Heat host Hornets Friday for NBA Cup group stage matchup

Charlotte Hornets (3-5, 12th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Miami Heat (4-3, 9th in the Eastern Conference)
Location: Miami
Time: Friday, 8 p.m. EST

Bottom Line:
The Miami Heat will host the Charlotte Hornets in an NBA Cup in-season tournament group play matchup. Last season, Miami finished with an overall record of 37-45 and went 24-28 in Eastern Conference play. The Heat shot 46.5% from the field and 36.7% from three-point range last season.

On the other hand, the Charlotte Hornets struggled last season, finishing 19-63 overall and 1-15 within the Southeast Division during the 2024-25 season. Defensively, the Hornets allowed 114.2 points per game and committed an average of 18.7 fouls per game last season.

These two teams will meet for the second time this season. In their first encounter on October 28, the Heat defeated the Hornets 144-117.

Injuries:
Heat: Tyler Herro is out with an ankle injury.
Hornets: Grant Williams is day to day with an ACL issue; LaMelo Ball is day to day with an ankle injury; Brandon Miller is out due to a shoulder injury; Josh Green is day to day with a shoulder injury.

*This story was created by The Associated Press using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.*
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