MIAMI — The 26-point lead during the first half was an example of what happens when just about everything goes right for the Miami Heat.
What followed was a reminder that NBA everything rarely goes right through all 48 minutes.
So there stood the Heat, in an unexpected fourth-quarter scramble against the younger legs of the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night at FTX Arena, their lead down to six with just over eight minutes to play.
That’s when Erik Spoelstra’s team said enough was enough, offering needed pushback from Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in what turned into a 114-99 victory that lifted the early-season record to 4-1.
Once the game slowed, Butler took over in the second half, his halfcourt game fueling his 32-point effort, adding 10 rebounds and five assists.
There also was a 26-point, season-high 19-rebound double-double from Adebayo, whose energy was the difference at the finish, a perpetual dunking machine.
And before those two got going, there was Tyler Herro setting the tone, on what would end as a 26-point night.
What set up early as an opportunity to rest the starters at the finish ahead of Saturday night’s game in Memphis, instead turned into a fight almost to the finish, with late aggression by Markieff Morris and a 3-pointer by Max Strus providing needed boosts.
Five Degrees of Heat from Friday night’s game:
1. Board silly: At one stage in the second period, the Heat had more rebounds (25) than the Hornets had points (24).
At that stage, one single Hornet had as many as three rebounds, with six Heat players already up to at least that total.
While the Heat’s shooting has been off this season, the offensive rebounds and second-chance points have more than compensated.
The Heat closed with a 60-37 rebounding advantage.
2. Torrid Tyler: Herro sizzled in the first half with 18 points in his 14 minutes over the opening two periods, shooting 7 of 8, including 2 of 3 on 3-pointers.
Herro did all that, plus record four assists, without recording a first-half turnover.
Thirteen of his first-half points came in his 9:46 in the second period.
Herro tied a season high with four 3-pointers.
3. And again: Herro again beat a buzzer at the end of a quarter with a 3-pointer, this time a running 28-foot bank shot at the end of the first period for a 33-22 Heat lead, after the Heat had stood 2 of 9 on 3-pointers to that stage.
In the Heat’s season-opening victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, Herro converted a 31-foot floating 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer for a 40-17 lead.
Herro’s 3-pointer this time came after the Heat forced a P.J. Washington turnover with 3.4 seconds left in the opening period.
4. Adebayo’s accolades: Adebayo had 16 points and six rebounds by the intermission, then remained on the court at halftime when the Heat raised a banner commemorating his gold medal with Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics in July.
“A special moment,” he said.
Adebayo recorded his fourth double-double in his five appearances this season.
5. Still off: Duncan Robinson and Kyle Lowry both continued their shooting struggles, with Lowry yet to score more than nine points in his four Heat appearances.
Lowry went into the season seeking the 700th double-figure game of his career, a game yet to arrive.
Robinson closed 2 of 11 on 3-pointers to drop to 12 of 43 for the season. Lowry shot 2 of 10, 0 for 4 on 3-pointers.
