Mar 18, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) splits the defense of Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) and guard Reed Sheppard (15) in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
The NBA Playoffs are coming up quickly now that the regular season is over. The Rockets came in fifth, therefore they will play the Los Angeles Lakers, who came in fourth, in a best-of-seven series. The higher-seeded team (Los Angeles) will host the first two games, as usual. After that, the series will go to Houston for games three and four, then back to LA for game five, back to Houston for game six, and finally back to LA for game seven.
The Lakers won three games in a row to finish the season. The Timberwolves ended Houston’s eight-game winning streak, but the Rockets beat the Grizzlies on Sunday.
One main plot point of the series is the continuing battle between Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Even though their most famous battles happened years ago in the NBA Finals, there is a sense of nostalgia and excitement as they meet again, this time in the first round. At this point in their careers, both players may still dominate games, but they are under quite different kinds of strain. Durant plays for a Houston team that is deeper and more balanced. LeBron is now in his 40s and is supposed to be the Lakers’ main offensive player, especially with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves hurting.
If the Lakers don’t let their ailments get in the way too much before the series, they might have a better chance of making it further in the playoffs. Reaves, an important guard, and Luka Doncic, who was brought in to be LeBron’s co-superstar, are both up in the air for this series. When the game is mostly one-on-one, LeBron has to score a lot because the rest of Los Angeles can’t make baskets or set up plays for other players when they aren’t there. Without those parts, the Lakers can’t afford to make as many mistakes.
The Rockets, on the other hand, are in good shape and ready for the playoffs. Houston has quietly become one of the best teams in the conference because they emphasis on being tough and disciplined on defense. Alperen Şengün’s frontcourt gives them a reliable inside scoring threat, and their perimeter defenders enable them to alter up their defenses and mess with their opponents’ offenses. Durant can score in a variety of different ways, and Houston has numerous other players that can also score (Sengun, Thompson, Sheppard etc), so it will depend on how well Houston’s supporting cast does.
The Rockets play a slower, more organized game, employing their size and skill to rebound to keep the ball. The Lakers, on the other hand, perform best when they get ahead early and make the game go faster. It’s harder to do this when Doncic isn’t in charge of the half-court. If Houston can keep the game moving at their tempo, they can keep the Lakers from getting easy points and put them in tough situations at the end of the game.
One of the most important things in the series is whether or not Doncic will feel better and how much. The Lakers wouldn’t simply be a top-heavy team; with him on the roster, they would be a big offensive danger straight away. Los Angeles would have to rely on role players to step up, which would be risky against the Rockets’ at times well-organized defense. It will be a tough and close series, but Houston has the upper hand with the L.A. injuries unless the Lakers get well soon.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 14: LaMelo Ball #1 celebrates with Coby White #3 of the Charlotte Hornets in overtime against the Miami Heat during their game at Spectrum Center on April 14, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Charlotte Hornets are in the NBA Play-In Tournament and still alive, having beaten Miami in a thriller Tuesday night.
Kon Knueppel didn’t play especially well, shooting just 2-12 and 0-6 on his three-point attempts, and finishing with just 6. Sion James didn’t have a big game offensively either, scoring just 2 points.
It’s been a while since a former Tar Heel had a major impact on the post-season. Can you remember the last one? It’s tough, isn’t it?
To put it in a different perspective, the last player out of UNC to be an All-Star was Vince Carter.
Well, that changed Tuesday night as former Tar Heel Coby White hit an improbable jumper to tie the game at 114-114 and ultimately put it into overtime.
LaMelo Ball hit the game-winner in overtime, but this play against Bam Adebayo may see him suspended for Charlotte’s final play-in game against the Phoenix Suns.
With Mark Williams, Grayson Allen, and Khaman Maluach, that will be a bit of a Brotherhood reunion.
Okay, the most important game of the season is here folks. No more dress rehearsals, no more what ifs. It’s time to lock in for some Play-In tournament basketball! After a 37-win season, somehow someway the Golden State Warriors still have a chance to fight for an NBA title. Let the games begin (again)!
Golden State Warriors (37-45) at Los Angeles Clippers (42-40)
When: Wednesday, April 15, 2026 | 7:00 PM PT
Where: Intuit Dome
TV: Amazon Prime Video
Radio: 95.7 The Game
Let’s talk about what it means to carry something, Dub Nation.
Not the fun kind of carrying where you have the Steph-in-his-prime effortless kind where he’s pulling up from the logo and the crowd is already celebrating before it leaves his hand. I’m talking about the the other kind where you look left and right and realize the army you were promised is gone, and it’s just you and a bunch of soldiers who are going to have to figure it out on the fly.
That’s the assignment Wednesday night at Intuit Dome.
Jimmy Butler III — done for the season. Moses Moody — gone. Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford have barely shared the floor with Steph. The Warriors went 1-3 against the Clippers this regular season, and dropped the most recent meeting 115-110 on Sunday. That was a game where Curry logged 29 minutes, his most since returning, and dropped 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting.
This is the context. Eyes open…and yet.
The single most dangerous offensive player on a basketball court Wednesday night is Stephen Curry. Not Kawhi Leonard, who’s been remarkable (career-high 27.9 points per game on a career-best 62.9 true shooting percentage). Not Darius Garland, who has quietly become a legitimate secondary weapon patterned, by his own admission, after studying Curry’s game.
Ty Lue knows it too. The man who won a championship coaching against Curry said this week he’s “sick” of seeing him in the postseason. That’s not bulletin board material folks, that’s a confession. Lue is already thinking about what happens if Curry gets going, already scheming to limit his three-point attempts, already knowing that 24 points in the regular season finale means nothing about what’s possible when the calendar flips to April postseason basketball.
Dub Nation, this is it. Banged up hitting the road, running on fumes and faith. But they’ve got the best player on the floor, a franchise legend playing for everything, and absolutely nothing to lose. Win, and they fight again. Lose, and this season ends at Intuit Dome, the same building where Sunday’s loss briefly made it feel like it was already over.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 18: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on December 18, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We don’t know if the Golden State Warriors season will extend beyond Wednesday. The Dubs face an uphill battle in the first round of the play-in tournament, as they have to go on the road to beat an LA Clippers team that has been finding a groove late in the season.
But if the Warriors do win that game, which is at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video, then we now know who they’ll face next: the Phoenix Suns.
The first play-in tournament games took place on Tuesday, and in the Western Conference the No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers beat the No. 7 Phoenix Suns 114-110. With that, the Blazers advance to the playoffs as the West’s seventh seed, and will have a first-round showdown with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
As for the Suns, they’ll now enter a win-or-go-home situation. On Friday night, at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video, Phoenix will host the winner of the Warriors vs. Clippers game.
That’s the more favorable matchup for the Warriors, who went 1-3 against the Blazers in the regular season, and have struggled with Portland’s athleticism over the last few years. The Dubs did much better against the Suns, winning three of four regular season games. Phoenix has also been struggling down the stretch, so it’s a matchup Golden State would likely feel pretty good about should they advance.
But first, the Warriors have to beat the Clippers. Only after doing that can they focus on beating the Suns … which would earn them the eighth seed in the West, and a date with the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
PHOENIX — Deni Avdija showed he’s got a little bit of the clutch gene in his initial foray into postseason basketball.
The first-time All-Star followed a breakout regular season with a fantastic all-around performance in Tuesday’s NBA play-in tournament, scoring 41 points to lead the Portland TrailBlazers over the Phoenix Suns for a 114-110 win to clinch the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The Blazers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021 after clawing back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. They’ll face the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career so far,” Avdija said.
The 25-year-old Avdija had never played in the NBA’s postseason until Tuesday — toiling for more than five years on mediocre teams in Washington and Portland — but looked comfortable on the bigger stage. He had the winning three-point play with 16.1 seconds left, scoring on a physical take to the rim while being fouled and then converting the free throw.
Blazers guard Jrue Holiday — a two-time NBA champion with Milwaukee and Boston — was impressed with Avdija’s composure. He shot 15 of 22 from the field while adding 12 assists and seven rebounds.
Holiday said the best part of Avdija’s performance was it was “kind of an off night.”
“I feel like he’s unique. Nobody does what he does,” Holiday said. “Deni coming out here, carrying us, especially down the stretch, getting that winning bucket and being able to go home knowing we’re playing San Antonio is something you love to see in Deni because this is what we expect from him now.”
Deni Avdija, who scored 41 points, celebrates during the Trail Blazers 114-110 win over the Suns on April 14, 2026 in Phoenix. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Avdija and the rest of the young Blazers kept their cool during a physical game that featured plenty of hard fouls. Holiday finished with 21 points and Jerami Grant returned from a calf injury to score 16.
“I think back to the beginning of the season, we weren’t very disciplined at staying together and finishing games,” Avdija said. “I feel like we showed character today. We showed growth, we showed character, we showed we were capable of keeping our composure and making winning plays.”
Blazers coach Tiago Splitter agreed that Avdija didn’t have his best night despite the big numbers. He said the 6-foot-8 forward’s next test will be facing a Spurs team that will throw different looks at him on defense in a playoff series.
If Tuesday night was any indication, he’ll be just fine.
“He just kept going, kept believing in himself,” Splitter said. “Scored a couple buckets at the end there. A little bit of what he did the whole season, played 38 minutes, had the ball a lot and decided the game.”
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball made a layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime, Miles Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell’s attempt at a winning layup at the buzzer, and the Charlotte Hornets beat Miami 127-126 in a wild start to the NBA’s play-in games, eliminating the Heat from the playoffs on Tuesday night.
Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists and Bridges had 28 points and nine rebounds as the Hornets won their first postseason home game in a decade. Coby White had 19 points, including a turnaround 3 with 10.8 second left in regulation to send the game to OT.
Mitchell scored 28 points and Andrew Wiggins added 27 for the Heat, who lost Bam Adebayo to a lower back injury when Ball tripped him in the second quarter.
The Hornets will travel to face the loser of Wednesday’s matchup between Philadelphia and Orlando on Friday night for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is seeking its first playoff appearance in a decade.
TRAIL BLAZERS 114, SUNS 110
PHOENIX (AP) — Deni Avdija scored 41 points — including a go-ahead 3-point play with 16.1 seconds left — and Portland clawed back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Phoenix in the NBA’s play-in tournament.
Jordan Goodwin drove for a layup to give the Suns a 110-109 lead with 32 seconds left, but Avdija, who also had 12 assists, responded with a physical take to the rim, making a layup while getting fouled and made the free throw for a 112-110 lead.
The Suns had a chance to go back ahead but Jalen Green’s 3-pointer was off the mark. Goodwin grabbed the offensive rebound but was stripped by Matisse Thybulle to seal the win for the Blazers.
Portland earned the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game on Friday. Whoever wins will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. The loser’s season is over.
PHOENIX (AP) — Deni Avdija scored 41 points — including a go-ahead 3-point play with 16.1 seconds left — and the Portland Trail Blazers clawed back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 114-110 in the NBA’s play-in tournament on Tuesday night.
Jordan Goodwin drove for a layup to give the Suns a 110-109 lead with 32 seconds left, but Avdija, who also had 12 assists, responded with a physical take to the rim, making a layup while getting fouled and made the free throw for a 112-110 lead.
The Suns had a chance to go back ahead but Jalen Green’s 3-pointer was off the mark. Goodwin grabbed the offensive rebound but was stripped by Matisse Thybulle to seal the win for the Blazers.
Portland earned the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game on Friday. Whoever wins will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. The loser’s season is over.
The final few minutes were white-knuckle basketball with the lead changing several times.
Jerami Grant — who returned after missing the final seven games of the regular season because of a calf injury — made a corner 3-pointer to give the Trail Blazers a 107-106 lead with 1:54 left. Devin Booker responded with a pair of free throws for a 108-107 lead but Avdija made a finger roll at the rim for a 109-108 lead with 37.3 seconds left.
Green led the Suns with 35 points. Booker had 22.
The Blazers led 83-82 going into the fourth despite shooting just 1 of 11 on 3-pointers in the third quarter. Phoenix pushed to its first lead of the second half when Green made a jumper on the opening possession of the fourth.
It was the start of an 11-0 run that gave the Suns a 93-83 advantage. Royce O’Neale’s steal and 3-pointer put Phoenix ahead 98-87 lead with 7:13 remaining, but that’s when the Blazers started their comeback.
The Suns led 33-31 after one quarter, but the Trail Blazers pushed to a 55-41 advantage by midway through the second. Phoenix bounced back to cut the deficit to 65-62 at the break after Green completed a four-point play — hitting a 3 while being fouled — with one second remaining.
PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 14: Deni Avdija #8 of the Portland Trail Blazers drives to the basket during the game against the Phoenix Suns during the 2026 SoFi Play-In Tournament on April 14, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns lost to the Portland Trailblazers 114-110 Tuesday night in the 7/8 play-in game. The Suns were down as much as 14, but stormed back to take an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter, but allowed Deni Avdija and company to close it late. Avdija led all scorers with 41. Jalen Green led the Suns with 35.
After spending nearly the entirety of the season in the seventh seed, the Suns will not be ending it there. A disappointing outcome considering how consistently they held the position and the gap that they held in the standings from the eighth seed. Portland will now face the two-seeded San Antonio Spurs
Awaiting the results of the Clippers/Warriors game tomorrow night, the Suns’ season comes down to Friday night, where with a win they’ll play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round as the eighth seed, and with a loss, their surprising season comes to an end.
Game Flow
First Half
Phoenix struck first, getting Scoot Henderson into early foul trouble and taking an 8-2 lead. The two teams traded baskets early on, as both teams played at a fast pace with the Mortgage Matchup Center roaring. Phoenix started the game 9/11 from the field with Jalen Green leading the attack with 10 points on 4/4 shooting. Considering his experience in big playoff and Olympic games, it was no surprise to see Jrue Holiday get off to a strong start for Portland, he had 11 points in the first eight minutes.
After one, the Suns led 33-31. Devin Booker and Green had 2/3rds of the team’s points.
Deni Avdija started to get it going and spearheaded the Blazer’s 12-2 run to start the second, giving them their first lead of the game and forcing Phoenix into a timeout. After the timeout, Devin Booker re-entered the game and his hot start continued, scoring a quick two baskets, but the Blazers matched his scoring and extended their lead to double digits. What wasn’t helping the Suns was their inability to hit threes; the team went nearly 21 minutes to make their first triple, while Portland already had 10 by the 5:22 mark.
Being down as much as 14, Phoenix stormed back by the end of half and trailed 65-62 thanks mainly to Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Jordan Goodwin. Jalen Green completed a huge four-point play with a second left in the half to give Phoenix the momentum heading into the break. Phoenix hit four triples in the final 3:11 of the first half after hitting none in the first 20:49.
The Blazers started the third on a 10-2 run, and Phoenix went cold as Portland built a lead. With Booker on the bench with four fouls, others needed to step up for the Suns if they wanted to get back in the game, and a few triples got the Suns within seven.
As the game went on, both teams played with more physicality. Bodies were flying all over the court, fouls got harder, and the game slowed down. Booker returning to the game helped increase that flow as the Suns cut into the lead, and for the first time since early in the quarter, Phoenix cut the lead to three with 38 seconds left. A 13-4 run had the team down 83-82 heading into the fourth.
Phoenix started the fourth flying, Green hit two quick baskets, and Brooks had a steal and score that forced a Portland timeout. The Suns stayed hot after the break, taking their first double-digit lead of the game and starting the final quarter on an 11-0 run. The only thing the Suns did wrong to start the fourth was that the Blazers got into the bonus less than four minutes into the frame.
Up as much as 11, Portland went on an 8-0 run and cut the game to a single-possession contest with 4:14 left. Thanks to a flagrant foul by Donovan Clingan and a Jalen Green three, the Suns added some cushion to their lead, just for Portland to crawl right back with Devin Booker picking up his fifth foul in the process.
The final minutes of the game were intense, to say the least. Both teams went back and forth with the lead, but the Blazers got the last word. Deni Avdija’s and-one gave Portland the lead in the final seconds and they didn’t relinquish it.
Up Next
The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers/Warriors game on Friday night. In a win-or-go-home game, Phoenix’s playoff lives will be on the line.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Amazon Prime Video's stream of the Miami-Charlotte play-in game went offline for nearly two minutes during the overtime period, causing fans to miss a Hornets possession.
Stan Van Gundy, working the game as an analyst for Prime Video, was midsentence when the audio feed was lost coming out of a timeout with 48.1 seconds remaining. A message about “technical difficulties” began displaying on screens a few seconds later.
When the video and audio feeds resumed, Charlotte's LaMelo Ball had scored for a 125-120 lead. Fans missed 22.1 seconds of playing time.
“Tell me the game didn’t just cut off?!!? Am I trippin?? WTH,” Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James posted on X, as the words “technical difficulties” began trending nationally across social media.
A spokesperson for Prime said the issue was caused by “a hardware failure in our production truck.”
“Our teams restored the feed as quickly as possible to ensure fans could watch the conclusion of the game. We are conducting a thorough internal review to determine the cause of the outage,” the spokesperson said.
Prime Video has exclusive rights to all six games in this year's play-in tournament. The streaming service began showing NBA games this season as part of the league's new 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 21: Draymond Green #23 and head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors react against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on March 21, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the Play-In tournament is upon us, I’m thinking of humility. The kind you don’t choose. The kind the game chooses for you.
Back in April 2021, Draymond Green sat in front of a microphone and delivered one of the more honest things a superstar has ever said in the middle of a desperate stretch run. “Fighting for a play-in spot does not motivate me,” he told reporters flatly. “We’re in what, ninth? Fighting for a play-in spot doesn’t motivate me at all.” He wasn’t being arrogant exactly. He was being Draymond. A then three-time champion who had eaten the Golden State dynasty’s enemies for sport hinting that this particular tournament format registered somewhere between a halftime magic show and a preseason game on his internal threat assessment.
Three years later, as a four-time champion in 2024, he softened exactly enough to call the play-in “the best thing ever created” while in the same breath insisting he absolutely hated it. Classic Draymond: intellectually honest enough to acknowledge the contradiction without fully surrendering to it.
And now here we are again, April 2026, and the play-in is not beneath Draymond Green. It is, once again, the entire ballgame.
“It’s not exciting. I’m a competitor, so I’m gonna do all I can to win, but it’s not that exciting.”
The Warriors need it bad, real bad. And they’ve needed it for two straight years now. The dynasty that used to skip past these conversations about desperation and survival now is now hitchhiking their way through Play-In Mountain. The Dubs finished 37-45, landing flat on their faces at the 10th seed. You know how many old Warriors teams would have had the potential to make noise after trudging to a sub-40 win season??? Those old wack GSW teams walked so these struggling Warriors could make a run.
Draymond has been around long enough to understand that the play-in stopped being beneath him the moment the dynasty started receding. What he said in 2021 was true for the man he was then. What’s true now is that the Warriors would give anything just to extend this season one more game. The receipts of everything Draymond said about the play-in are there if you want them. But the biggest receipt from Draymond is that he hates losing. Wednesday night he’ll get a chance to show it one more time under the bright lights of the Play-In Tournament.
This is exactly why Charlotte has become everybody's second favorite team — who doesn't love chaos?
The Hornets have thrived in end-to-end chaos all season, and it paid off Tuesday night in a back-and-forth, win-or-go-home play-in game — one filled with controversy after the Heat's Bam Adebayo had to leave the game in the second quarter.
When it mattered most, the Hornets made the big plays. With 4.7 seconds remaining in overtime, LaMelo Ball made up for a bad previous couple of plays with a game-winning driving layup, then Miles Bridges sealed the win with a block, and Charlotte picked up a wild 127-126 overtime victory in the first play-in game in the East.
With the win, Charlotte will travel to another win-or-go-home game on Friday night, this one against the loser of Wednesday night's showdown between Orlando and Philadelphia.
Miami's season comes to a disappointing early end despite late-game heroics from Tyler Herro and 28 points from Donovan Mitchell.
Ball finished the game with 30 points and 10 assists, while Bridges finished with 28 points and the defensive play of the night.
The controversy in this game came in the second quarter, when Ball — on the ground after going for a loose ball — took a swipe and knocked the leg out from under Miami's Bam Adebayo, who fell hard on his back. Adebayo went straight to the locker room and did not return to the game, playing just 11 minutes.
The play where Bam Adebayo got taken out. LaMelo Ball was complaining to the referees afterward. pic.twitter.com/xbKAhslFHB
Ball was not called for a foul on the play and it could not be reviewed because there was no foul called. Ball is likely to face a fine from the league for the action.
This was a tight game all night, with the largest lead by either team being eight.
Miami had a game plan, and in the clutch it was a lot of it was to isolate and attack Ball, who is not a great defender and, the Heat hoped, could be worn down. In the end, that didn't work as Ball had enough to make the biggest play of the night.
Charlotte got big games from Brandon Miller with 23 points, and from Coby White off the bench, who had 19 points and some huge shots.
Hornets Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel struggled on the big stage, shooting 2-of-12 overall and missing all six of his 3-pointers.
Miami got 23 from Tyler Herro — including six straight in overtime that put the Heat in front with 8.7 seconds left — as well as 27 points from Andrew Wiggins. Sixth Man of the Year candidate Jamie Jaquez finished with 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
Basketball fans were forced to scramble on Tuesday night after the Prime Video broadcast of the Hornets-Heat Play-In Tournament overtime thriller cut out for nearly two minutes with less than a minute left in OT.
The “technical difficulties” occurred with the Hornets holding a three-point lead with 48.1 seconds left on the clock.
Prime Video’s broadcast of the Hornets-Heat game cut off for nearly two minutes. Prime Video
Analyst Stan Van Gundy was speaking when the audio cut out and then the screen went black.
For several seconds, nothing appeared before the truck was able to slate a “TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES” banner on the screen.
The feed was down for roughly one minute and 47 seconds before it came back with the game clock down to 26 seconds and the Hornets now leading 125-120.
Charlotte held on for a 127-126 win.
It’s unclear if the broadcast team of Ian Eagle and Van Gundy was aware that the stream experienced any issues.
The issue angered just about everyone watching, which included NBA superstar LeBron James, who took to social media to voice his displeasure.
LaMelo Ball (1) celebrates with guard Coby White after scoring during the Hornets’ 127-126 OT win over the Heat aduring the second half of an NBA play-in game in Charlotte, N.C. on April 14, 2026. AP
“Tell me the game didn’t just cut off?!!? Am I trippin?? WTH,” he posted on X.
That wasn’t the only reported problem for the Prime broadcast on Tuesday night.
The Sports TV News & Updates account on X posted that “The audio on Prime has been slightly ahead of the video feed for the whole game tonight.”
There were no further issues in the waning moments of the game as basketball fans were treated to a wild finish that included Tyler Herro hitting a 3-pointer to bring the Heat within two and then getting fouled after Miami stole the ball, and hit the three foul shots to put Miami up by one.
Lamelo Ball topped it, though, by making a layup with seconds left and then the Hornets blocked the ball on the other end to secure the win and advance in the Play-In Tournament.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 12: LaMelo Ball #1 of the Charlotte Hornets shoots a three point basket during the game against the New York Knicks on April 12, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After committing a blunder on the previous possession, LaMelo Ball more than made up for it by converting a leaning lay-in with seconds to go, and Miles Bridges swatted away Davion Mitchell’s floater at the other end. The unbelievable game-winning sequence came after Tyler Herro executed a personal 6-0 run in the waning seconds to secure what Miami must have imagined were the winning points. In an enthralling 9/10 play-in game that resembled an Elite Eight matchup (think 1992 Duke / Kentucky), Charlotte solved the Heat’s defensize zone late in the fourth quarter and Coby White sent the game to overtime with a catch-and-shoot three straddling the sideline – his fifth one in the second half. Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges then carried the Hornets to play-in glory with Ball’s points finishing Miami off.
Charlotte’s shooting touch betrayed them for wide swaths of the fourth quarter while Miami took advantage of the frequent misses to jump ahead for good. After rolling out a zone defense to start the fourth quarter, the Heat pieced together a 11-2 run to pull themselves ahead of Charlotte. For the Hornets, it was the B’s – LaMelo Ball (15) and Miles Bridges (17) that put up 32 points together to pace Charlotte in the first half and trade deadline acquisition White who detonated a barrage of threes on the Heat in a third quarter comeback.
Ball (26 points and 6 assists) and Bridges (28 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks – including the game preserving one) excelled in the Hornets’ first home playoff game in 10 seasons. The win was aided by White’s (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) third quarter superboost. Brandon Miller (23 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) caught fire in the second half, and Charlotte managed to recover 17 of their own misses to help their victorious cause. Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Kneuppel (6 points, 2-for-12 FG) was unable to overcome his recent shooting slump.
Miami’s Andrew Wiggins (27 points and 7 rebounds) and Mitchell (28 points and 6 assists) salvaged a disastrous first half injury to Bam Adebayo. Herro (23 points and 6 assists) was thisclose to being a hero tonight. Kelel Ware (12 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 blocks) bolstered the Heat backline over the last 2+ quarters. The Heat managed to stay in the game early on with 22 of their first 30 points coming in the painted area.
The teams remained within one possession of each other over many of the first period minutes. Ball and Bridges stood out after some time with their respective abilities to attack the rim and hit difficult shots. Aside from a Ware three, Miami found most of their early success in the lane but found the going tough later on. Kneuppel missed on his handful of relatively open looks. Miami closed the quarter on a 6-0 run and it was 24-26 after one.
With Adebayo exiting with a lower back injury (after awkward contact with Ball), Ware and Mitchell took over the scoring duties and Pelle Larsson annoyed the Hornets’ perimeter players to draw the Heat closer. Bridges did his best Keldon Johnson impression by bulling over Heat defenders to get to a dozen points. Charlotte – behind Bridges and Ball – looked like they might surge ahead, but Miami’s 5-0 burst at the end put them up two at the half.
After what seemed like a litany of minutes where the teams traded baskets, Wiggins turned into the 2022 Finals version of himself to put up eight quick points, and Ware more than made up for Adebayo in the paint by getting to his fourth block. A Ware catch-and-dunk gave Miami its biggest lead of five. Charlotte scuffled to find any offensive bearing outside of Ball’s randomness, and then White put his stamp on this play-in game by connecting on three triples to wrest the lead away from Miami for good.
Observations
My relative sent this to me at tipoff: “A Spurs fan, an OKC fan, and a Nuggets fan are climbing a mountain and arguing about who loves his team more. The OKC fan insists he is the most loyal. ”This is for the THUNDER!” he yells and jumps off the mountain. Not to be outdone, the Spurs fan is next to profess his love for his team. He yells “This is for the SPURS!” and pushes the Nuggets fan off the mountain.”
Amazon Prime seems to treat the occasion of the games with the requisite respect and tone. I don’t know that ESPN can say the same.
The Hornets’ Sion James (Duke alum) seems like what Justice Winslow (Duke alum) should have been – physical two-way talent.
I walked by Ryan Kalkbrenner at a Vegas casino during summer league. He’s a legitimate 7-footer.
“That Looked Like Wemby” Sequence of the Game: Ware, halfway through the third, swatted away two attempts in successive possessions which led to fast break dunks for Wiggins.
Coby White ‘Kaboom’ sequence: Late in the third period, it wasn’t just the first three that banked in from 25+ feet, White topped it with a transition three to finish off turning a 5-point deficit into a 5-point advantage.
Sequence of the Game #3: After a riveting third quarter finish, the Charlotte’s Diabate tipped home a White miss and threw up a hook that touched all parts of the rim before gently dropping in.
Game Rundown
Ball turned down a 30+ footer on the first possession and instead scored on a floater and a driving lay-up for Charlotte. Bridges swatted away a Herro attempt at the rim and swished a wing three seconds later. Ball did connect on a straightaway triple and the teams combined for 21 points in three fast-paced minutes. However his assignment – Davion Mitchell – obeyed the game plan and raced past him for a lay-up at the other end. A pull-up three from Miller briefly put Charlotte up, but was answered by a Wiggins three. Miami did the bulk of its damage in the paint, but conceded a flurry of points to Bridges, including a shotclock beating turnaround, and he helped put the Hornets up six. Diabate did yeoman’s work on the boards, while fending off the Heat’s bigger players. After Miami was down as much as eight, Adebayo connected on several attempts to bring his team to 24-26.
Adebayo crumped to the floor when Ball fell on his leg and remained down for some time before hobbling off the court. Kneuppel missed his sixth shot in seven attempts, and Norman Powell threw up a prayer to help Miami get within two. Ware’s second three was followed by Miller picking up his third foul at the offensive end. Bridges continued to score over anyone in front of him and defended doggedly – blocking a Wiggins three. A pair of Mitchell threes put the Heat back up. The teams traded the lead numerous times over many minutes until audacious threes from Bridges and Ball put Charlotte back up. The Heat still went to the half up two.
The teams traded baskets over the first three minutes of the third until Jacquez’s three put a halt to the margin between the Heat and Hornets yoyo-ing between 0 and 2. Ball’s off-balance and-1 tied things at 63. After some spectacular paint protection from Ware, his teammate Wiggins was the recipient of outlet passes for a trio of transition finishes. Mitchell answered White’s three with one of his own. White’s second three moments later ended a 10-0 Charlotte run. White ended the third with a stunning buzzer-beating three to get the Hornets to the fourth up 89-83.
The winning Hornets weirdly play the 7/8 loser on Friday to determine the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed.
The Hawks are one of the NBA’s hottest teams, surging in the second half of the regular season.
The consensus is the Knicks ended up with a harder first-round opponent with them instead of the Raptors. After the All-Star break, the Hawks’ winning percentage (.769) was third best in the NBA.
So, how did this young, spunky upstart get here?
It all starts with the Trae Young trade. He had been the face of the franchise since he arrived in the league. For Knicks fans who remember how Young tormented them in their 2021 first-round series, it must be hard to fathom how he held the Hawks back. But midway through this year, the Hawks decided it was time for a fresh start.
Before they traded him, they were actually better without him than with him — they were 15-12 without him compared to 2-8 with him.
Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) is defended by Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The move — sending Young to the Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert — was a conscious decision to begin building around their young core — breakout stars Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker along with Onyeka Okongwu and defensive ace Dyson Daniels.
Without the ball-dominant Young, the Hawks offense became much more free-flowing and provided much more opportunity for Johnson and Alexander-Walker.
They averaged 22.5 and 20.8 points per game, respectively — both career highs. Alexander-Walker had never averaged more than 11.0 points per game over a full season in his career.
The Hawks have been a better team since they traded Trae Young to the Wizards earlier in the season. Getty Images
And without Young, there were no longer any glaring defensive weak links. They were 16th in defensive rating (114.9) before the trade. After the trade, they were seventh (111.1).
Then there is McCollum, who at the time of the trade seemed like a salary throw-in. But he emerged as a veteran glue guy who helped bring a young core together. Hawks coach Quin Snyder said McCollum “settled” the team. He averaged 18.7 points in 41 games with the Hawks, providing valuable shotmaking ability but not as ball dominant as Young.
“CJ has been a huge part of our turnaround since the trade,” Snyder said earlier this year. “His scoring, playmaking, and leadership have been invaluable.”
Another trade acquisition, Jonathan Kuminga, has provided a new punch off the bench.
Now, for the caveat: Part of this rise has been the result of a soft schedule.
Their best stretch started Feb. 22 and went through the end of the regular season — they went 19-5.
But only three of those wins came against true playoff (non play-in) teams — the Pistons, Celtics and Cavaliers. The Pistons were without Cade Cunningham, the Celtics were without Jayson Tatum and the Cavaliers were without Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen.
So, for how much they’ve been a changed team after their trades, much of it came against weak opposition. The Knicks will soon find out just how dangerous they are.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles past Kawhi Leonard #2 an Kris Dunn #8 of the LA Clippers during the first quarter at Chase Center on October 28, 2025 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors face the LA Clippers on Wednesday night, in the first round of the play-in tournament. For the Dubs, the stakes are simple: win and advance, or lose and go home.
Golden State is not the favorite to win, and you can point to any number of reasons why. They were the worse team this year, finishing with a 37-45 record and a -1.0 garbage time-adjusted net rating, compared to 42-40 and +1.4, respectively, for the Clippers. They ended the season with seven losses in their final eight games, while LAC eight wins in their last 12 games. And in the regular season finale, which fittingly pitted the Warriors against the Clippers, LA prevailed … despite resting Kawhi Leonard, while the Dubs used Steph Curry (but not Draymond Green).
Add in the fact that the game will be played at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, and the Clippers are the clear favorites. But that doesn’t mean the Warriors can’t win. Far from it, in fact. Here are a few different ways that the Dubs can best the Clippers in the best-of-one series.
Steph Curry
That’s it. That’s the entire point. Leonard is healthier and in more rhythm than Curry, but the Warriors still have the most dynamic player on the court, and the one who is capable of taking over a game the most. He’ll be on a minutes restriction, but we all know what he’s capable of during the time he’s on the court. The Warriors are 3-1 when Curry clears 40 points this year, and all three wins are mighty impressive: a home contest against the Denver Nuggets, and two road victories over the San Antonio Spurs.
When the postseason rolls around, the biggest advantage a team can have is to employ the best player in the game or series. Curry is the best player in this game.
Draymond Green locks down Kawhi Leonard
Leonard is an all-time great player, and even at this stage in his career, we’ve seen just how brilliant he can be. But the Clippers, for as well coached as they are, are not the world’s deepest team, and they live and die by Leonard.
The Klaw has scored 40 or more points on five occasions this season, and the Clippers have amassed five blowout victories in those games. He’s been held to 20 points or fewer just seven times, and LA has gone a lowly 1-6 in those contests, including an October loss to the Warriors.
If there’s one thing the Warriors should be focused on, it’s limiting Leonard. And if there’s one person who is up for that job, it’s Draymond Green.
Green’s defense has been erratic at times this year, but when he’s locked in he’s still among the very best in the world, and likely headed for a historic 10th All-Defense selection. If he takes the game and the matchup seriously, he could help keep Leonard in check, and that’s the key to victory for Golden State. The Clippers have become more well-rounded and deep following the James Harden trade, but they’re also more reliant on Leonard. The biggest task of the night will go to Green defending Leonard, and hopefully getting some help in the paint from his bigs.
Play in control, but still freely
I’m not exactly breaking news when I say that the Warriors struggled with turnovers this year, as they finished with the fifth-worst turnovers committed per 100 possessions this season.
The Dubs turned the ball over 16 or more times in exactly half of their games this year, and they went 17-24, compared to 20-21 when they had 15 or fewer turnovers.
Interestingly, the Warriors had a losing record (11-12) when they turned the ball over 12 or fewer times. I might just be getting too granular with the data here, but it would suggest to me that the Warriors are at their best when they take decent care of the ball, but still play free and loose. Their system is always going to result in turnovers, and when they’re at their best, the ball is going to go through someone’s hands a few times as they try to make a great pass. That’s just the cost of playing motion basketball.
In fact, the Warriors had single-digit turnovers on four occasions this year (including once against the Clippers), and lost three of those four games (including the one against LA). The goal has to be playing freely but not carelessly.
Turn rebounds into offense
The Clippers were one of the worst rebounding teams in the league this year. They were just 25th in garbage time-adjusted defensive rebounding, and 23rd in offensive rebounding. That means the Warriors — no great rebounding team — should have an easier time than usual collecting boards.
Golden State has a lot of players — namely Curry and Brandin Podziemski — who love to swoop in from the perimeter to grab a rebound, and push the offense forward. That’s going to be a huge key in this game. The Warriors offense is always at its best when it’s pushing up the court, and LA’s defense is much more vulnerable when they can’t get set, and get Leonard on their preferred matchup.
Neither team is particularly young or fresh, but if the Warriors can play like they are, that will go a long ways.
Run them off the perimeter
LA is one of the best-shooting teams in the league, as they finished seventh in the NBA with a 36.8% mark from deep. But part of why they shoot so well is that they’re selective: they were just 22nd in the league in threes attempted per 100 possessions, a mark that has surely gone down since trading away Harden.
The Clippers can beat you from deep if you let them, but they’re happy to step inside the arc if you ask them to. It would behoove the Warriors to do exactly that, especially since Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis — who both provide strong interior defense — are healthy.
And finally…
Catch a few breaks
It’s been a woefully unlucky season for the Warriors. But after four recent championships and six runs to the finals, the Dubs won’t be getting sympathy points from anyone. Still, no matter how talented you are, most teams have to rely on a few shreds of luck to win in the postseason. The Warriors have ridden that luck to parades through the Bay Area, and they’ve seen it capsize their dreams early in the playoffs. In a single-elimination postseason game, a little bit of luck could go a long way.
