Hornets beat Heat
The Charlotte Hornets knocked the Miami Heat out of the play‑in with LaMelo Ball’s game‑winning layup in overtime, a finish that sealed Charlotte’s immediate advance in the bracket. (espn.com) The sequence is also the subject of recent video analysis and breakdowns tied to how individual road performances swing playoff positioning. (youtube.com)
Charlotte stayed alive Tuesday night by beating Miami 127-126 in overtime on LaMelo Ball’s layup with 4.7 seconds left. (espn.com) Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists, and Miles Bridges scored 28 points before blocking Davion Mitchell’s layup attempt at the buzzer to end Miami’s season. (espn.com) The game was the Eastern Conference 9-versus-10 play-in matchup at Spectrum Center in Charlotte on April 14, with the ninth-place Hornets entering at 44-38 and the 10th-place Heat at 43-39. (espn.com) (statmuse.com 1) (statmuse.com 2) That format made the stakes immediate: the loser was out, and Miami became the first Eastern Conference team eliminated from the 2026 postseason field. Charlotte moved on to the next play-in game instead of opening a first-round series. (nba.com) (espn.com) Charlotte’s next game is Friday, April 17, against Orlando, with the winner taking the East’s final playoff spot. ESPN’s schedule listing shows that game as a road date for the Hornets. (espn.com) The finish also sharpened the contrast between Miami’s home and road season. The Heat went 26-15 at home and 17-24 away in the regular season, then lost their season-ending play-in game on the road. (champsorchumps.us) Charlotte’s regular season split pointed the other way. The Hornets went 23-18 on the road and 21-20 at home before winning this elimination game in Charlotte. (champsorchumps.us) For Miami, the loss ended another postseason push under Erik Spoelstra. For Charlotte, Ball’s last drive turned a 44-win season into at least one more game, and kept the bracket moving. (basketball-reference.com)
