Charlotte held off Miami in a drama-filled classic to advance to Friday's game.
The third night of this year’s SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament will determine the No. 8 seeds in the East and West. Get ready for the action with previews and predictions for Friday’s matchups.
East: (9) Charlotte Hornets at (8) Orlando Magic
7:30 ET, Prime Video
- The winner: Advances to face the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs.
- The loser: Misses the playoffs.
- Regular-season results: Hornets, 3-1.
Keep your eyes on: The response from Paolo Banchero
This hasn’t been a step-up season from Banchero, more like a step-aside. Much was expected, less was received. He failed to make the All-Star team, saw his shooting efficiency tumble and never quite seemed in sync. Also, he was mainly invisible against the Sixers a few nights ago, with six turnovers and seven baskets and never loomed large.
Well: Orlando has a big investment in him. He’s properly categorized as the franchise player and certainly has the skills for that; it’s just a matter of raising his game, especially in these situations. As a big man who moves freely and brings confidence, Banchero is capable of having a big night against the Hornets — and being the most impactful player on the floor — which Orlando desperately needs.
Key matchup: LaMelo Ball vs. Jalen Suggs
The NBA fined Ball $35K for his “unnecessary and reckless contact” against Bam Adebayo in Charlotte’s win on Tuesday. In these situations, players tend to regroup and deliver a strong effort if only to do right by their teammates. For all of his basketball faults — spotty shot selection and questionable decisions — Ball is a pure player. He doesn’t shy from the moment and in fact gravitates toward decisive situations, which was evident in his game-winning shot against Miami right after making mistakes.
Suggs has a reputation as a good defender although he and his team haven’t always stepped to that line this season. He had his hands full against Tyrese Maxey a few nights ago, and his success rate against Ball, another aggressive scorer, could dictate Orlando’s chances in this game.
Prediction: Hornets
Something has bugged Orlando almost since opening night. This team was projected as a top-four club in the East but hasn’t seemed quite comfortable all season. This was especially evident at the very end when the Magic surrendered against a Boston team without its key players and was embarrassed in Game No. 82. That gave us a peek inside the Magic’s curtain. As for the Hornets, they’ve been the exact opposite, surging since the holidays and then making all the necessary plays in their first Play-In game to reach this point. Give Charlotte the edge in this game if only because momentum seems to be with the Hornets — who beat Orlando three times by a combined 61 points this season — while the Magic might be tumbling towards a turbulent summer.
The Warriors rallied past the Clippers to advance to Friday's game.
West: (10) Golden State Warriors at (8) Phoenix Suns
10 ET, Prime Video
- The winner: Advances to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
- The loser: Misses the playoffs.
- Regular season result: Warriors, 3-1
Keep your eyes on: The response from Devin Booker
The Suns made a loyalty decision last summer when they jettisoned Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal and not only kept Booker, but gave him an extension that’ll pay him $75 million in 2029-30, the last year of the deal. Phoenix is hoping for better team results at some point; the Suns haven’t won a playoff game since 2024, although this is mostly due to issues other than Booker.
That said, he’s coming off an underwhelming performance Tuesday against the Trail Blazers when he turned to vapor in the fourth quarter of a close game and was outplayed by Deni Avdjia. Finally, over the last two seasons, Booker’s efficiency has nosedived — especially from 3-point range. These aren’t encouraging signs from a player whom the Suns have invested heavily in, and handed their future over to him. It’ll be up to Booker to douse any fears about his status as a franchise player, starting with this game.
Key matchup: Stephen Curry vs. Dillon Brooks
This is guaranteed to generate spice and everything not so nice, especially factoring in the presence of Draymond Green, who’ll be very willing to exchange pleasantries with Brooks. In previous engagements between Curry and Brooks, Curry took delight in dropping 3-pointers whenever Brooks was in the vicinity. And Brooks is only too willing to poke the bear.
All trash talk aside, both Curry and Brooks are enjoying good times for various reasons. Brooks is having his best season as a pro here with the Suns; his scoring is up and his defense remains decent. As for Curry, who has suffered from injury issues most of the year, what an electric performance Wednesday against the Clippers — 35 points complete with daggers, all while playing 36 minutes. The Warriors always have a chance with him on the floor. Have popcorn ready.
Prediction: Warriors
This seems a bit ambitious, if only because the Suns all season have inhaled lots of pixie dust; nobody expected them to be this good and for this long. However, the final chapters aren’t always smooth. And admittedly, any good that comes from the Warriors must start and end with Curry, which in the glory days of the past was easy enough, but he lacks co-stars with this unit. So — let’s pencil Steph in for another terrific performance, just because he’s capable of that. And figure that Draymond, much like he did against Kawhi Leonard two nights ago, will find a way to stamp his signature on this game as well.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
