The Charlotte Hornets sealed their place in the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs on Tuesday with an epic 127-126 win over the Miami Heat in a hard-fought duel that went beyond regulation time to be decided in a heart-stopping overtime.
The game started with a slight advantage for the Hornets, who took advantage of their local condition to overcome in the first quarter by a 26-24 score.
LaMelo leads Hornets in vibrant duel
American LaMelo Ball was the team’s engine with 30 points (12 of 31 shooting and 10 assists) and by finding constant holes in Miami’s defense.
Charlotte’s point guard scored 17 points in the first two periods, allowing the score to tighten to 52-54 at halftime.
The Heat’s effectiveness reached a remarkable 57.1 % shooting from the field during the third quarter, keeping the pressure on the Hornets as a whole.
However, the locals responded with a superior offensive tactic that allowed them to take distance and close the period with an 89-83 advantage.
LaMelo was decisive in the tiebreaker in this quarter.
Backed by the combined 14 points from Brandon Miller (23 points, 9-of-17 shooting) and Coby White (19 points, 7-of-15 shooting).
The final period remained wide open until the final buzzer, with the Heat cranking up the heat ahead of what could be their final minutes of play of the season,
This was thanks to a spectacular performance by David Mitchell (28 points, 12 of 24 shooting) and Andrew Wiggins (27 points, 10 of 18 shooting).
(Filed under: Hornets eliminate Heat in NBA play-in).
Hornets survive a nail-biting finale
The tension increased as Miami pulled to within one point with 18 seconds remaining.
Before a 114-point tie was recorded with just 10 seconds remaining in a game that was finally decided in a critical overtime.
The Hornets’ victory means the end of the road for the Florida Hornets, who are officially eliminated from the competition after this do-or-die matchup, with no chance of making the playoffs this year.
Charlotte advances to the next round of the playoffs to play this Friday against the loser of the Philadelphia 76ers-Orlando Magic matchup.
The team that manages to win this final playoff game will finally qualify in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
To measure their strength in the first round of the playoffs against the Detroit Pistons (Filed under: Hornets eliminate Heat in NBA play-in).
Blazers send Suns to the playoffs
Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Phoenix Suns 110-114 on Tuesday in the play-in tournament.
They secured their place in the playoffs after a last-gasp game that sent Arizona to the playoffs.
The Suns got off to a formidable start, shooting 66.7% from the field in the first quarter.
They were fueled by the voracity of Devin Booker (22 points, 7 of 17 shooting) and Jalen Green (35 points, 14 of 29 shooting).
Both stars led the offense by scoring 22 of the first 33 points.
And allowing the team to gallop ahead of the Blazers who were looking for their place on the court.
Portland’s reaction was not long in coming as they improved their shooting in the second quarter.
They managed to reverse the inertia of the game to take the lead just before halftime, with a slight advantage of 62-65.
In this scenario, Deni Avdija emerged to sign an incredible performance, scoring 26 points in the first half of the game.
However, he ended up offering an even greater recital by finishing the game as the top scorer with 41 points (15 of 22 shooting and 12 assists).
(Filed under: Hornets eliminate Heat in NBA play-in).
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Suns beat Suns and secure playoff berth
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The intensity of the game decreased during a third quarter in which neither team was sharp in shooting.
The period ended with a tight 83-82 score in favor of the Blazers that kept the uncertainty until the end.
Even in the final moments they arrived with a minimal difference:
With only 8 seconds remaining, the Suns led by just one point.
Portland sealed their direct qualification to the playoffs and will play in the first round against the San Antonio Spurs, who finished second in the NBA regular season.
For their part, the Phoenix team will have a second chance to enter the finals.
And they will face the winner of the duel between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors, which will take place tomorrow (Filed under: Hornets eliminate Heat in NBA play-in).
With information from EFE
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