Starting 5: The SoFi Play-In Tournament is here

The Heat and Hornets meet tonight to get the SoFi Play-In Tournament slate rolling.

Eight teams. Four Playoff spots. Three Play-In nights.

The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament tips off tonight on Prime – and the stakes are sky-high:

• No. 10 Heat at No. 9 Hornets (7:30 ET, Prime): Loser goes home
• No. 8 Blazers at No. 7 Suns (10 ET, Prime): Winner advances to Playoffs

Welcome to the 2025-26 postseason.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Play-In Begins: Three keys for Heat-Hornets & Blazers-Suns, plus what’s next

Charlotte’s Surge: A rare turnaround fueled by a record-breaking 3-point trio

Miami’s Blueprint: Play-In vets lean on pace, depth and a proven formula

Phoenix’s Fire: A new identity and a red-hot superstar setting the tone

Portland’s Push: Avdija’s rise, a defensive surge and a squad that knows how to beat the best

BUT FIRST … ⏰

The postseason tips off tonight on Prime with the opening games of the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament. First, the Hornets host the Heat (7:30 ET | Tap To Watch), followed by the Blazers visiting the Suns (10 ET | Tap To Watch).

The Play-In continues Wednesday on Prime with Magic-76ers (7:30 ET) and Warriors-Clippers (10 ET).

Need A Refresher? Here’s how the Play-In Tournament works

• Hit the Playoff Hub for the full postseason bracket, schedule and the latest news and stories.

WNBA Draft: The Dallas Wings selected UConn guard Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, reuniting her with former Husky teammate Paige Bueckers, who Dallas drafted No. 1 overall last year.

1. SOFI NBA PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT TIPS TONIGHT: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The 82-game, 173-day regular season marathon is over.

The postseason is here.

The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament tips off tonight on Prime, starting with a win-or-go-home showdown in Charlotte, followed by a win-and-in game in Phoenix.

Before we break down how each team got here, let’s take a look at three things to watch in both matchups.

East | No. 10 Heat at No. 9 Hornets (7:30 ET, Prime): Two of the league’s most explosive offenses meet with both teams’ seasons on the line.

• Charlotte Shot-Making: The Hornets led the regular season in made 3s, hitting 16.4 per game at a 37.8% clip – the 2nd-best percentage in the NBA
• Miami Speed: The Heat play faster than anyone, leading the league in pace en route to 120.9 ppg – trailing only Denver for the highest-scoring offense
• Pace vs. Patience: While Miami thrives on the run, ranking 2nd in fastbreak ppg (18.4), Charlotte operates deep into possessions, ranking 2nd in field goal frequency with 7 to 4 seconds left on the shot clock

West | No. 8 Blazers at No. 7 Suns (10 ET, Prime): In the nightcap, two of the league’s top defenses square off as two All-Star guards lead the way offensively.

• Avdija Ignition: Deni Avdija (24.2 pts, 6.9 reb, 6.7 ast) has reached new heights in Portland’s return to the postseason, joining Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić as the only players averaging at least 24/6/6 this season
• Book Balling: Devin Booker rolls into the Play-In red-hot, averaging 29 ppg since March 1, including five 30-pieces in his last six games
• Strength vs. Strength: The Blazers enter tonight on a 10-4 run, backed by the league’s best DefRtg in that span. The Suns have boasted a top-10 defense all season and have allowed over 120 points just twice in the last month

How The Play-In Works: With the stage set, here’s how each Play-In team can punch their ticket to the Playoffs.

• Tuesday & Wednesday’s Stakes: The No. 7 vs. 8 winners advance to their respective conference Playoffs, while the No. 9 vs. 10 losers are eliminated
• Friday Finale: Friday features the final Play-In games (all on Prime), with the No. 9 vs. 10 winners facing the No. 7 vs. 8 losers. The winners take the final Playoff spots
• Playoffs This Weekend: The First Round tips Saturday on Prime and ABC, followed by another full day of Playoff hoops Sunday on ABC and NBC

2. PATH TO PLAY-IN: NO. 9 HORNETS

No team this century has made the postseason after an 11-22 start or worse through 33 games.

Until the 2025-26 Hornets.

As the calendar flipped to 2026, so did Charlotte’s season, going 33-16 the rest of the way to secure its first postseason berth in three years.

Fueling the turnaround? An offense that can erupt at any moment.

• The Evolution: Charlotte didn’t just lead the NBA in made 3s — it became the league’s most efficient offense in 2026, posting an NBA-best 120.7 OffRtg
• The Backcourt Base: Brandon Miller (20.2 ppg) and LaMelo Ball (20.1) have thrived in their second season together, combining for 40.3 ppg, with Ball adding 7.1 assists

The Missing Piece: While Miller and Ball deliver steady production, Kon Knueppel has provided the spark, unlocking another level to Charlotte’s attack.

• Kon’s Record Clip: Knueppel drilled an NBA-best 273 3s this season, shattering the rookie record and becoming the first rookie ever to lead the league in triples
• Right Behind Him? Ball with 272, as he and Knueppel joined Steph Curry & Klay Thompson (4x) as the only teammates to rank 1st and 2nd in the NBA in made 3s in a season
• Triple Threat: Since Jan. 1, Ball (1st), Miller (3rd) and Knueppel (4th) all rank top-5 in 3s, becoming the first teammates to do so since the 3-point line was introduced in 1979-80
• Deep Edge: That’s led to Charlotte knocking down an NBA-best 849 triples in 2026 – 78 more than the next closest team

Hive Humming: But it’s not just the 3s, it’s how seamlessly Knueppel has fit into Charlotte’s star backcourt.

With Knueppel, Ball and Miller on the floor, the Hornets boast a 130.3 OffRtg– the best mark of any 3-man lineup in the NBA this season (min. 60 GP).

• “His impact on our culture – he’s part of one of the biggest franchise turnarounds in a winning season,” said Hornets coach Charles Lee of Knueppel
• “He’s one of the most efficient players, not only as a rookie, [but] in the NBA as a whole,” Lee said.

That chemistry has translated to wins. With Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabaté joining Knueppel, Ball and Miller in the starting lineup, Charlotte is 31-9 this season – all since Jan. 1.

Now, after entering the new year 11 games below .500, Charlotte sits two wins from its first Playoff berth in a decade.

• “It means a lot,” said Lee. “After the start that we had, for the guys to be resilient and dig down a little bit more for an opportunity to be in the [Playoffs] – it’s exciting. And I know that we’re hungry.”

3. PATH TO PLAY-IN: NO. 10 HEAT

They’ve been here before and they know what it takes.

No team has won more SoFi Play-In games than the Heat, who now look to reach the Playoffs through the Play-In for a record fourth straight year.

• “It’s nuts. It makes you feel alive,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on the Play-In Sunday. “Once you’re in it, it’s exhilarating. You have to embrace the competition.”

Miami’s season has featured a range of ups and downs.

The Heat opened the year 13-7, then went 16-20 leading into the All-Star break. They responded with seven straight wins in March, highlighted by Bam Adebayo’s historic 83-point game.

Miami closed the season on a 5-10 slide, but enters tonight on a two-game win streak, with back-to-back 140+ point outings – a snapshot of Miami at its best.

• Full Throttle: While leading the league in pace, the Heat have tallied 12 140+ point games, setting a new single-season NBA record
• Heating Up: All 12 of those games have resulted in wins, with three coming in Miami’s last five outings
• Steady Fuel: Driving the attack is Norman Powell, posting 21.7 ppg in his first All-Star season, while Adebayo (20.1 pts, 10 reb) anchors the team on both ends

But Miami is most dangerous when it’s sharing the rock. The Heat are the only team in the NBA ranked top-5 in both passes made and assists this season, with seven players averaging double figures.

• Depth Delivering: That includes 45 games with at least six double-digit scorers, the most of any postseason team
• Winning Formula: When Miami eclipses its season assist average (29 apg), it is 28-7
• “We know what the drivers are for our success,” said Spoelstra on Sunday. “We have enough experience of doing it the right way to put ourselves in a position to win.”

Now, Miami will look to become just the second team to advance from the Play-In as a No. 10 seed. The first? The Heat – last season.

• “It’s a Game 7,” said Spoelstra on tonight. “I want our guys to take on the challenge and do whatever is necessary.”

4. PATH TO PLAY-IN: NO. 7 SUNS

After missing the postseason in 2024-25 for the first time in five years, Phoenix’s path back began before last season even ended.

Hours before Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Suns hit reset, agreeing to trade Kevin Durant in what would become a historic seven-team deal.

In came Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to join new head coach Jordan Ott, reshaping the team around Devin Booker.

New core. New coach. New identity.

• Defense First: Phoenix finished 27th in DefRtg last year. This season, they rank 9th, while allowing the 6th fewest ppg (111.1)
• Relentless Edge: The Suns don’t just defend, they wreak havoc. Phoenix ranks top-5 in deflections (5th), steals (4th) and caused turnovers (3rd) – trailing only Detroit and OKC in the latter
• Defense To Offense: That pressure creates opportunity the other way, with Phoenix averaging 19.9 ppg off turnovers – the 5th-most in the NBA
• “That’s who we have to be,” said Ott of Phoenix’s defensive identity. “That’s how we’ve found success … our physicality, take it to the legal limit and have overall intent every possession.”

At the heart of the Suns’ resurgence is Booker, who’s leveled up as the stakes have climbed.

In a loaded West postseason push, Booker’s 29 ppg since March 1 ranks 3rd in the NBA, trailing only Luka Dončić (36) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (29.1).

• When It Matters: Book has delivered late, too, ranking 7th in 2nd-half scoring (13.9 ppg, min. 60 GP) and sitting among 12 players with 100+ clutch points this season, including a last-second winner to beat OKC on Jan. 4
• Emerging Duo: He’s also led Phoenix with 6 assists per game, meshing alongside Green, who’s averaged 20.7 pts since March 1

But Booker’s impact goes beyond the box score. The 11th-year superstar has set the tone for the Suns’ postseason return, elevating those around him while embracing Phoenix’s hard-nosed identity.

• “He has a pulse of the game as well as anyone I’ve been around,” said Ott of Booker. “I think that’s been one of the biggest parts of our season – is his belief in his teammates…
• “He always makes the right play and plays hard defensively … he wants to play a certain way and he goes and does it.”

5. PATH TO PLAY-IN: NO. 8 BLAZERS

The Blazers won 21 games in 2023-24.

Two years later, they’ve doubled that total, going 42-40 for their first postseason appearance in four seasons.

A big reason why? Deni Avdija.

• The Leap: In his second season with Portland, the 25-year-old has blossomed into a premier playmaker, averaging career highs in points (24.2) and assists (6.7), while adding 6.9 rebounds, en route to his first All-Star nod
• The Company: Only one other Blazer has averaged 24/6/6 in a season: Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler.
• But it’s Avdija’s intangibles that make him invaluable
• “He wants to win so bad,” said Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter. “[He makes] a lot of those winning plays, those 50/50 balls. It’s amazing to see.”

That mindset epitomizes Portland. In a stacked West, the Blazers have made their mark in the margins – defending, crashing the glass and forcing turnovers – and are now playing some of their best ball.

• The Slide: The Blazers went 5-7 from All-Star weekend to March 15, struggling to find a spark as Avdija nursed a back injury
• The Response: Portland answered by digging deep defensively, sparking a 10-4 run to close the regular season where it led the NBA in DefRtg (106.6)
• The Anchor: Manning the middle is sophomore center Donovan Clingan, who ranks 7th in the NBA in double-doubles (37) and 4th in blocks (130)
• The Disruptors: Jrue Holiday and Toumani Camara have formed an elite perimeter defensive duo, with Holiday leading Portland in total plus/minus (+197), while Camara paces the team in steals (94)
• The Result: Extra possessions, as Portland ranks 2nd in offensive rebounds, 6th in total rebounds and 7th in caused turnovers

Those winning plays have shown up against the league’s best. The Blazers are one of three teams to beat the West’s top four seeds this season – the Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets and Lakers (2x) – and have also taken down the East’s No. 2 Celtics.

Now, they’ll need that same edge in an elimination game where every possession is magnified.

• “The intensity is different,” said Holiday (a two-time NBA champion) of the postseason. “What’s on the line is different … the games come down to possessions a lot more, and who makes more plays.”

Want to share Starting 5 with a friend? Send them this link.

Shape the Starting 5.  Email us here.

Don’t have the NBA App? Download it here.