THE Heat recovered from a sluggish start, coming up with a strong fourth quarter to beat the Charlotte Hornets, 108-101, on Wednesday in Miami (Thursday, Manila time).
Goran Dragic showed the way for Miami, which scored 27 in the fourth while limiting Charlotte to just 15.
The Heat, who scored only 18 in the opening frame, extended their win streak to three and notched their 31st win in 65 outings.
Dragic had 11 points and 10 assists, while Hassan Whiteside also had a double-double of 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Dion Waiters scored 24 for Miami.
The Hornets saw their two-game win streak end, even as Kemba Walker came up with another big game.
Walker scored 33 points for the Hornets, who absorbed their 36th loss in 64 games.
Marvin Williams had 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Nicolas Batum scored 16.