The NBA postseason officially tipped off Tuesday, April 14 with the first two games of the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament.
The first game saw the Charlotte Hornets eliminate the Miami Heat, 127-126, in a dramatic, back-and-forth overtime affair between the No. 9 and No. 10 seeds in the Eastern Conference. Coby White forced the extra session with a dramatic 3-pointer in the final 15 seconds. Miami was without the services of Bam Adebayo for over half the game. The Heat big man exited in the second quarter with a lower back injury, never to return.
The first game in the Western Conference took place in the desert Tuesday night as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Phoenix Suns, 114-110, to earn the No. 7 playoff seed in the Western Conference. Portland made its final 6 field goal attempts and closed its win on a 17-5 run to upset Phoenix on its home court.
The play-in tournament continues Wednesday, April 15 with two more games. The night begins with the Philadelphia 76ers hosting the Orlando Magic, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and a date with the No. 2 Boston Celtics. The loser of this game would play again Friday, April 17 in a home game against the Hornets for the right to claim the No. 8 seed and take on the top-seeded Detroit Pistons.
