NBA: Charlotte dismantles Miami with a 30-point blowout

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Charlotte Hornets had all the reasons to celebrate at home after demolishing the Miami Heat in front of their fans, 136-106, in the ongoing NBA regular season on March 18, 2026, at the Spectrum Center.

Fresh off a disappointing loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Hornets vented their ire on the Heat to return to the NBA winning column while boosting their chances of a late Play-In spot, with only two wins needed to barge into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

It wasn’t an easy first half for Charlotte as Miami’s defense turned the game into a grueling and physical affair, with a lot of fouls whistled in the first five minutes of the ballgame.

From just a two-point advantage at the half, the Hornets managed to turn things around in the final two quarters after scoring 77 points in the second half.

LaMelo Ball was instrumental in the Hornets’ 37-31 push in the third frame as he finally got out of his slump, burying two treys while penetrating to the hole four times, which forced Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra to call back-to-back emergency timeouts in the remaining four minutes of the third period.

Aside from Ball, Coby White also stepped up offensively for the Hornets, leading the squad’s bench mob with 11 points in the third period alone.

Just when Miami thought it could replicate its first-half efficiency, the Hornets stepped on the gas pedal and left the Heat behind with a demoralizing 40-18 beatdown in the final 12 minutes of the game.

To make the lopsided fourth-quarter showing possible, Charlotte first put an emphasis on its defense, particularly its three-point coverage, limiting the Heat to just a single 3-pointer in the entirety of the final canto.

The offensive flow then came into the mix, as Ball, White and Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel torched the Heat with a barrage of 3-pointers that ballooned Charlotte’s biggest lead of the ballgame to as much as 30 points.

Ball led Charlotte to the win with a near triple-double outing of 30 points, 13 assists, six rebounds and a steal in just 33 minutes of playing time.

Meanwhile, White was terrific off the bench with 24 markers, three boards and three dimes, while Knueppel chipped in 22 points, built on two 3-pointers.

The Hornets will look to sustain their momentum on March 20, 2026, against Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic, while the Heat seek to redeem themselves on the same date against Luka Doncic and the rolling Los Angeles Lakers.