LaMelo’s OT Winner
Charlotte survived Miami in overtime when LaMelo Ball hit a game‑winning layup to send the Hornets onward in the play‑in sequence. CBS Sports and postgame coverage described the finish as a sudden‑death playoff step, and full‑game highlights show the decisive sequence that sent Charlotte to another do‑or‑die game. ( )
LaMelo Ball kept Charlotte alive on April 14 with a driving layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Hornets past Miami, 127-126. (nba.com) Miles Bridges preserved it on the final possession, blocking Davion Mitchell at the buzzer after Miami tried to answer Ball’s winner. Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists, and Bridges added 28 points and nine rebounds at Spectrum Center. (espn.com) The game was the Eastern Conference 9-versus-10 play-in matchup, so Miami was eliminated with the loss and Charlotte moved on to one more elimination game for the No. 8 seed. CBS Sports reported that Charlotte will play the loser of the Philadelphia 76ers-Orlando Magic game on Friday, April 17. (cbssports.com) The National Basketball Association’s play-in format gives the No. 9 and No. 10 teams no margin for error: lose once and the season ends. Charlotte entered Tuesday at 44-38, Miami at 43-39, and the Hornets earned their first postseason home win in a decade. (cbssports.com, nba.com) Charlotte needed late offense from more than Ball. Coby White hit a key three-pointer in overtime, and the Hornets survived despite Ball going 2-for-16 from three-point range and Charlotte shooting 18-for-56 from deep as a team. (nba.com, espn.com) Miami had its own scoring punch from Mitchell, who led the Heat with 28 points, but the game turned earlier on Bam Adebayo’s exit. Adebayo left after a second-quarter fall and did not return because of a lower back injury, according to ESPN’s postgame reporting. (espn.com) That play became the night’s argument after the buzzer. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Ball “should have been ejected,” while Ball said afterward that he was unaware of the incident and later apologized, according to ESPN and other postgame reports. (espn.com, sports.yahoo.com) For Charlotte, the win extended a season that looked headed elsewhere a few months ago. NBA.com noted the Hornets closed the regular season 33-16 after January 1 and finished with their highest win total since 2015-16. (nba.com, nba.com) Now the Hornets get one more do-or-die night on Friday. Ball’s last layup ended Miami’s season; Charlotte needs one more to turn a play-in escape into a playoff berth. (cbssports.com, nba.com)
