NBA play-in tournament: Real-time updates from Tuesday’s games
The NBA play-in tournament is set to commence with games starting on Tuesday.
Initially, the Miami Heat will compete against the Charlotte Hornets in the matchup between the No. 9 and No. 10 seeds in the Eastern Conference. The victor will face the loser of the No. 7 and No. 8 contest featuring the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.
The night concludes with a Western Conference clash between the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns, who are the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds, respectively. The winner will advance to play the San Antonio Spurs in the first round, while the loser will meet either the LA Clippers or Golden State Warriors.
Miami comes into this matchup with a 3-1 advantage over Charlotte in their season series and has significant play-in experience, having participated in an NBA-high seven games since 2021 and becoming the first team to reach the NBA Finals from the tournament in 2023, led by Norman Powell and Tyler Herro. Charlotte, aiming for its first playoff appearance since 2016, recovered from a 9-20 start to finish 35-18 and set an NBA record with an 18.2 point differential in victories, with LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel ranking first and second in three-pointers made.
In the Western Conference, Phoenix has returned to the play-in after a successful season with 45 wins, taking the series 2-1, led by Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks, while Portland, which last made the playoffs in 2021, is driven by first-time All-Star Deni Avdija, along with Shaedon Sharpe and Jerami Grant.
Who will emerge victorious on Tuesday night? Stay tuned for live updates and highlights.
