Both Coby White and LaMelo Ball come up clutch to help the Hornets stay alive in the SoFi Play-In Tournament.
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CHARLOTTE – The Play-In Tournament’s ability to keep middle-of-the-pack focused on what’s above them in the standings rather than what might await them from below has waned lately. But at least one of its superpowers remains: Injecting instant urgency at the start of the NBA’s postseason, a handful of one-and-done or two-and-done games serving as ideal hors d’oeuvres before everyone settles into those best-of-seven series.
The Charlotte Hornets’ 127-126 overtime victory against Miami Tuesday at Spectrum Center wasn’t just a tasty appetizer – it was bacon-wrapped. A thriller across 53 minutes, what might have been something humdrum between the East’s ninth- and 10th-best teams instead had a little of everything: crazy buckets, timely defense, lead swings (16, with 17 ties), a bit of controversy, and plenty of frayed emotions.
In this case, there was no faint praise in deeming it the greatest Play-In game ever.
The prospect of having eight months of hard work, ups, downs, surprises, setbacks and drama end in the span of a few hours can dial up all levels of desperation and resolve to earn another game. To fend off elimination. Any night except this night, in other words.
“I think both teams didn’t want to go out,” Hornets forward Miles Bridge said. “Us for sure. We’ve had a great year. We started out bad, then we banded together and created a culture. We wanted to win for our fans and for ourselves, and to get a taste of playoff basketball.”
For that last ambition, Charlotte has to hit the road and do this all over again Friday night either in Philadelphia or Orlando, once the 76ers and the Magic determine Wednesday which of those two loses its way into the clash with the Hornets. Miami, as stubborn a Play-In participant as the league has had since creating the format in 2021, heads into the offseason after having to play for nearly three quarters without its best player, Bam Adebayo.
Here are four takeaways from the victory that keeps alive Charlotte’s shot at facing the East’s No. 1 seed, the Detroit Pistons, in the first round for its first official playoff appearance in 10 years:
1. Throwback game for LaMelo Ball
Much has been made of the Charlotte point guard’s improved feel, leadership, efficiency and maturity this season in driving a team that has gone 34-15 since Jan. 3. But he looked Tuesday like old ’Melo, which means young ’Melo, the guy without much direction or accountability after his arrival in 2020.
Only in this game, the Hornets needed that guy. Two of their three main sources of points were underperforming: rookie Kon Knueppel seemingly had big-stage jitters, missing 10 of his 12 shots and all six of his 3-pointers. Brandon Miller played less than 10 minutes in the first half, collecting as many fouls as points.
That left it to Ball to have one of his everything-everywhere-all-at-once performances. He scored 30 points, including Charlotte’s first and last, and took 31 shots.
He sought his own looks first and was not shy about missing 14 of 16 3-pointers. Ball dished 10 assists, committed five fouls, and was plus-15 in 40 minutes in his team’s one-point triumph. He stacked moments both heartbreaking and breathtaking.
2. Bam goes boom, Spo is bummed
Adebayo, the Heat big man who grabbed NBA headlines last month by scoring 83 points in a game, fell 77 short of that when he hit the floor hard in the opening minute of the second quarter.
He injured his lower back and was unable to return. A quick scan of his meager stats and some others – Charlotte’s 17 offensive rebounds and 25 second-chance points, for instance – reveals how much Miami missed him.
Replays showed Ball, who had fallen first, grabbing Adebayo’s right ankle to seemingly trip him. It went uncalled and unreviewed by the game officials but had Heat coach Erik Spoelstra plenty agitated.
“I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play,” Spoelstra said. “He should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys. Somebody has got to see that [when it happens]. He should have been thrown out of the game for that.”
Crew chief Zach Zarba told a pool reporter that the officials did not see Ball’s grab when it happened. Because play continued downcourt, there was no opportunity to review it for a possible flagrant foul. It is possible that the league will assess a fine or suspension for Ball’s dubious maneuver.
The Hornets point guard denied any dirty motive, however. “I apologize on that one — I got hit in the head, I didn’t know where I was, but I’m going to check on him to see if he’s okay and everything,” Ball said. “I said sorry, and I’m going to check on him.”
3. A perfect pickup: Coby White
Charlotte took advantage of a moribund Bulls season to acquire White, a scoring point guard, in a February 4 trade.
Chicago’s since-fired front office didn’t even pry loose a first-round pick in the deal.
White was at his streaky-scoring best Tuesday with the sort of performance that can win a game or two in a long postseason.
After a slow start, White caught fire in the third quarter. He had a rebound, two steals and scored 14 points, including 11 in a row as the Hornets scrambled from five down to lead by six heading into the fourth. The native North Carolinian, who played one season for the Tar Heels, has brought instant-offense from the Hornets bench. He finished with 19 points and was plus-21 in less than 26 minutes.
4. Rookie regression for Knueppel
Miller pulled out of his fouls funk to score 20 points in the second half but Knueppel never did course-correct. He had shot just 34.7% from the arc in the Hornets’ final 10 games, but this was only his fourth game all season in which Knueppel – who led the NBA in 3-pointers and shattered the rookie record – couldn’t hit a single one.
Charlotte coach Charles Lee used Knueppel for only six minutes in the fourth quarter and not at all in overtime. But thanks to his teammates, the Rookie of the Year contender gets a chance at redemption Friday against the Magic or the Sixers.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
