Dwyane Wade talk and 10 other notes from the Heat's 115-103 win in Game 2 against Charlotte:

• Wade was asked the other day when was the last time he felt butterflies in a playoff game. He mentioned Game 4 of the 2013 Finals in San Antonio, which the Heat won to even the series at two en route to Wade’s third championship.

“Always trying to stay even keel in those moments,” he said.

No Heat player has exuded more coolness, more nerves of steel under pressure than Wade, and his first two games of this 2016 postseason --- while devoid of any late-game drama --- combined high efficiency with highlight-reel stuff.

Wade hit an array of difficult jumpers, electrified the crowd by blocking a Kemba Walker jump shot and once again dominated his matchup with Courtney Lee. Wade has had life and lift in his legs, looking active and spry and explosive.

The performance was an aesthetic and statistical success: 28 points, 11 for 22 shooting from the field and 6 for 7 from the line, eight assists, three rebounds, two steals and the block on Walker, which gave him 154 blocks in 154 playoff games, second all-time among NBA guards, behind Michael Jordan, who had 158 in 179 games.

“Wade was unbelievable,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “He was hitting his jumper. If Dwyane has room, he is getting in the paint against anybody.”

And Wade --- who has scored at least 20 points for the 100th time in 154 Heat playoff games --- was big when the game became uncomfortably close late.

He drove to the basket, drew a foul and hit two free throws to push the Heat’s lead to 10 with 3:42 left, then made a dashing spin move on Lee for a jumper to make it a nine-point game with 2:45 to go. Then he scored in transition, off a Justise Winslow pass, to push the margin to double figures with 1:37 to go.

Wade’s mid-range game hadn’t been quite as effective this season, and his overall 45.6 shooting percentage was a career low, well below his 54.5 two years ago and his 48.8 career mark. Wade often has finished as the NBA’s highest-percentage shooting guard in his career but slid to seventh this season, behind J.J. Redick, Klay Thompson, Gary Harris, Evan Fournier, Andrew Wiggins and Alan Crabbe.

He also finished seventh among shooting guards in scoring average at 19.0.

His shooting accuracy slipped to 34.3 percent from 10 to 16 feet this season and 38.7 percent from 16 feet to the three-point range, according to probasketballreference.com.

But Wade’s entire offensive game has flourished in this series, his jumper smooth and silky. On Tuesday, he hit five jumpers of at least 12 feet, as well as several shots closer to the rim, including a snazzy finger roll.

He scored 15 in the first half, then delivered again late. He has 15 assists, just three turnovers, in this series.

“I’m always going to put pressure on the defense,” he said. “I was taking what they gave me.”

Hassan Whiteside, who caught an alley-oop from Wade said: "D-Wade is probably the best guard I've ever seen around the basket. I joke with him all the time and tell him I think you were supposed to be a seven-footer. Just the way he maneuvers in the paint. He's got left and right hand jump hooks. He's like a big man that plays guard. It's amazing."

The extra rest couldn’t have hurt Wade. He had two days rest between Games 1 and 2 and was at his best statistically this season with two days rest, averaging 21.8 points and 48.7 percent shooting.

There will be one day’s rest between games starting after Game 3, and for at least much of the next round, if the Heat advances. With one day rest, Wade was also very good this season, averaging 18.7 points and 47.2 percent shooting.

But Wade shot only 40 percent this season on the second night of back-to-backs (13 games), and there shouldn’t be any of those in postseason.

Wade said feeling healthy this time of year is a huge help. “I feel good. It allows me to penetrate to the basket.”

• Al Jefferson said he would be surprised if Nic Batum (ankle) plays again in this series.

• The Heat's rookies came up big. Josh Richardson was terrific, with 15 points on 5 for 9 shooting. Justise Winslow (4 for 6) had nine points and four rebounds. "It's a confidence boost knowing that coach has enough faith in me to leave me out there," Richardson said. "I cherish moments like that."

• This is the 14th time in franchise history that the Heat has taken a 2-0 lead in a series. They've won each of the previous 13.

• The Heat has won their last 13 first-round games at home.

• Hassan Whiteside's 8 for 8 shooting was the best by a Heat player in postseason franchise history. On his journey, he said: "It's just a testament to hard work. Mentally, I'm really tough. It's just another chapter of my life." He had 17 points and 13 boards.

• This was the first time in postseason history the Heat has scored 115 points or more in consecutive games. Miami has topped 100 points in 17 home games in a row.

• The Heat's 43 points in the second quarter were its most in any quarter in franchise postseason history. The Heat shot 84.2 percent in the second, highest in franchise history.

• The Hornets have lost 12 postseason games in a row, one short of the Knicks' postseason record.

• Marvin Williams is shooting 1 for 17 in the series after going 0 for 10 tonight. Unreal.

• Hornets coach Steve Clifford: "Goran Dragic shot 3 for 3 from the three-point line. Ifhe does that, they are more than likely going to win."

DOLPHINS TALK

Adam and Armando have thoroughly covered the Josh Norman story in their forums, so a couple other things here:

On the final day NFL teams were permitted to bring in draft prospects for visits, the Dolphins summoned a ball-hawking defensive back with a knack for interceptions.

Per league sources, Middle Tennessee State 5-11 strong safety Kevin Byard visited the Dolphins today, the last of his 16 visits. He’s a potential mid-round pick after snagging 19 career interceptions. That career total of 19 picks ranks 17th among all college football players since 1976, according to collegefootballreference.com.

Here’s what CBS draft expert Rob Rang said about him: "A four-time all-Conference [USA] choice (including back-to-back first team honors), Byard has consistently stood out, easing concerns about his ability to make the jump to the NFL. He's built like a traditional strong safety but is a fluid athlete with excellent awareness to read the eyes of quarterbacks and set up his blocks on returns, recording 377 yards off interceptions returns alone over his career.

“If he can ease concerns about his straight-line speed, Byard could be the highest drafted Blue Raiders prospect since receiver Tyrone Calico was taken 60th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft…. Does an excellent job reading the eyes of the quarterback and gaining proper position with aggressiveness and timing at the catch point, showing strong hands and hand-eye coordination to pluck the ball….

“Byard's knack for creating big plays has earned him attention throughout his career but there are holes in his game, including a lack of ideal physicality and playing speed. Against the elite competition he'll face in the NFL, the former two-star recruit will once again have to buck the odds.”

Chronologically, Byard had four, five, six and four interceptions in his four seasons and returned two of them for touchdowns (both as a freshman). He has returned only one punt in four seasons, but he scored a 76-yard touchdown on that return.

For a look at the Dolphins' search for a running back, please click here.

PEARL'S PASSING

On the day of his passing, former Heat coaches on Wednesday remembered Dwyane “Pearl” Washington as a shy, kind person who did his best work at home during the Heat’s inaugural season.

Washington, who captivated college basketball fans with his flair, deft ball-handling skills and creativity as a Syracuse point guard and then scored the most points in the Heat’s first ever regular-season game, died after a battle with cancer. He was 52.

Washington was beset with medical problems since a brain tumor was first diagnosed in 1995. He had surgery last August after a recurrence of the tumor. In recent weeks, he needed a wheelchair to move around and required continuous medical care.

“It's sad,” said Heat announcer Ron Rothstein, who coached Washington in his only season with the Heat. “Way too early for him to have to go.

“I remember him as a high school player… He was a man amongst boys. I heard [Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim] say basically he was a shy guy. You would think a guy who played with his flair and dominance - you would expect something a little bit different. He was quiet, wasn't really that outgoing, wasn't loud in the locker-room."

Washington was born on Jan. 24, 1964 and was a New York City playground legend growing up in Brooklyn. He got his nickname as an 8-year-old when he was compared to former NBA star Earl "the Pearl" Monroe.

He was the nation’s most highly recruited basketball player after averaging 35 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as a senior at Boys and Girls High.

Washington committed to Syracuse and averaged 15.6 points, 6.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds for the Orangemen and --- with Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin and others --- were among the brightest stars during the Big East Conference’s halcyon years in the 1980s and 1990s.

His signature move was the crossover dribble that froze defenders.

Washington was drafted 13th overall by New Jersey in 1986, but his game and undersized frame (6-2) did not translate well to the NBA.

He averaged 8.9 points and 3.6 assists in two seasons with the Nets, including 71 starts.

The Heat took him in the 1988 expansion draft and Washington led the Heat with 16 points in the Heat’s first regular-season game, a 111-91 loss to the Clippers.

Washington appeared in 54 games, including eight starts, during the Heat’s inaugural season, averaging 7.6 points, 4.2 assists and shooting 42.4 percent from the field.

“Great guy,” said Heat broadcaster Tony Fiorentino, an assistant coach on Rothstein’s staff. “He had an unbelievable season at home. He didn't play well on the road.

“One time I was at a clinic and he was there with three teenage kids around him and he dribbled and six hands and nobody touched the ball. He was a magician with the ball. He didn't have the best of bodies to play in the NBA and that's why he didn't last in the league very long. One of the best all time high school and college players.”

The Heat did not retain him and he spent the next two seasons playing in the Continental Basketball Association before his career ended.

“I don't think he expected not to succeed as an NBA player,” Rothstein said. “That threw him off for a while. He made something of himself. He got educated. He got a good job with the New York City Board of Education, doing special projects.”

Washington is the second confirmed player who has died from the original Heat team, which went 15-67 under Rothstein.

Pat Cummings, also a member of that team, died of what were reported to be natural causes in 2012, at age 55.

• Duke coach Mike Krzyewski has maintained a close relationship with Justise Winslow, reaching out several times recently to the player who helped lead Duke to a national title in his one season with the Blue Devils.

Before the Heat-Hornets series, “he told me good luck,” Winslow said. “He texted me Happy Easter the other day... He called me on the phone. We talked. Wished me luck. Just talked about personal stuff.”

This past winter, Krzyewski appeared in an ESPN promotional ad involving Winslow. After watching an ESPN clip of Winslow dunking in a Heat game, Krzyzewski asks one of his grandsons to send Winslow a text complimenting his athleticism and defense during his rookie season.

The grandson then sent Winslow a series of emojis: two flames, a pair of 100s, three biceps and a basketball. Winslow responded with emojis, and one of his grandsons told Krzyzewski: “He says thanks.”

• Game 4 of the Heat-Hornets series was set for 7 p.m. Monday, with Fox Sports Sun and NBA TV televising. Game 5, if needed, will be at 8 p.m. next Wednesday on TNT and Sun.

• For a look at what Mark Richt said today, please click here.

• Twitter: @flasportsbuzz