MIAMI -- The "White Hot" playoff theme for the Miami Heat used to describe the sea of white-clad fans the team enjoys when at home could just as well be used to describe its shooting in its first two postseason outings.

If the first two games of the series with the Charlotte Hornets can be narrowed to a key difference, it's making shots -- and the Heat have indeed been the hot team.

Shooting better than 55 percent for the second consecutive game and behind a vintage performance from Dwyane Wade, the Heat defeated the Charlotte Hornets 115-103 in Game 2 of an Eastern Conference first-round series on Wednesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

After a franchise playoff-best first half of shooting, the Heat held on in the second half to protect home-court advantage and go up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, which continues with Game 3 on Saturday in Charlotte.

The Heat have never relinquished a 2-0 series lead in franchise history (13-0).

The Hornets cut an 18-point deficit in the third quarter to seven with 3:05 remaining, but the Heat clamped down defensively and Wade, who led Miami with 28 points and eight assists, hit two key baskets late as part of nine fourth-quarter points.

"One -- I was taking what they gave me, understanding what their game plan was," Wade said. "Two -- I'm an aggressive player, so I'm always going to put pressure on the basket. That's what I do, and I got a couple of things to go for me."

The Miami onslaught followed a 32-point Game 1 victory that saw the Heat shoot 57.6 percent from the field (they finished shooting 57.9 percent on Wednesday).

In Sunday's Game 1 victory, Hassan Whiteside and Luol Deng combined to shoot 20 of 24. It continued for them in Game 2 as Whiteside (17 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting) and Deng (16 points) were two of five Heat players to finish in double figures.

Whiteside added 13 rebounds and two blocks. Goran Dragic pitched in 18 points while Josh Richardson scored 15.

"What we expected was a big response from [the Hornets]. Our guys were able to be really aggressive, able to knock down some shots," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "The pace was better than it was in the first game."

While the Heat were 9 of 16 from 3-point range, the Hornets hit just 1 of 16 from beyond the arc. Charlotte shot 42.7 percent overall, but the primary concern lies on the other end of the court.

"If we're going to get 103, we've got to win," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "For two games now our offense has been more than good enough to win. We've got to find a way to put together 48 good minutes of defense."

Kemba Walker had a game-high 29 points and Al Jefferson scored 25 on an efficient 12-of-17 shooting from the floor for the Hornets.

"The Heat did what they're supposed to do -- protect home court," Jefferson said. "Now we have to do the same. We're down 0-2, but we're not out of it."

Countering the success of Walker and Jefferson, Marvin Williams missed all 10 of his field-goal attempts to finish scoreless. Nicolas Batum had nine points and seven rebounds but left early in the fourth quarter with a sprained left ankle and did not return.

Hornets coach Steve Clifford said Batum was experiencing soreness in his ankle postgame, but had no update on his status for Game 3.

Jefferson offered his thoughts, however: "Looking at his ankle now, it's pretty bad... I feel like, me personally, I don't think he will be able to come back. He's a warrior, and if he can work it out, he'll be fine."

Miami took a 72-60 lead into halftime thanks to shooting a franchise playoff-best 74.4 percent from the field in the first half, including 7 of 10 on 3-pointers while converting its final 10 shots from the floor in the first half.

The Heat understand it won't be as easy as the series shifts to Charlotte.

"Now that we're going to Charlotte, it's going to be a different story," said Dragic, who hit all three of his first-half 3-point attempts. "It's going to be a hostile environment."

Added Spoelstra: "You have to win games in different ways in the playoffs. When we move up to Charlotte, we have to expect to try and win it and compete in a different way."

Jefferson, with 16 points in the second quarter, kept the Hornets in it with a flurry of baskets from the low post and mid-range, at one point converting eight of Charlotte's last nine field goals made.

The Heat matched their Game 1 turnover total of six in the first quarter alone but shot 65 percent from the field in the quarter as the teams were tied at 29 through one. They only turned it over two other times the rest of the way.

NOTES: The Miami Heat honored former Syracuse G Pearl Washington, who died on Wednesday, with a video montage and moment of silence before Game 2. Washington was a member of the Heat's inaugural 1988-89 team. ... Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford noted before the game that the Hornets needed to up their intensity for Game 2 after the 32-point Game 1 defeat. "I feel like we've had two good days (in between), and I'm confident we will play a lot better tonight," he said. ... Hornets C Al Jefferson off the bench against Heat C Hassan Whiteside, who finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, continues to be a focal-point matchup. Jefferson averaged 19 points in his two regular-season games against the Heat -- seven better than his season average.