Hornets Lose to Heat by 16 After Poor Second Quarter

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Published: December 8, 2012

The New Orleans Hornets fall to 5-14, 1-3 on the week, after a 16 point loss to Miami after being outscored by 18 in the second quarter.

The Hornets managed to keep the Heat from taking advantage of poor three point defense, but the Hornets also failed to take advantage of the same weakness of the Heat. This was in part due to Anderson having to sit for most of the second quarter due to foul trouble after missing half of the first quarter for the same reason. The forward was the Hornets’ leading scorer (24) in just 30 minutes of action, matching the output of LeBron James and falling two shy of Dwyane Wade’s game leading output.

No Hornets guard got into double figures, and Lopez’s 20 points could not help overcome the difference in output by the wings. Still, the Hornets did manage their small victory, not inviting a beating from behind the arc for the second time in as many nights.

Still, the team is so thin and the skills are so concentrated (e.g. Anderson has taken over 40% of the team’s three point attempts.), that someone being actually or figuratively removed from the game while Gordon and Davis sit is irrecoverable, and the second quarter performance is evidence of this. Tonight, Anderson’s actual absence broke the Hornets.

Beyond this, turnovers were an issue. Though the Hornets committed only three more turnovers than the Heat, the Heat scored 22 of the 19 Hornets turnovers while the Hornets scored only 9 points of the 16 chances the took from the Heat. This disparity is also reflected in the 3-14 difference in fast break points.

Grayson called this by 19; close. He also called Lopez having a better game than Bosh. Another solid prediction.

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