Miami Heat fans suffered through too many close games last season and the trend continues in the first three games of the 2018-19 season with a heartbreaking 113-112 loss to the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.
In their home opener, the Heat were out of sorts defensively — to put it mildly — and the Hornets made them pay with 34 and 38 points respectively in each of the first two quarters while knocking down 12 3-pointers. Kemba Walker led the way with 39 points to lead all scorers, but it was a team effort that allowed them to build a 20-point lead in the second quarter and continue to be dominant in the beginning of the second half.