On Friday night, the Miami Heat became something new. They even put up a franchise-record 53 points in the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets! This dazzling display broke the Heat’s franchise record of 47 points, set against Washington on January 9, 2021. It shared the honor of being the ninth-highest scoring quarter in NBA history since the introduction of the shot clock.
After a tremendous start from the Heat, the tone was officially set for the night. They quickly established a commanding lead, going ahead by 26 points with 9:20 remaining in the second quarter. At one stretch, the Heat’s lead ballooned all the way to 64-38, reflecting their extraordinary offensive firepower. From that moment on, the tide turned completely as the game went on.
The Heat started very strong in the first quarter, but they were unable to continue and sustain it. That’s when they scored just 19 points in the second quarter. The decline in production caused an abrupt juxtaposition to their past success. This adjustment would eventually lead the Hornets to claw back into contention. The Hornets started out on an unbelievable rally. In response, they pieced together a remarkable 27-to-2 run, bringing the game within only 66-65 at one point.
This game marked an unprecedented anomaly in NBA history. The Heat became only the second team in the shot-clock era to score at least 50 points in one quarter and then fail to reach 20 points in the following quarter of the same regular season game. The Memphis Grizzlies previously achieved this feat on March 5, 2023, when they scored 50 points in a quarter but lost to the LA Clippers.
The Heat broke the record for most points in a first quarter with 49 points. They broke their own record of 48 points in a single quarter. On March 2, 1989, the team would go on to achieve this astounding feat in a legendary fourth-quarter comeback vs the New York Knicks. This remarkable achievement has shaped the franchise up until now.
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