Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Al Jefferson poured in 28 points with 10 rebounds to lead the Charlotte Hornets to their first victory over the Miami Heat in over 4 1/2 years, a 96-89 decision at Time Warner Cable Arena. Including last years four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, the Heat had won 20 straight meetings between the clubs since an 83-79 loss in Charlotte on March 9, 2010. The Hornets finally got some payback behind Jeffersons prowess in the paint and a strong defensive effort that limited Miami to a 39.0 percent performance from the floor and an off-target 4-of-22 rate from 3-point range. It just seemed like we could never get over the hump, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. We didnt play with great energy. Kemba Walker delivered 18 points and seven assists to help Charlotte halt a three-game overall skid, with Cody Zeller chipping in 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench. To come back and bounce back against a team we havent beaten in a while in front of our crowd is something weve got to build off of, Jefferson said. Dwyane Wade scored 25 points and Chris Bosh netted 23 in the loss, the Heats second in a row since a 3-0 start to the post-LeBron James era. Bosh added 13 rebounds and Wade tallied seven assists. Charlotte began to draw clear midway through the third quarter, putting forth a 15-5 run over the last six minutes of the period to turn a tie game into a 72-62 lead. Zeller hit a pair of free throws and rookie P.J. Hairston buried a 3-pointer to put the Hornets up 67-60 with 2:34 left in the third, and Charlotte gradually increased the margin as the Heat continued to miss shots. Miami failed to record a basket over the final 6:37 of the quarter, misfiring on nine straight attempts to conclude the frame. We dont have that grace period like we had before, where we could make mistakes, not make the effort plays, and still find a way to win, Bosh said. We cant dig holes, especially on the road. The Heat did fight back down the stretch to get within striking distance, with Bosh draining back-to-back jumpers to ignite an 8-0 push capped by Shabazz Napiers cutting layup off a Mario Chalmers feed that cut the deficit to 88-85 with 2:17 left. Walker knocked down a clutch three on the ensuing possession, however, then later sank a pair from the foul line to keep Miami at bay and give the Hornets a 93-87 lead with 21.7 seconds remaining. The Heat were cold during the games initial stages as well, missing seven of their first nine shots from the field and falling behind 22-13 late in the opening quarter after a 9-2 Hornets run. Charlotte continued to hold a nine-point advantage early in the second quarter until Bosh and Chalmers led Miami on a 12-3 spurt that forged a 29-29 tie near the midway mark of the period. The score remained tight through the remainder of the half, with the Hornets taking a 46-44 edge into the break after Walker fed Gerald Henderson for a short jumper. Game Notes Miamis 16 straight regular-season wins in the series was tied for the longest active streak by one team over another and one shy of the franchise record for consecutive victories over a single opponent ... The Heat had made at least nine 3-pointers in each of their first four games ... Charlotte forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist missed a second straight game with a rib contusion ... Wade registered his 700th career block in the fourth quarter, making him only the sixth guard in NBA history to reach the milestone ... Former Charlotte fan favorite Josh McRoberts faced his ex-team for the first time since with the Heat over the summer. He finished with two points in eight minutes. Ray Moore Jersey Alex Cobb Jersey . The 2014 edition will be the ninth meeting between the Caps and Vikes in a tradition that dates back to 2005. "Since the original Whitecaps, the club has enjoyed fantastic support from fans in Victoria and all across Vancouver Island," said Whitecaps FC president Bob Lenarduzzi. https://www.cheaporioles.com/868i-pat-gi...-orioles.html.J. -- Rampage Jackson scowled, howled, then bellowed to the crowd: "Im back! Im back!" With rebuilt knees and a new promotion, Jackson might have one more act left in MMA. Gregg Olson Jersey . Alina Fodorova of Ukraine took third place. Broersen based her gold-medal performance on great high jumping, and finished with 4,830 points, while Theisen-Eaton, from Humboldt, Sask., set a national record of 4,768. Jim Gentile Jersey .C. - The Panthers will be without starting defensive tackle Star Lotulelei for Saturday nights NFC divisional playoff game against Seattle after undergoing surgery Wednesday to repair a broken bone in his foot.RIO DE JANEIRO - Taking on LeBron James isnt the biggest concern for the Miami Heat in Rio de Janeiro. The team is still trying to figure out how to incorporate all the new faces that have replaced him.When the Heat play James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a preseason game in Rio on Saturday, the main focus is on speeding up the rebuilding process after losing their biggest star.Dwyane Wade acknowledged Friday that there is a lot of work to do before the regular season starts.Weve got to learn every day, there are a lot of teams that are so far ahead of us as teams, Wade said.The game in Rio will be Miamis third in the preseason. It lost to the New Orleans Pelicans and the Orlando Magic earlier this month. No wonder the word patience was thrown around quite a bit on Friday.We are trying to understand that we are behind the eight ball because weve got 13 new guys, Wade said. Weve only been together for 10 days on the basketball floor. Weve got to all understand that weve got to have patience, because the last two years just happened, we had the same team and it just happened. But now this is not that kind of team, so we all have to have patience and understand that its a process.Chris Bosh, the other remaining member of the Heats former Big Three, said everyone knows this team will have to work harder than in previous years to make sure its ready for the Oct. 29 opeener against the Washington Wizards.ddddddddddddWith this team we have to be patient with each other, he said. We have to get better at it and its going to take time. We are going to make mistakes and we have to understand that.We are not even close right now, but I like where we are headed, Bosh added. Guys are enthusiastic, its a very hard-working group. We are starting to pay attention to details, we are starting to really grasp how things go. Saturday will be another opportunity for us to get better.Coach Erik Spoelstra has been downplaying the encounter with James, trying to focus instead how to improve the revamped team.Spoelstra said he is trying to install a defensive system and thats taking some time. He said there is some growth to go in that area.Its always different when you have new faces, Spoelstra said. And thats the journey we are on right now with this group and we are trying to fast-track it. Thats why this week is an important week for us.Cavs coach David Blatt pointed out that the Heat arent the only ones with new players.We have a lot of new faces too, Blatt said. At this stage it really doesnt affect either team. Both teams are very much in the beginning of their respective processes and we are hopeful that this game, like any other game in the preseason, will help us grow.___Follow Tales Azzoni at http://www.twitter.com/tazzoni ' ' '