Who Do the Hornets Play Next After Beating Heat in NBA Play-In?

The No. 9-seed Charlotte Hornets hosted the No. 10-seed Miami Heat on Tuesday night at Spectrum Center in Charlotte as part of the NBA play-in tournament.

Coming into the game as one of the hottest teams in the NBA, the Hornets were able to pull off a thrilling 127-126 overtime victory. It certainly wasn't the prettiest of victories as despite pouring in 30 points, LaMelo Ball hit on just two of his 16 shots from deep. The Hornets were also able to overcome a dreadful outing from Rookie of the Year candidate, Kon Knueppel.

The Duke product scored just six points on 2-of-12 shooting from the field, and missed all six of his three-point attempts.

However, they did get 28 points from Miles Bridges, 23 points from Brandon Miller and 19 points off the bench from Coby White. The strong outing from this trio saw them hit 15 of the team's 18 threes, and possibly save their season.

Who do the Hornets play next in the NBA play-in tournament?

Following the victory, the Hornets will still need one more win to officially make it into the playoffs. With the way the play-in is formatted, they will be taking on the loser of the No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers and No. 8 seed Orlando Magic, who play on Wednesday.

The Hornets and their opponent, yet to be determined, will play on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the game broadcast on Prime. The winner of that game will secure the No. 8 seed in the playoffs, and take on the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons in the opening round.

Related: LeBron James Reacts to Prime Video's ‘Technical Difficulties' During Hornets-Heat

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 10:52 PM.