All articles tagged with #charlotte hornets
Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabaté was named the 2025-26 Kia NBA Hustle Award winner, an honor based on a per-minute hustle-stat formula. Diabaté excelled in offensive box outs, screen assists and defensive plays, contributing to Charlotte’s late-season surge after he became a full-time starter on Dec. 23 and posting career-best numbers with 20 double-doubles.
LaMelo Ball admitted the Hornets fell behind early against the Magic and suggested Charlotte’s structured early offense delayed his takeover, saying he should’ve asserted himself from the opening tip. Charlotte trailed 68-37 at halftime and never recovered in a 121-90 Play-In defeat; Ball finished with 23 points (21 in the third quarter) as the push came too late, while the team shot 33.7% and committed 20 turnovers.
Friday’s SoFi Play-In doubleheader features East No. 9 Charlotte Hornets at No. 8 Orlando Magic (7:30 PM ET, Prime Video) and West No. 10 Golden State Warriors at No. 8 Phoenix Suns (10 PM ET, Prime Video). The preview highlights Paolo Banchero, LaMelo Ball, Devin Booker and Stephen Curry, with Ball vs. Suggs and Curry vs. Brooks as key matchups, and predicts Charlotte and Golden State will advance to the playoffs.
Charlotte guard LaMelo Ball was fined $35,000 and assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 for unnecessary and reckless contact with Bam Adebayo during the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament; he also received a $25,000 fine for profane language in a postgame interview.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo left the game with a season-ending injury after Charlotte guard LaMelo Ball tripped him on a ball-out-of-bounds play, a moment Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called dangerous and uncalled for. Ball scored in transition and Charlotte won 127-126 in overtime, with the officials saying the incident wasn’t reviewable in real time and would be looked at by league afterward. The Heat questioned whether Ball should have been ejected, while Adebayo’s status remained uncertain after the game.
LaMelo Ball hit a go-ahead layup with 4.7 seconds left and Miles Bridges blocked a potential winner at the buzzer, as the Charlotte Hornets outlasted the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime to advance in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra blasted LaMelo Ball for a dangerous grab that sidelined Bam Adebayo as Charlotte edged the Heat 127-126 in overtime in a play-in game. Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists; Adebayo left with a lower-back injury and did not return. Officials said the review window had closed after a change of possession, though Ball apologized and could face league discipline.
LaMelo Ball scored 30 points with 10 assists and Miles Bridges added 28 and 9 rebounds as the Charlotte Hornets outlasted the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime to open the SoFi Play-In. Coby White’s late regulation 3 forced OT, Ball hit a decisive driving layup with 4.7 seconds left in OT, and Bridges chased down Davion Mitchell’s potential winner to seal the win. The Heat played without Bam Adebayo (back injury), and Charlotte moves on to face the Philly-Orlando loser for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, capturing its first postseason home win in a decade.
On opening night of the NBA Play-In, Portland rallied to beat Phoenix 114-110 to clinch the West No. 7 seed, with Deni Avdija driving for a layup and an and-1 with 16.1 seconds left to take the lead. The Suns now face the Clippers-Warriors winner for the No. 8 seed. In the East, Charlotte outlasted Miami 127-126 in OT as LaMelo Ball, despite a rough shooting night, delivered the go-ahead layup in overtime and Coby White hit a clutch tying 3 to force OT; Ball’s late heroics helped the Hornets advance to face the loser of the 76ers-Magic game. Bam Adebayo missed time with a back injury for Miami, ending their season. The night also produced draft implications, with Chicago picking up a future first-rounder from Portland as part of a 2021 trade that benefited the Bulls.
Charlotte hosts Miami in the Play-In, with LaMelo Ball as the focal point. The Picks favor Ball over 7.5 assists (-120) and lean toward the Hornets to win, citing Ball’s playmaking and Miami’s defensive struggles. The Hornets’ strong home form (15-6 SU as home favorites) supports the pick, while the Heat have been slipping recently. A suggested bet is Ball Over 7.5 assists, plus a sample same-game parlay including Hornets moneyline and Ball’s overs.
Charlotte Hornets defeated the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime to win the NBA play-in opener, with LaMelo Ball posting 30 points and 10 assists and Miles Bridges adding 28 as Charlotte notched its first postseason home win in a decade; Bam Adebayo left with a lower-back injury for Miami, while Coby White added 19 for the Hornets. Charlotte advances to face the loser of Philadelphia vs. Orlando for the East's final playoff spot.
Charlotte’s turnaround has real momentum: rookie Kon Knueppel set a franchise 3-point record and has become a Rookie of the Year contender, LaMelo Ball has grown into a stabilizing star, and a retooled front office with heavy investment in development has built a fast, efficient offense anchored by strong rebounding. The Hornets have surged since January, posting top-tier net ratings and offensive efficiency, and sit in Play-In position with a young core and draft capital to sustain the rise—though sustainability and steps beyond the Play-In remain the next test.
Tuesday’s SoFi Play-In features East No. 10 Miami Heat at No. 9 Charlotte Hornets and West No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers at No. 7 Phoenix Suns, with previews highlighting Charlotte’s 3-point shooting and Bam Adebayo’s matchup, plus Devin Booker vs. Jrue Holiday as marquee duels; the Hornets and Suns are favored to advance to the next round in their respective brackets.
The article explains the Play-In format and provides picks for all four games: East 9/10 Miami vs Charlotte, West 7/8 Portland vs Phoenix, East 7/8 Orlando vs Philadelphia, and West 9/10 Golden State vs the Clippers. It leans on Charlotte’s late-season surge and Portland’s defensive improvement, predicting Hornets and Clippers as the 8-seed winners in the final play-in matchups.
Tyrese Maxey returns from injury to post 26 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds, powering the Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-114 road victory over the Charlotte Hornets as Embiid and George help close it out in a late fourth-quarter rally, securing a crucial tiebreaker in the Eastern Conference playoff race.