CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Nicolas Batum has added a new dimension to the Charlotte Hornets this season, and never was it more evident than Wednesday night.

Batum registered his first triple-double as a Hornet and was clearly the most-dominant player on the court as the Hornets routed the Miami Heat 99-81.

The 6-8 guard, who was acquired from Portland in the offseason, finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in just 27 minutes, on a night when the Hornets raced to a 22-point first-half lead and eventually led by as many as 30.

It was the fifth triple-double of his seven-year career.

"It's nice because it shows you can do many things on the court," Batum said. "Like I told (his teammates), to get 10 points and 10 rebounds is easy. But 10 assists, that's on you. I can get you the ball but you've got to score. They got in good positions and made big shots tonight, so it was all good."

The Hornets (13-8) moved past the Heat into first place in the Southeast Division with the win. It was their third straight win and their eighth in the last 10 games.

"I'm sure they aren't happy with the way they played but I thought we had great energy and our defense was really good," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "A lot of the defense turned into good offense. So it was a really good first half, and it's a good win."

Clifford raved about the play of Batum, who came into the game averaging 17 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists.

"His passing was unbelievable tonight," Clifford said. "If you were making a video of this game, you'd have eight or nine clips of just -- that's just talent. Nobody teaches anybody how to do that. When he catches the ball, he knows where everybody is and what they can do with the ball. He has such an exceptional sense of how to play. His I.Q. is just through the roof."

Guard Kemba Walker and forward Marvin Williams led the Hornets with 18 points apiece, and Walker, too, sang Batum's praises.

"He changes everything about us, for everyone," Walker said. "We play off him. He's a great passer and he makes all the right decisions, and it's fun to play with him. We feed off him."

"Game after game I keep trying to get to know the guys better -- how they move, how they cut, where they want the ball," Batum said. "I think that's good for the team. We've got two playmakers on the court at once with Kemba and myself. So hopefully we can keep doing this every night."

The Heat (12-8) shot just 38.7 percent from the field and never got any of its stars going. The leading scorer was backup guard Tyler Johnson with 20 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter long after the benches had cleared. Guard Dwyane Wade and forward Gerald Green scored 11 each, and forward Chris Bosh scored just seven.

"They were the more aggressive team and jumped on us at the beginning, and we were never really able to corral any momentum in the game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "You have to credit them. They were just very aggressive with their offense and making hard cuts and screens. We really didn't get to any kind of contest where they felt us. Offensively, very sloppy."

The Heat have now lost two straight.

"We just didn't play hard enough," Wade said. "You can't go on the road and not meet the other team's energy. We've got to find that 'it' together as a team. We're just not there yet and it's going to take a while."

NOTES: The NBA announced Wednesday that Hornets C Al Jefferson has been suspended for five games for violating the league's anti-drug policy. Jefferson missed his fourth straight game with a strained calf and is expected to miss at least another week. The suspension won't start until he is fully healthy. ... Jefferson was suspended for two games by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010 for a DWI charge. ... Heat F Luol Deng returned to action after missing the previous six games with a strained hamstring. He had five points and six rebounds in 24 minutes and was just one of six from the field. ... This was the second of four meetings between the Southeast Division rivals. The Heat won on opening night in Miami, 104-94. ... The Hornets were coming off a 104-84 win over Detroit Monday while the Heat were coming off a 114-103 loss to Washington Monday. ... Heat C Hassan Whiteside came into the game leading the NBA in blocked shots at 4.47 per game, and tacked on three blocks Wednesday. His 88 blocks are more than the entire team totals for Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit and Washington. ... The Hornets will travel to Memphis Friday before returning home to face Boston Saturday. ... The Heat will play at Indiana Friday.