Hornets stun Heat OT
The Charlotte Hornets beat the Miami Heat in overtime after Coby White sank a game‑tying 3 in the final seconds of regulation ( ). LaMelo Ball followed by hitting the go‑ahead bucket and teammate Mikal Bridges closed it with a game‑sealing block as Charlotte advanced in the East play‑in bracket ( ).
Charlotte is still alive after a 127-126 overtime win over Miami on Tuesday, with LaMelo Ball’s late layup and Miles Bridges’ block ending the Heat’s season. (apnews.com) The Hornets were seconds from elimination before Coby White hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in regulation. Ball then scored with 4.7 seconds left in overtime, and Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell at the buzzer. (espn.com, apnews.com) Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists, while Bridges added 28 points and nine rebounds for Charlotte. Mitchell scored 28 for Miami, and the final margin stayed at one point after 53 minutes. (espn.com, apnews.com) This was the Eastern Conference 9-versus-10 play-in game, so Miami was eliminated with the loss and Charlotte moved on. The Hornets now head to a second elimination game on Friday for the East’s eighth and final playoff spot. (nba.com, usatoday.com) Charlotte’s path is unusual because the franchise has not reached the playoffs since 2016, and this was its first postseason home win in a decade. The Hornets also closed the regular season 44-38, their highest win total since 2015-16. (apnews.com, nba.com) The play-in format gives seeds seven through 10 a short route into the bracket, but the 9-10 game is a pure elimination game. Charlotte earned the No. 9 seed on Sunday, and that gave the Hornets home court at Spectrum Center on April 14. (nba.com, nba.com) Miami came in with recent play-in success under coach Erik Spoelstra, who had taken the Heat through the tournament and into the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons. That streak ended Tuesday night in Charlotte. (nba.com, usatoday.com) The game itself swung constantly, with 17 ties and 16 lead changes, according to NBA.com’s postgame recap. Charlotte now waits for the loser of Wednesday’s Philadelphia 76ers-Orlando Magic game, with one more win needed to reach the first round. (nba.com, nba.com)
