte’s smaller defenders and made the most of his pick-and-pop opportunities from downtown.

Despite the explosive start, the Hornets still focused on containing Bam Adebayo, Miami’s superstar center, which opened the door for Jaquez Jr. to score off back cuts and pin-down plays.

Due to Erik Spoelstra’s fluid motion offense, Charlotte got lost sticking to their assigned zone coverages, leaving Jaquez Jr. in the zone both from the perimeter and beyond the arc.

The Hornets tried to inch closer at the start of the third when LaMelo Ball knocked down some shots and got his teammates involved, but another late run from the Heat — led by Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, and Pelle Larsson — protected their double-digit lead entering the final frame.

Miami then delivered the final blow in the fourth, capping off the last 12 minutes of the game with a game-sealing 39-29 scoring advantage that ballooned their biggest lead of the night to 29 points.

Aside from Jaquez Jr., Adebayo also remained consistent on the offensive end, dropping 26 points on an efficient 10-of-16 shooting from the field.

Wiggins added 21 markers, three steals, and two rebounds, while Larsson chipped in 17 points, five boards, three dimes, and a steal.

On the other hand, Ball nearly tallied another triple-double stat line with 20 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, but his all-around display wasn’t enough to douse Miami’s Heat.