LaMelo’s OT layup

LaMelo Ball drove for a layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime Tuesday night, giving Charlotte a 127-126 play-in win over Miami. (espn.com) Miles Bridges preserved it on the final possession, blocking Davion Mitchell at the buzzer as the Hornets eliminated the Heat at Spectrum Center on April 14. Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists, and Bridges added 28 points and nine rebounds. (espn.com) Miami got 28 points from Mitchell, but its season ended in the No. 9 versus No. 10 game of the Eastern Conference play-in. Charlotte moved on despite Ball shooting 12 for 31 from the field. (espn.com) The National Basketball Association play-in tournament gives teams seeded seventh through 10th a path to the final two playoff spots in each conference. In the East, Charlotte’s win kept the Hornets alive for the No. 8 seed and ended Miami’s postseason chase immediately. (nba.com) Charlotte had not won a postseason home game in 10 years, according to the Associated Press account carried by ESPN. The Hornets also recovered after Ball committed two late overtime mistakes before scoring the winner. (espn.com) The game also turned on a missed review opportunity that drew attention after the final horn. Yahoo Sports reported the National Basketball Association reviewed a play in which Ball tripped Bam Adebayo, while Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had asked for a flagrant-foul review during the game. (sports.yahoo.com) On Wednesday, Bleacher Report said the league assessed Ball a Flagrant 2 and fined him $35,000 for that trip, but did not suspend him. That left him available for Charlotte’s next play-in game. (bleacherreport.com) That next game is Friday night on the road against Orlando, after the Magic lost to Philadelphia in the No. 7 versus No. 8 game. The winner gets the East’s final playoff berth and a first-round series with Cleveland. (cbssports.com)