Starting 5: SoFi Play-In Tournament opens with pair of thrillers

How did the first night of the 2026 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament start?

With the first game-winner inside the final 10 seconds in Play-In history.

Coming up tonight? Two more games on Prime — one win and in, the other win or go home.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Instant Classic: Ball’s OT winner caps epic win-or-go-home Play-In opener

Blazing Finish: Avdija’s 41-point takeover fuels late rally, sends Portland to Playoffs

Resilient Winners: Hornets & Blazers rise through adversity for hard-fought dubs

Magic at 76ers: Maxey’s Sixers, Paolo’s Magic each hoping their time is now

Warriors at Clippers: Kawhi meets Steph as LA & Golden State fight for their seasons

BUT FIRST … ⏰

The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament continues tonight on Prime as the Sixers host the Magic (7:30 ET | Tap to Watch), before the Warriors visit the Clippers (10 ET | Tap to Watch).

The Play-In concludes Friday on Prime after no games Thursday, with the Hornets playing the loser of Magic-Sixers and the Suns playing the winner of Warriors-Clippers.

See the full Play-In format here and check out the Playoff Hub for all things postseason.

1. CHARLOTTE SPECIAL: LAMELO LIFTS HORNETS IN OT THRILLER

Win or go home.

Those were the stakes in the opening game of the 2026 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament between No. 9 Charlotte and No. 10 Miami.

And with two seasons on the line, and neither side giving an inch, basketball fans got it all:

• Sixteen lead changes
• Seventeen ties
• Zero double-digit leads
• Six 20-point scorers
• One overtime
• Two game-tying or go-ahead shots in the final 12 seconds
• One instant classic

It ended with LaMelo Ball – and a block.

Hornets 127, Heat 126 (OT): After an electric 4th quarter, Charlotte led 125-120 in OT with 26 seconds left, only for Tyler Herro (23 pts, 6 ast) to erase the deficit with six straight points to give Miami a 1-point lead with nine ticks to play.

But it was too much time for Ball (30 pts, 5 reb, 10 ast), who overcame a cold shooting night with the game’s biggest bucket – a go-ahead driving layup with four seconds left – before Miles Bridges’ game-sealing block stamped a wild win. | Recap

Fuse Lit: Despite losing Bam Adebayo to a back injury early in the 2nd quarter, Herro and Davion Mitchell (28 pts, 6 ast) helped Miami to a two-point lead at the half.

Then, mayhem.

• White Hot: Coby White answered for Charlotte, scoring 11 straight in a 37-point 3rd-quarter, capped by a buzzer-beating triple to go up six entering the 4th
• Heat Swing: Miami responded in the 4th, with Andrew Wiggins (27 pts, 7 reb) sparking a 25-11 burst to take a six-point lead with 2:16 left
• No Quit Hornets: Charlotte wouldn’t go away. Down four, Brandon Miller drilled a 3 with 19 ticks left, and after Miami split a pair at the line, White came through again, sinking a game-tying trey with 10.9 on the clock to force OT ⬇️

Charlotte was jumping. The Hornets were buzzing. But the Heat weren’t done.

• Bridges put Charlotte up five with 1:33 left in OT. But Davion Mitchell answered with a 2
• Ball pushed it back to five with 0:26 left. Herro answered with a 3
• Then, a Miami stop – and Herro to the line: cash, cash, cash. A 1-point Heat lead with nine ticks left

Charlotte’s season was on the line. And the ball went back to Ball.

Playing in his third career postseason game, the 24-year-old All-Star was just 2-of-16 from deep — his worst 3-point shooting night of the season.

So he went straight to the rim.

Ball caught the inbound, fought through contact, then turned the corner to drop in the go-ahead bucket with 4.7 left.

The Spectrum Center erupted, while Bridges hustled back for the game-sealing block at the other end – extending Charlotte’s season with an unforgettable dub.

• “That shows growth,” said Bridges on the winner. “Before ‘Melo would’ve shot a stepback 3 to try to win the game, but he has a different sense of urgency … and it’s on full display.”
• LaMelo’s Mindset On The Shot: “I just gotta win the game.”

Up Next: The Hornets face the loser of tonight’s Magic-Sixers game on Friday (7:30 ET, Prime), which will decide the East’s No. 8 seed. The loser of Friday’s matchup is eliminated.

2. BLAZER BOOST: AVDIJA POWERS PORTLAND PAST PHOENIX

One last-second thriller wasn’t enough.

After LaMelo sent Charlotte into a frenzy, Deni Avdija silenced the Valley – and sent Portland to the Playoffs.

Blazers 114, Suns 110: Avdija went off for 41 points, 7 boards and 12 dimes, taking over in the 4th to will the Blazers back from an 11-point deficit, capped by a go-ahead and-one with 16 seconds left to edge Phoenix in another nailbiter. | Recap

Blazing Start: Portland jumped out to a 55-41 lead in the 2nd quarter, but Phoenix clawed back behind Jalen Green (35 pts, 5 reb) and Devin Booker (22 pts, 4 ast), who got the Suns within three at the half.

• Suns Spark: Phoenix came out firing in the final frame, with Green and Dillon Brooks (20 pts, 7 reb) going on a personal 10-0 run to seize control
• Avdija Answer: That’s when Avdija went to work, ending the run with a turnaround jumper, as he scored or assisted on 16 of Portland’s next 24 points

Suddenly, the Blazers were down just one with a minute left – and Avdija wasn’t done.

• The Go-Ahead: After forcing a stop, Avdija attacked, weaving through defenders for a Eurostep finish to put Portland up one with 37 seconds left
• The Game-Winner: When Jordan Goodwin reclaimed the lead for Phoenix, Avdija answered again, shaking multiple Suns for the bucket and the foul – Blazers 112, Suns 110

The Final Stand: Sixteen seconds remained, and the Blazers needed one more stop.

They got it behind their two vets, as Jrue Holiday forced a Green miss, before Jerami Grant came away with the steal and breakaway slam – punching Portland’s ticket to the Playoffs.

• “It’s a game of runs,” said Holiday on the finish. “We knew our run was going to come … and it came at the end of the game, with Deni making play after play.”

The run highlights a career year for Avdija in his second season with Portland, adding to his All-Star leap by becoming the first player to post 40+ pts and 10+ ast in a Play-In game.

That included 14 points and 3 dimes in the 4th, willing the Blazers to their first Playoff berth in five years.

• “I’m so happy for the guys,” said Avdija postgame. “We worked so hard. We had the ups and downs … to go to the Playoffs, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career.”

Up Next: Portland will open its Playoff run on Sunday in San Antonio (9 ET, NBC) in the West’s No. 2 vs. 7 series. The Suns will face the winner of tonight’s Warriors-Clippers matchup on Friday (10 ET, Prime) in a win-or-go-home showdown for the No. 8 seed.

3. RESILIENT WINNERS: HORNETS & BLAZERS’ GROWTH SHINE

Two-hundred-plus 3s. From three players apiece.

Kon Knueppel (273), LaMelo Ball (272), Brandon Miller (204).

The 2025-26 Hornets were just the fourth team ever to do this in a season.

But in last night’s Play-In game, that sharpshooting trio went 7-for-32 from deep.

Adversity like that was nothing new for Charlotte, who grew to host Tuesday’s elimination game from a 16-28 record on Jan. 21.

• From that point on, the Hornets had the 3rd-best record in the league (28-10), starting with a nine-game win streak, their longest since 1999
• Still On Target: Since Jan. 22, Charlotte led the league with 17.8 3s per game, which is right where they ended up Tuesday (18), thanks to 10 combined makes from Coby White and Miles Bridges
• “We had such a great year. We started off bad, and we banded together and we created a culture here,” Bridges said postgame. “So we want to win for our fans, win for ourselves and get a taste of Playoff basketball.”
• Next Man Up: The two guards showed why Charlotte added White at the deadline, as he drilled 43 3s in 21 games after arriving Feb. 24 – none bigger than Tuesday’s to force OT
• Big-Time Moments: White outscored Miami 14-7 in the final 4:05 of the 3rd, before Bridges’ 13 points led Charlotte across the 4th and OT, with his block at the final buzzer sealing the win

Adaptability was also on display across the bracket in the West’s No. 7 vs. 8 Play-In game.

Portland faced its largest deficit (11 pts) midway through the 4th after a 29-10 Suns charge, but leaned on the lessons of the team’s journey.

• “Most of all, it’s pride, to come out here and play, knowing that at All-Star break, this is the position we wanted to be in,” said Jrue Holiday postgame. “And we took care of business.”
• A 4-1 start under interim head coach Tiago Splitter lagged to a 10-18 stretch through November and December, forcing the team to climb
• The Blazers went 15-11 after the All-Star break to get over .500 and make their first postseason since 2021
• “I’m happy for them,” Splitter said. “Being in the Playoffs, that’s a great accomplishment for this group.”
• “This group is very resilient, I think we showed that in the 4th quarter, just believing in ourselves and getting it done.”

4. TONIGHT IN THE EAST, WIN-AND-IN: MAGIC AT SIXERS

Two teams that battled injuries and absences to return to the SoFi Play-In Tournament hope their time to shine has finally come.

No. 7 Philly hosts No. 8 Orlando tonight (7:30 ET, Prime), with the winner advancing to face No. 2 Boston in the First Round as the 7-seed.

That’s a familiar reality for the Magic, who won this Play-In game last season as the No. 7 seed, defeating Atlanta to move on to Boston.

This year, they’ll have to battle through the brotherly love of Philadelphia as the road team.

• Magic Journey: Paolo Banchero (22.2 ppg) and offseason acquisition Desmond Bane (20.1 ppg) guided the Magic through more key injuries in a season where their defense ranked in the top half of the league (113.6)
• Always Ready: Bane played all 82 games for Orlando, logging team-highs in total points (1,647) and 3s (167), and the 2nd-most assists (338) this season
• Black Rises Up: Anthony Black made a notable jump in his second year (and in Germany), playing a key role on both ends while posting a career high in ppg (12.1) and adding 1.4 steals per game
• Franz Factor: In and out this year due to an ankle injury, Wagner managed to post 20+ points in 20 of his 34 games, including two straight entering tonight. When Franz does score 20+ this season, Orlando is 13-7

The host 76ers, who won this Play-In game as the No. 7 seed in 2024, have leaned on rising superstar Tyrese Maxey.

• Ty & AI: Maxey led Philly with career-highs in scoring (28.3 ppg), assists (6.6 apg) and steals (1.9 spg), becoming the first Sixer since Allen Iverson to average 28+ pts and 6+ ast in a season
• Max Mileage: The 2x All-Star is averaging the most minutes played (38 mpg) and distance covered (2.8 miles) in the league this season
• Running Mate: Maxey ran with two-way rookie standout VJ Edgecombe, the only rookie since 2020 to total 1100+ points and 100+ steals
• Backcourt Burst: That helped push Philly into the top-10 in both fastbreak points (16.9) and points off turnovers (19.0)
• Playoff P: While former Kia MVP Joel Embiid (appendectomy) is out, Paul George has brought a scoring boost since his March 25 return, averaging 21 points on 41.5 3P% in 10 games

The Sixers and Magic last met on Jan. 9, when Philly took the season series, 2-1. Both teams have won 24 games since then, with Orlando closing the regular season winning five of its last six.

5. TONIGHT OUT WEST, WIN-OR-GO-HOME: WARRIORS AT CLIPPERS

Draw the curtains. Butter the popcorn. Turn on the spotlight.

It’s win-or-go-home time in Hollywood.

Tonight (10 ET, Prime), in-state rivals clash as the No. 9 Clippers host the No. 10 Warriors. For the “Comeback Clips,” it’s an opportunity to move one step closer to a fourth straight Playoff berth.

• Singular Mindset: Following LA’s 6-21 start to the season, coach Tyronn Lue challenged his team to go on a 35-20 run for a shot at the postseason
• Mission Met: The Clippers went 36-19 the rest of the way, becoming the first team in league history to finish above .500 after being 15 games below .500
• “We always knew we were a better team than what we were showing,” said Brook Lopez. “But to go out there and prove it, it’s a nice little honor.”

Kawhi Leonard has been at the forefront of the turnaround. The puzzle pieces around him found their respective fits, too.

• Kawhi Time: The 7x All-Star posted a career-high 27.9 ppg in 2025-26, becoming the first player in his 14th season or later to set a new scoring best
• Fresh Firepower: At the trade deadline, LA made a splash, bringing in Darius Garland (19.9) and Bennedict Mathurin (17.4), who have combined for 37.3 ppg with the Clips

But Golden State has been here before.

And with its season on the line, 11-time All-NBA selection Stephen Curry is back in the lineup.

• Flashback: The Warriors are in the Play-In for the third straight year. As the No. 7 seed in 2025, they defeated the Grizzlies behind Curry’s 37 points
• Prolific Pace: Before a knee injury forced his 27-game absence, the 17-year vet was on pace for the fourth-highest scoring average of his career (27.2 ppg)
• “We know it’s going to be tough,” said coach Steve Kerr. “These guys are really good … we’re excited about the challenge.”

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