The last time the Charlotte Hornets won a playoff game, they were really the Charlotte Hornets. Now, the franchise which was formerly known as the Charlotte Bobcats has its first postseason victory.
Can the artists formerly known as the Bobcats build on that win and make this a series with the Miami Heat? We'll find out on Monday night.
NBA Playoff Odds at BookMaker.eu
Miami Heat +2.5
Charlotte Hornets -2.5
Over/Under 195.5
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Hornets were expected to win Game 3, and they didn't disappoint, using a big third quarter to crack the code of the Heat with a 96-80 victory. The oddsmakers are looking for a better effort from Miami this time around in Game 4 with its back at least in the vicinity of the wall for the first time in these playoffs.
The Heat have opened up at just +2.5 in a game which isn't far off from a pick 'em.
The total dipped just a bit from the easy under number of 196.5 in Game 3 to 195.5 for Game 4.
SERIES RECAP
The Heat didn't have a great game finishing near the basket in Game 3, and that was a big surprise. The numbers are still staggering, though. Luol Deng is shooting 63.9 percent from the floor while Hassan Whiteside is good for 80.0 percent. These two men are combining for 39 points per game.
The Hornets meanwhile, just aren't all that efficient. Al Jefferson is having a good series at 16.0 points and 6.7 boards per game, but Kemba Walker, in spite of his 21.7 points per game, is shooting just 36.1 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from long range.
INJURIES
With Michael Kidd-Gilchrist already out for the season, the last thing the Hornets needed was another injury to a pure scorer. Nicolas Batum is out indefinitely thanks to a foot injury, and it took a big defensive effort against the Heat to win Game 3 without him.
Frank Kaminsky helped out by scoring 15, while Marvin Williams had 12. If men like this step up and pitch in double-digit scoring efforts, the Hornets will have a shot. If not, Batum's injury could be devastating.
LIVE BETTING
Many of these games in the playoffs have been decided by how well teams shoot the ball from the outside, but in the case of the Hornets and Heat, the real key remains getting the ball in the paint. Miami scored 58 and 48 points in Games 1 and 2 respectively near the cup, but in Game 3, it managed just 28 points.
Charlotte, which is really playing without any fantastic outside shooting, had 58 points in the paint on Saturday, and that's why it made this a series again.
QUICK PICK
We're actually a little surprised the Heat aren't favored in Game 4. They've got the better bodies in the paint for sure, and the likelihood of them not getting great games out of their bigs in this one is small.
Look for Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic to get back to driving to the rack instead of settling for long jumpers, and once they improve on their 11-of-33 combined shooting night from Saturday, Miami will be back in the win column.
NBA Odds: Heat 98, Hornets 91
Need to fund your account before the big game but don't have access to your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don't miss out on getting paid because you couldn't bet. Click here, and deposit at BookMaker now! Game 4 of the series between the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets will come off the board at 7:00 p.m. ET on Monday, April 25, 2016 at Time Warner Cable Arena. Catch the action live nationally on NBA TV.
