LAMELO Ball delivered in the clutch, making a driving layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime, and Miles Bridges came up with a game-saving block as the Charlotte Hornets edged the Miami Heat, 127-126, in a thrilling start to the NBA play-in tournament on Tuesday night (Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in PH).
According to the Associated Press (AP), Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists, while Bridges added 28 points and nine rebounds as Charlotte won its first postseason home game in a decade. Coby White chipped in 19 points, including a turnaround three-pointer with 10.8 seconds left in regulation that forced overtime.
Davion Mitchell led Miami with 28 points, while Andrew Wiggins added 27. The Heat also lost Bam Adebayo to a lower back injury in the second quarter after being tripped by Ball.
Charlotte appeared to be in control late in overtime after Ball’s layup gave the Hornets a five-point lead with 26 seconds remaining. But Miami fought back as Tyler Herro hit a tough corner three, then drew a foul on a three-point attempt and made all three free throws to give the Heat a 126-125 lead with 8.7 seconds left.
After a timeout, Ball drove down the right side and converted a leaning layup to reclaim the lead. With no timeouts, Miami pushed the ball upcourt, but Bridges chased down Mitchell and blocked his potential game-winner at the buzzer, sparking a wild celebration.
Despite Adebayo’s absence, Miami controlled much of the game until late in the third quarter, when White sparked a 10-0 run with back-to-back three-pointers. He added another triple at the buzzer to give Charlotte an 89-83 lead heading into the fourth.
The Heat responded and took a 102-95 advantage behind consecutive three-pointers from Wiggins, but Charlotte rallied again. White tied the game with an off-balance corner three and Herro’s potential game-winner at the end of regulation bounced off the back iron.
The Hornets will travel to face the loser of Thursday’s Philadelphia-Orlando matchup on Saturday (PH time), with the winner earning the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 playoff seed. Charlotte is trying to reach the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
Blazers 114, Suns 110
In the Western Conference play-in, Deni Avdija scored 41 points and dished out 12 assists to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 114-110 comeback victory over the Phoenix Suns, the AP reported.
Avdija delivered the decisive play with 16.1 seconds remaining, completing a three-point play to give Portland a 112-110 lead. Moments earlier, Jordan Goodwin had given Phoenix a 110-109 edge with a driving layup.
The Suns had chances to respond, but Jalen Green missed a three-pointer, and Goodwin’s putback attempt was stripped by Matisse Thybulle, sealing the win for Portland.
The Trail Blazers secured the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. Phoenix will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors play-in game for the final playoff berth, with the victor advancing to face the Oklahoma City Thunder. / LBG
