Trail Blazers, Hornets advance in NBA play-in tournament
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- Deni Avdija scored 41 points with 12 assists and converted a go-ahead and-one layup with 16.1 seconds left as the Portland Trail Blazers rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns 114-110 and clinch the West's No. 7 seed.
- The Portland Trail Blazers will face No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs in the first round, while the Phoenix Suns get one more chance at the No. 8 seed against the winner of the Clippers-Warriors matchup.
- LaMelo Ball scored 30 points and hit the winning layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime, and Miles Bridges sealed it with a block at the buzzer, as the Charlotte Hornets edged the Miami Heat 127-126.
- Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra argued LaMelo Ball should have been ejected for tripping Bam Adebayo in the second quarter; Adebayo left with a lower-back injury and did not return, while Ball apologized and said he was disoriented from a hit to the head on the same drive.
- The 2026 NBA playoffs begin Sunday, April 19 on Sky Sports, with Portland at San Antonio among four live first-round matchups, followed by the Western Conference Finals live from May 20.
Why it matters: Portland now faces the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs in the first round, while Miami is eliminated from playoff contention. The Heat also exit with Bam Adebayo's lower-back injury unresolved and coach Erik Spoelstra publicly arguing that LaMelo Ball's non-ejection on the tripping play was a missed call.
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