Hornets survive play‑in
The Charlotte Hornets won their opening NBA play‑in game and advanced to the next stage of the postseason — a key step toward a playoff berth rather than immediate elimination (cbssports.com). Broad coverage framed the result as one of the most memorable moments early in this play‑in phase, as the league locks the remaining spots for the first‑round bracket (cbssports.com).
Charlotte stayed alive Tuesday night, beating Miami 127-126 in overtime in the Eastern Conference play-in and moving one win from the playoffs. (espn.com) The Hornets finished the regular season 44-38, good for ninth in the East, and hosted the No. 10 Heat at Spectrum Center on April 14. LaMelo Ball scored 30 points, and Charlotte won on his late layup with 8.7 seconds left in overtime. (cbssports.com) (nationaltoday.com) Miami closed at 43-39 and pushed the game to an extra period before Charlotte escaped by one point. Miles Bridges then blocked Miami guard Davion Mitchell on the final possession to end the Heat’s season. (espn.com) (nationaltoday.com) The National Basketball Association’s play-in tournament gives teams that finish seventh through tenth in each conference a shot at the last two playoff spots. Charlotte’s win did not clinch a series berth; it advanced the Hornets to the East’s final play-in game for the No. 8 seed. (nba.com) (sportingnews.com) That next game is Friday, April 17, at Orlando, with the winner moving into the first round against Detroit on Sunday, April 19. The National Basketball Association lists Charlotte in the Friday play-in slot, and the Hornets said the winner would open the playoffs at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Charlotte has not reached the playoffs since 2016, and the club’s own site framed this week as a chance to end that drought. The Hornets also went 3-1 against Orlando in the regular season, giving them a favorable recent record against the team standing between them and the bracket. (cbssports.com) (nba.com) The league scheduled the 2026 play-in tournament for April 14 through April 17, with the first round starting April 18. Charlotte’s overtime escape means its season now runs at least to Friday, with one more elimination game left. (nba.com)
