All articles tagged with #play in tournament
In SoFi Play-In action, the East winner Orlando Magic crushed the Charlotte Hornets 121-90 to clinch the No. 8 seed, while Devin Booker’s Suns surged late to beat Stephen Curry’s Warriors 105-90, securing the West’s No. 8 seed and a playoff date with the Thunder; Jalen Green poured in 36 for PHX as Phoenix closed out the game strong.
In the 2026 NBA Play-In, the Phoenix Suns host the Golden State Warriors as 2.5-point favorites with a 219.5 total. SportsLine’s projection model, after 10,000 simulations, leans toward a Suns win and the Under, projecting Curry around 23.5 points and Booker around 24.9, with full picks available at SportsLine.
Golden State defeated the Clippers 126-121 in the Play-In with Stephen Curry and Al Horford delivering late heroics to keep the Warriors’ postseason hopes alive, while a separate report says GS has pursued Kawhi Leonard at the 2026 deadline, potentially opening a path to a new title window as Leonard weighs his future amid hefty 2026-27 salary and Clippers roster changes.
The NBA fined Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball $35,000 and ruled he should have been ejected for making unnecessary and reckless contact that tripped Bam Adebayo, which left the Heat center out of the game during the Hornets’ 127-126 overtime win in the play-in. Adebayo later said he was OK with no MRI required and negative X‑rays. Ball also was fined $25,000 for profanity in a postgame interview. If called in real time, the foul would have ejected Ball; the ruling comes after video review, and Ball remains eligible for the next game.
Tyrese Maxey delivered a fourth-quarter knockout for the Sixers, scoring 31 points as they beat Orlando in the Play-In to clinch the Eastern Conference's No. 7 seed and a berth in the 2026 playoffs, with Joel Embiid making a surprise return and Maxey cementing his leadership in Embiid’s absence.
Stephen Curry erupted for 35 points, including the go-ahead 3 with 50 seconds left, to spark Golden State’s 126-121 comeback win over the Clippers in the SoFi Play-In, while Al Horford added four late 3s and Draymond Green supplied key defense as the Warriors push toward a playoff berth; Tyrese Maxey scored 31 to lift the 76ers past Orlando 109-97 to clinch the East’s No. 7 seed and set up a Celtics series, with Friday’s Play-In finale and the playoffs on the horizon.
Stephen Curry scored 35 with seven 3-pointers as Golden State erased a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to edge the Clippers 126-121 in the SoFi Play-In, with Draymond Green locking down Kawhi Leonard and Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford providing key late scoring to push the Warriors toward a possible playoff berth.
The NBA is reviewing LaMelo Ball's leg sweep of Bam Adebayo during the Heat-Hornets play-in opener that left Adebayo injured and out; no foul was called at the moment, prompting Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to call for Ball's ejection. Ball apologized, and the league could fine him or suspend him for a game if the play is deemed flagrant, potentially impacting Friday's win-or-go-home game.
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.
Night two of the SoFi Play-In Tournament features the 76ers defeating the Magic 109-97 to lock up the East’s No. 7 seed behind Tyrese Maxey, followed by Golden State’s Stephen Curry returning for the Warriors in the nightcap against the Clippers as Kawhi Leonard’s team looks to close out the West 8 seed; the live blog provides play-by-play updates, stats, and previews for the two games.
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.
Two Play-In games tip off the NBA postseason on Wednesday: East’s No. 8 Orlando Magic host No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers, and West’s No. 10 Golden State Warriors visit the No. 9 LA Clippers. Philadelphia will be without Joel Embiid due to appendicitis, with Adem Bona and Andre Drummond stepping in, while Stephen Curry has returned for Golden State. The article predicts an Orlando upset in the East and a Clippers win in the West, with the winners advancing to face Boston and Phoenix in the first round.
Charlotte guard LaMelo Ball punched the team mascot Hugo twice after the Hornets defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA play-in tournament, an on-court incident that followed postgame celebrations; details on injuries or disciplinary actions were not provided in the report.
Portland rallied from a late deficit to beat Phoenix 114-110, clinching the Western Conference playoff spot and earning a first-round date with San Antonio, powered by Deni Avdija’s 41 points. In the East, Charlotte forced overtime and edged Miami 127-126 on LaMelo Ball’s go-ahead layup with 4.7 seconds left, with Ball finishing 30 points and 12 assists as Miles Bridges sealed it with a buzzer-block, keeping the Hornets’ play-in hopes alive as other results determine their path.
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said LaMelo Ball should have been ejected for tripping Bam Adebayo, contributing to Adebayo's injury in a 127-126 Hornets win over the Heat in a play-in game. Ball apologized, finished with 30 points including the go-ahead layup in OT, while Adebayo left the court and did not return. Officials defended the no-call, explaining the play wasn’t reviewable in real time, with the league to review possible penalties later.