HEAT vs. HORNETS | SoFi Play-In Tournament | Full Game Highlights | April 14, 2026

We are in Charlotte and LaMelo Ball and the Hornets are ready for action tonight against the Miami Heat. Miami 43-39 during the regular season, finished 10th in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte 44-38, they finished 9th. The winner will not advance to the playoffs but advance with a chance to get to the playoffs and play the winner. A loser of that 7-8 matchup which is coming up tomorrow night. Starting lineups presented by DoorDash for Miami. Wiggins, Ware, Adebayo, Hero and Mitchell. This is a team that's not only survived the plan, they've gone to the NBA Finals as a plan. Meanwhile for the Hornets trying to get their first taste of the postseason. In 10 years, Knipple, Bridges, Diabate, Miller and Ball. This starting 5 went 31-9 during the regular season. When to get in, lose and go home. And Miami controls the 10th. Knipple led the NBA in three corners made, Ball was second on that list. The push up goes, LaMelo Ball breaks the seal. Mitchell goes down, Miller, kick, Bridges fires. Caught at 7, early. Adebayo hard to the hole. It rims in for Bam Adebayo. It's going at the rim every time down the floor. And then they'll kick it out and shoot spot ups. That's how they score. Music from the outside for LaMelo. Wiggins is a guy with championship experience. 22 Warriors, won the title. He had a great playoff. The veteran, Bridges, rejected by Ware. Now Wiggins had a career year from three. Shot 41%. Ah, the Pacers pick it up. Miles Bridges from deep. I appreciate you, Donnis. We'll see you at the half. Thank you, guys. Back in, Bridges gets a clean look. And it's rebounded by Diabate. The Hornets have opened up a six-point lead with under four minutes to go here in the first. Diabate is just keeping balls alive. Nice look. Powell inside for Larson. Count it, and a foul is called. Here's Adebayo, bumping bodies with Diabate. Little help from White, and Bam just does it himself. Well, Bam can bully Diabate. Adebayo. One-on-one with Diabate, active defender. Adebayo, works it in. Two titles as an assistant. One with the Celtics, one with the Bucs. He knows what it takes to win at a high level. Not making his threes, but hits on the spin to the rim. Ball, trying to get around Fontecchio. Splits defenders and gets it. Blocked by Fontecchio. Miami is running. Larson on a bounce. Back for Larson, and he lays it in. Jaquez with a heads-up play. Ball, by himself. Throw down. And Bam Adebayo is down. Very concerning right now for the Miami Heat. Bam Adebayo has a lower back injury. He's questionable to return. Shot clock is down to ten. Powell, he loses his footing. Crumbles down, but somehow massages it home. And it was interesting, right? When it comes to nipples, it counts in the E-40 game as they get another second chance. But Charlotte, either one of their two leading scorers on the floor. Bridges spin. Tough angle. Mitchell, to where? It's another three-point attack. Flying in, Wiggins. Mitchell lines it up. Book it for three. Turning the tables on Charlotte there. Diabate did a great job. That's a center on a very good shot creating guard, and he's able to keep him out of the paint. LaMelo ball. Lost the ball out of bounds. Last touch by the Heat. They're not a team that can get it, that does a lot of scoring in the paint or at the free-throw line. That is the 14th foul on Charlotte. Jaquez takes it all the way in for the deuce. And a reload here for the Heat. Diabate trying to knock the ball free. Shot clock is down to four. Jaquez has to make it happen. Nails it from deep. Ball now with 14 points and 14 minutes of action. Ball to the wing, Hero. Hortense gets back defensively. Hero forces his way in. A physical game where you guys have had the advantage in the paint, but with Bam dealing with that back injury, how does that shift things here for you guys in the second half? Yeah, we've got to have the same intensity we had in the first half. Obviously, Diabate has been a monster on the offensive glass. You've got to keep him off the glass, rebound, and try to create extra possession for us. And how do you guys lean into your experience to keep your season alive here? Like I said, same intensity we brought in that first half. And we've got guys who've been here before, so you've just got to lean on that experience. Thanks for your time, Tyler. Jaquez. That handles. Nice dig. Wiggins good to finish. Slammed down on the follow by Ware. Great cut by Wiggins. Ball beats Mitchell to the spot after the contact. Hits Llorenco. That tip-in does from Diabate. Tyler Hero now with nine points. Balance scoring for the Heat. Ball. A series of moves. Plops it in. Plops the foul. And in the second half of the year, he's seen those habits turn into wins. Hero. Splash and a three. His first three of the night. Miller the answer. Yes. Bridges fakes the handoff. Oh, it's called back attack. Spin by Miller. Raises it. Finish. Kel L. Ware has been the kryptonite. Ball. Fakes on a three. Gets it back from Kobe White, who's in. Ball to drive. The dish. James. Extra. Jab. Jumper. He's got it. Williams. Misses on the three. Ball rebounded by Larson, who's back in there for Miami. He's giving them good minutes. Early offense. Wow. Major throwdown is on offensive rebounds. Hero looking for the lane. Kicked. Mitchell. Answers. Bingo from the outside. Timer down to ten. White using the screen. Pull up on it. Ware hasn't knocked down the long threes. He's been good in the corners. Quick jab. Right off from Williams. Larson loses his footing and turns it over. There's no hesitation. Shot clock is down to seven. Takes a peek. With a left. Adding a little more sting to what the Heat are trying to manage right now. Bama out of Iowa has been ruled out for the rest of the game with that lower back injury that he suffered in the first half, guys. He's found a home here with Taheed, a guy who is thought of as only a defender in Sacramento, has added to his game. Attack. Kobe won. 86-81. We're down to 22 seconds left. Third quarter. Shot clock down to four. Powell the drive. With the English. Full extension by Norman Powell. Wow. Ball. Forced to give it up. Another one. Here in Charlotte. He's really struggled shooting the ball from everywhere, though, his last ten games. Mitchell, he has just been a ball of activity. Another one with the offhand. 9.3. White. Hits the heel. Huck has the board. Miami is running. Mitchell drives in. Now for the Heat. Miller with three. Has lobbed it up. Blind to the rim. Ferocious finish of the foul. Mitchell crosses. Oh, that's nice. Davion Mitchell got him. Come on, Charlotte's 0 for 5 from three. Blocked by Miller. Grabbed by Ware. Powell fires away. Powell. Miami up by five. Powell. Hard drive. A sweeping move. Oh, Powell. Mitchell. But it was halfway down for Davion Mitchell. Give him a point and a half on that one. Bridges off balance. Bakes it in. And the foul. Up there. On the smash. And he replaces Norman Powell. Wiggins for the lead. Yes. Wow, Wiggins and. Bam Adebayo left this game in the first half with a lower back injury. Huck has on the drive. Kick. Wiggins. It's money. Andrew Wiggins sticks it. Fans are on their feet. Here at the high. Ball with a kick. Extra. Miller. The outside. Hero. Swing. Mitchell. Down to three. Hero fire. A certified bucket. Hornets. Up the floor. Up top. Bridges wanted Miller to shoot it. Instead, it's going to be Bridges. And it's money. Swing it for Miller. Shot clock at five. White. Corner. Williams. Foul called with 28 seconds left. Good point of three-point shooter, but that wasn't it. Huck has a 77% shooter. About getting their attention. Second one. Huck has. They get started. We're down to 22 seconds left. White. Looking around. Miller fires. Makes it in. Miami leads by one. Get it in. Hero. There was nobody there. Now he backs it out. Playing keep away. 14 seconds left. Hero is fouled. Diabate on the second free throw because they're going to call timeout. Either way, made or missed. Two-point game. Charlotte all out on the rebound. If he misses, made or missed, they're going to call a timeout. And the Heat lead by three. 12.9 left. Hornets are down by three. White. Turn around. Get to the rim. Triggers in for Hero. They'll get a runway here with seven seconds left. Hero with five. Hero rises up and scores. 14 Hornets. Just over a minute gone by in overtime. Mitchell to Hawkins. Nearly lost it. Fades away. Hit. Very rough shooting night for Ball. Swing it around. Bridges. Go through. 18, three-point. 16 now, three-point attempts. Little mellow ball. Nicely done by Mitchell. Now is not the time to relax. Heat back in the zone. Hawkins has eight assists. Call. Puts it up. Special delivery from Ball. Concanipple has been on the bench for Charlotte. Swing it. Corner. Bridges. Oh. Terrific move. 50 seconds left. Mitchell makes his move. Hard drive. Fit. Once again with that left hand. Eight to shoot. Mitchell digs in defensively. Ball driving. Ball stumbles and scores. With 26 seconds left in overtime. Get it in. Hero buries it from the corner. It's a three. A lot of time still, and it's only a two-point game. What a game this has been. 125 to 123. Ball trying to get it ahead. Seon James stumbles into the table. Miami takes over. Nine seconds left. The jumper's no good. There's a foul. Tyler Hero is going to the line with 8.7. Adam Silver had in mind when he went into the play-in tournament, this is unbelievable excitement. One more coming. Miami takes the lead. They have scored the last six points. James looking. Ball breaks free. Gets it. Seven seconds. Ball on the drive. There's no timeouts left for Miami. Charlotte up by one. And what a play. Walk me through how you were able to get this win. We just stuck with it. We stuck with it. We grinded out. I mean, we wasn't hitting our threes. A lot of shots we wasn't hitting. But, like I said, we stuck with it. What were you thinking on that drive? On that last drive, pretty much I just got to win the game. I feel like I just fucked the game up, so I'm like, it's my fault. I got to make it work. And look, there's so much excitement around this team and the stakes so high. How would you describe just the overall team effort, especially Kobe White and his shot that sent it over to overtime? You know, Kobe White's great for us. He can make big plays. Great teammate. Great dude. We love having him here. So the season is still alive. You guys face whoever is the loser, and we are presenting you with the NBA on Prime Playmaker chain. And LaMela, look, it is live, actual play. I can keep it. Well, can you keep it? Oh, you can keep it. This is for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I mean, with a play like that, you deserve that drip. Congrats on the win and for the NBA Prime Playmaker chain. And look, it's plays from tonight. I appreciate you. Thank you. You got it. Well done. Thank you.