The latest Charlotte Hornets vs Miami Heat matchup was an overtime thriller on April 14, 2026. Charlotte defeated Miami 127-126 in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges each scored 30 and 28 points, respectively, while Davion Mitchell led Miami with 28 points. Kel’el Ware grabbed 19 rebounds, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. recorded eight assists.
Key Takeaways
- Charlotte beat Miami 127-126 in overtime on April 14, 2026.
- LaMelo Ball led Charlotte with 30 points and 10 assists.
- Miles Bridges added 28 points and nine rebounds.
- Davion Mitchell paced Miami with 28 points, six assists, and four rebounds.
- Kel’el Ware dominated the glass for Miami with 19 rebounds.
- The game ended with LaMelo Ball’s overtime layup and Miles Bridges’ clutch block at the buzzer.
Latest Hornets vs Heat Match: April 14, 2026
The most recent meeting between the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat came in the 2026 Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte. It was far more competitive than the teams’ March regular-season meeting, with the Hornets eventually winning 127-126 in overtime.
The game was extremely close throughout. Charlotte led 26-24 after the first quarter, Miami moved ahead 54-52 at halftime, and the Hornets entered the fourth quarter with a 9-point advantage after a strong third period. Miami forced overtime by matching Charlotte 25-25 in the fourth, but Charlotte scored 13 points in the extra period to Miami’s 12.
Final Score and Game Leaders
| Category | Miami Heat | Charlotte Hornets |
| Final score | 126 | 127 |
| Points leader | Davion Mitchell — 28 | LaMelo Ball — 30 |
| Rebounds leader | Kel’el Ware — 19 | Moussa Diabaté — 14 |
| Assists leader | Jaime Jaquez Jr. — 8 | LaMelo Ball — 10 |
| Result | Loss | Win |
| Overtime | 12 points | 13 points |
These numbers show why the game was so competitive. Miami had major production from Mitchell and Ware, while Charlotte received outstanding scoring and playmaking from Ball and strong all-around production from Bridges.
Top Hornets Player Stats
LaMelo Ball: 30 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, 1 block. He shot 12-of-31 from the field and 2-of-16 from three-point range. His biggest contribution came when the game was on the line, as he scored the winning layup with 4.7 seconds remaining in overtime.
Miles Bridges: 28 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks. Bridges also shot 10-of-18 from the field and 5-of-10 from three-point range, giving Charlotte an efficient secondary scoring option.
Brandon Miller: 23 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. He shot 9-of-17 overall and made 5 of his 10 three-point attempts.
Moussa Diabaté: 8 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. His work on the glass was particularly important because Miami also had a strong rebounding performance from Kel’el Ware.
Kon Knueppel: 6 points and 5 rebounds. His scoring was limited, as he shot 2-of-12 from the field, but Charlotte still found enough production elsewhere to win.
Top Heat Player Stats
Davion Mitchell: 28 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Mitchell shot 12-of-24 from the field and made 4 of 9 three-pointers. He was Miami’s leading scorer and one of the game’s most active offensive players.
Kel’el Ware: 19 rebounds and 4 points. Ware was Miami’s dominant rebounder and finished with 19 boards, including 12 in the second half according to the detailed box-score breakdown. His size gave the Heat a major advantage on the glass.
Andrew Wiggins: 27 points and 3 rebounds. He shot efficiently, going 10-of-18 from the field and 5-of-8 from three-point range.
Tyler Herro: 19 points, 3 rebounds and 9 assists. His playmaking helped Miami stay close, although his shooting was less efficient than some of his teammates.
Bam Adebayo: 18 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. His interior scoring gave Miami another important option during the overtime battle.
Team Statistics and Shooting Comparison
The final score alone does not fully explain the matchup. Miami shot better from the field overall, while Charlotte made a larger number of three-pointers and controlled the rebounding battle in key moments.
The available game data lists Miami at 47.6% from the field and 39.0% from three, compared with Charlotte’s 44.2% field-goal percentage and 32.1% three-point percentage. Miami also finished with 55 rebounds and 32 assists, while Charlotte recorded 65 rebounds and 26 assists in the detailed game data.
| Team Stat | Heat | Hornets |
| Points | 126 | 127 |
| Field-goal % | 47.6% | 44.2% |
| 3-point % | 39.0% | 32.1% |
| Rebounds | 55 | 65 |
| Assists | 32 | 26 |
| Steals | 4 | 4 |
| Blocks | 8 | 7 |
| Turnovers | 7 | 6 |
The most notable difference was rebounding. Charlotte collected more boards despite Miami’s strong work from Ware, helping the Hornets generate additional possessions and survive a close game.
How the Game Was Decided
LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges Lead Charlotte
Charlotte’s biggest advantage was the combined scoring of Ball and Bridges. Ball produced 30 points while also creating opportunities for teammates with 10 assists. Bridges added 28 points and nine rebounds.
That combination gave Miami two different problems. Ball could create with the ball in his hands, while Bridges punished the Heat with efficient shooting and interior strength.
The Hornets also received 23 points from Brandon Miller, giving them three players who could consistently contribute offensively.
Davion Mitchell Keeps Miami Alive
Miami had its own standout performance from Davion Mitchell. His 28 points matched Bridges’ total and came on 50% shooting.
Kel’el Ware’s 19 rebounds were another major reason Miami remained competitive. The Heat also received 27 points from Andrew Wiggins and 19 from Tyler Herro.
Still, Charlotte managed to make the decisive plays late. Ball scored the go-ahead basket with 4.7 seconds left in overtime, and Bridges then blocked Mitchell’s potential game-winning attempt at the buzzer. That sequence secured Charlotte’s 127-126 victory and eliminated Miami from the playoffs.
March 17 Regular-Season Meeting
For readers searching specifically for the March 17, 2026 Charlotte Hornets vs Miami Heat match player stats, that game produced a very different result.
Charlotte defeated Miami 136-106 at Spectrum Center. LaMelo Ball led all scorers with 30 points and 13 assists, while Coby White scored 24 points and Kon Knueppel added 22. Brandon Miller contributed 16 points and Miles Bridges had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Miami was led by Tyler Herro with 20 points and eight rebounds. Norman Powell scored 17, Keshad Johnson had 15, and Pelle Larsson finished with 14. Miami shot only 40.4% from the field and 19.4% from three-point range, while Charlotte shot 53.1% overall and 40.5% from three.
The contrast between the two meetings is useful. Charlotte won the March regular-season game comfortably, but the April play-in matchup went down to the final second of overtime.
Charlotte Hornets vs Miami Heat Player Stats FAQ
Who won the Hornets vs Heat game?
Charlotte won the latest matchup, defeating Miami 127-126 in overtime on April 14, 2026, in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament. LaMelo Ball scored the winning basket with 4.7 seconds remaining in overtime.
Who led the Hornets in scoring?
LaMelo Ball led Charlotte with 30 points in the April 14 play-in game. Miles Bridges was close behind with 28 points, while Brandon Miller scored 23.
Who led the Heat in scoring?
Davion Mitchell led Miami with 28 points. He shot 12-of-24 from the field and also contributed six assists, four rebounds, two steals and one block.
How many assists did LaMelo Ball have?
LaMelo Ball recorded 10 assists in the April 14, 2026 play-in matchup. He finished with 30 points, five rebounds, one steal and one block.
How many rebounds did Kel’el Ware have?
Kel’el Ware grabbed 19 rebounds for Miami. That was the highest rebounding total of the game and one of the strongest individual performances in the matchup.
Conclusion
The Charlotte Hornets vs Miami Heat match player stats show how closely contested the latest meeting became. Charlotte survived Miami 127-126 in overtime, led by LaMelo Ball’s 30 points and 10 assists and Miles Bridges’ 28 points.
Miami had plenty of production of its own. Davion Mitchell scored 28 points, Andrew Wiggins added 27, Tyler Herro contributed 19, and Kel’el Ware dominated the boards with 19 rebounds. In the end, Charlotte’s late-game execution made the difference.
For readers comparing the teams’ 2026 meetings, the March 17 regular-season game was a 136-106 Charlotte blowout, while the April 14 play-in contest was a one-point overtime thriller. Together, the two games provide a useful snapshot of how different the Hornets-Heat matchup can look depending on the circumstances.
I am Alexander, a passionate writer and language enthusiast at Synonyms. I specialize in creating clear, helpful content about synonyms, word meanings, and language differences to make English easier for everyone.
