The Hornets opened the play in by surviving an overtime 127-126 victory over the Miami Heat, as reported by The Sporting News, with LaMelo Ball hitting a late layup and Miles Bridges blocking Davion Mitchell at the buzzer.
The Sporting News noted the win kept Charlotte alive because the team finished the regular season outside the East top eight and therefore needed two victories to reach the playoffs.
The Sporting News also said Charlotte would travel for the decisive play in game against the loser of the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers, with tip off slated for 7:30 p.m. ET, and that the winner of that matchup would face the Detroit Pistons in the first round if Charlotte advanced.
Bracket Resolution And Hornets Elimination
ESPN and the 2026 NBA playoffs and play in schedule reported the Hornets fell in that follow up game, losing 121-90 to the Orlando Magic, which eliminated Charlotte from the postseason and awarded Orlando the No. 8 seed.
Those sources show the first round bracket now pairs the No. 1 Detroit Pistons with the No. 8 Orlando Magic, and lists the Boston Celtics against the Philadelphia 76ers, the New York Knicks against the Atlanta Hawks, and the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Toronto Raptors in the East.
In the West, the schedules and reports place the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Phoenix Suns, the San Antonio Spurs against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Los Angeles Lakers against the Houston Rockets.
The play in results published across the sources include Portland defeating Phoenix to reach the postseason, Golden State and Los Angeles Clippers outcomes that set up the Suns facing the Thunder, and the Magic beating Charlotte to earn the right to play Detroit in the first round, as reported by ESPN and the playoffs schedule.
With Charlotte eliminated, the reporting leaves the Hornets having produced a dramatic opening win but falling short in the deciding road game, while the league bracket settled and first round matchups were finalized by the outcomes of the play in tournament.
