Charlotte Hornets eliminate Miami Heat in overtime play-in thriller
LaMelo Ball scored a decisive late layup as the Charlotte Hornets eliminated the Miami Heat from the NBA play-in tournament with a dramatic 127-126 overtime victory.
Miles Bridges then blocked Davion Mitchell’s buzzer-beating attempt to secure Charlotte’s first postseason home win in a decade.
The hard-fought result keeps the North Carolina franchise’s hopes alive for an eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Ball makes NBA play-in history
The dynamic point guard finished the night with 30 points and 10 assists to lead his team’s scoring efforts.
He becomes only the fourth player in league history to register at least 30 points and 10 assists in a play-in fixture.
Bridges contributed 28 points and nine rebounds, while mid-season signing Coby White added a vital 19 points off the bench.
White forced the extra period by draining a crucial turnaround three-pointer with just 10.8 seconds remaining in regulation time.
Late drama seals Miami’s fate
The visitors suffered a significant setback in the second quarter when Bam Adebayo left the court with a lower back injury.
Despite losing their star center, the Florida outfit stayed in contention through 28 points from Mitchell and 27 from Andrew Wiggins.
A frantic conclusion to overtime saw Tyler Herro convert three crucial free throws to give Miami a one-point lead with 8.7 seconds left.
However, the explosive Hornets playmaker responded instantly by driving the lane for a leaning right-handed finish.
A desperate final push by the visitors ended when Bridges spectacularly chased down Mitchell to swat away the winning attempt.
Charlotte will now travel to face either the Philadelphia 76ers or Orlando Magic on Friday as they seek their first full playoff appearance in 10 years.
Meanwhile, the defeated Heat will miss the postseason for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign.
