MIAMI — The Miami Heat opened Friday’s NBA Cup contest with a franchise-best 53-point first quarter and went on to beat the Charlotte Hornets 126-108 at Kaseya Center.
Norman Powell led Miami with 25 points, giving coach Erik Spoelstra a win one day after a fire destroyed his home. The 53-point burst was the second-highest scoring first quarter in league history and tied for the ninth-highest scoring quarter in the shot-clock era, which began in 1954.
Miami pushed its lead to 64-38 with 9:20 left in the second period, but Charlotte answered with a 27-2 run, trimming the margin to 66-65. The Hornets never managed to get in front, and the Heat reasserted control in the fourth quarter.
The Heat’s second quarter produced only 19 points, making them the second team since 1954 to score at least 50 in one quarter and fewer than 20 in the next during a regular-season game. The Memphis Grizzlies did the same on March 5, 2023, against the LA Clippers.
Miami’s previous single-quarter record was 48 points against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1989, while its prior first-quarter best was 47 at Washington on Jan. 9, 2021. The NBA’s first-quarter record remains Golden State’s 55 points vs. Portland on April 9, 2023.
Andrew Wiggins scored 22 points and Pelle Larsson added 19 for Miami. The victory moved the Heat to 1-0 in group play. Charlotte was led by — details on Hornets scoring were not provided in the report.
Source: ESPN
