The NBA play-in tournament opened with two tense finishes as the Portland Trail Blazers edged the Phoenix Suns 114-110, while the Charlotte Hornets survived the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime. Portland secured the Western Conference No. 7 seed, and Charlotte moved one win away from ending a decade-long playoff drought.
Portland’s victory hinged on Deni Avdija, who produced 41 points and delivered the decisive three-point play with 16.1 seconds left. Jordan Goodwin had briefly restored a 110-109 Suns lead with 32 seconds remaining, but Avdija answered at the rim, drew contact, converted the layup and calmly sank the free throw for a 112-110 advantage.
Phoenix still had a chance to retake control in the closing seconds. Jalen Green missed a potential
go-ahead three-pointer, and Goodwin grabbed the offensive rebound, but Matisse Thybulle stripped the ball, ending the Suns’ hopes. The result completed Portland’s rally from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit in a physical, slow-burning contest.
The Trail Blazers’ late surge also featured Jerami Grant, who returned after missing the final seven regular-season games with a calf injury. Grant buried a corner three-pointer with 1:54 left to push Portland ahead 107-106. Devin Booker immediately replied by hitting two free throws for a 108-107 Suns edge before Avdija drove for a finger roll and a 109-108 lead with 37.3 seconds remaining.
Green closed with 35 points for Phoenix, while Booker supplied 22 in the defeat. Portland’s win locked in a first-round Western Conference matchup against the San Antonio Spurs as the No. 7 seed. The Suns will now host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors clash on Friday, with that team claiming the No. 8 seed to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, while the loser’s season ends.
The Hornets’ home crowd saw a different kind of drama in the Eastern Conference play-in opener. LaMelo Ball drove into the lane and finished a leaning right-handed layup with 4.7 seconds remaining in overtime, giving Charlotte the final lead. Miles Bridges then chased down Davion Mitchell and blocked a layup attempt at the buzzer, sealing Miami’s elimination.
Ball was central throughout the night, finishing with 30 points and 10 assists, while Bridges added 28 points and nine rebounds. Charlotte’s first postseason home victory in ten years did not come easily. Ball’s driving layup had given the Hornets a five-point cushion with 26 seconds left in overtime, but two costly errors briefly opened the door for Miami.
Tyler Herro, who scored 23 points for the Heat, hit a twisting corner three-pointer that cut the deficit. Ball then turned the ball over in the backcourt and fouled Herro on a three-point attempt. Herro converted all three free throws for a 126-125 Miami lead with 8.7 seconds remaining, before Ball responded on the next possession after a timeout.
Regulation had already produced drama as Coby White nailed a turnaround three-pointer with 10.8 seconds left to force overtime. Mitchell led Miami with 28 points and Andrew Wiggins contributed 27, but the Heat also lost Bam Adebayo to a lower back injury in the second quarter after Ball tripped Adebayo. The Hornets will now travel on Friday to face the loser of Wednesday’s Philadelphia-Orlando game for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff berth.
Both play-in clashes showcased major individual performances and high-pressure moments. Avdija carried Portland past Phoenix to a series with the Spurs, while Charlotte relied on Ball and Bridges to stay alive. With the Suns’ fate now tied to another play-in game and the Hornets one step from the main bracket, the early postseason picture continues to sharpen across the NBA.
YOUR 2025-2026 PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS ARE HEADED TO THE PLAYOFFS pic.twitter.com/4K5tNygQgW Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) April 15, 2026
| Game | Team | Key Scorers | Final Score | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBA play-in | Portland Trail Blazers vs Phoenix Suns | Deni Avdija 41; Jalen Green 35; Devin Booker 22 | 114-110 | Portland claims West No. 7 seed |
| NBA play-in | Charlotte Hornets vs Miami Heat | LaMelo Ball 30; Miles Bridges 28; Davion Mitchell 28; Andrew Wiggins 27; Tyler Herro 23 | 127-126 (OT) | Hornets advance to face loser of Philadelphia-Orlando |
unmatched vibes at the hive #ProtectTheHive | @Waste_Pro_USA pic.twitter.com/zwfOKLC4p2 Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) April 15, 2026
