If the first night of the NBA play-in tournament is an appetizer of what’s coming for the next couple of months, the postseason will be at the very least intriguing.
The teasers came with a couple of compelling results. While there’s no guarantees that a new wave of contenders have been identified, there’s the notion that there are must-see moments ahead.
Ripe with controversy, comebacks and drama, it’s odd to suggest that the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers could be responsible for setting the tone.
The Hornets survived for a 127-126 overtime victory against the visiting Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference. In the Western Conference, the Trail Blazers rallied for a 114-110 road victory in Phoenix to advance into the playoffs.
The Suns will have to play Friday night at home against Wednesday’s Golden State-Los Angeles Clippers winner for the right to reach the playoffs.
The Hornets have work to do as well, taking on the loser of Wednesday’s Orlando-Philadelphia game on Friday with a spot in the playoffs in the balance.
The Heat have been eliminated, failing to reach the playoffs for the first time since prior to the COVID pandemic. Their chances might have dimmed anyway with Bam Adebayo sitting out since early in the second quarter Tuesday because of a back injury. He played only 11 minutes.
That’s where the controversy arrived in the first game following the regular season. Adebayo crashed to the floor courtesy of an undetected trip by Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball.
The Heat were hot that no infraction was called, with coach Erik Spoelstra adamant after that the game that the maneuver should have resulted in Ball’s ejection.
Instead, Ball made the winning shot a couple of hours later.
These play-in games don’t come with the benefit of a series, so this saga won’t play out across another week.
Should they win Friday, the Hornets might be fun to have around in the playoffs for no other reason it’s an injection of new blood. They’re a team that emerged to exceed expectations from what most observers projected last fall. Charlotte hasn’t appeared in the playoffs in a decade.
After Coby White rescued the Hornets in regulation with a tying 3-pointer, they won on Ball’s drive for a basket and then – of all things – a defensive play with Miles Bridges blocking the game’s final shot on Davion Mitchell’s attempt to extend Miami’s season.
Charlotte’s success in the first play-in game came despite minimal contributions from Kon Knueppel, who’s a favorite to be named Rookie of the Year. The NBA’s most productive 3-point shooter during the regular season went 0-for-6 from long range and 2-for-12 overall.
But the Hornets have Ball, who’s been waiting for the spotlight to shine his way.
Later out West, the Trail Blazers earned the right to hold the No. 7 seed and face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. All it took was rallying from 11 points down in the fourth quarter and a 41-point night from Deni Avdija.
Portland finds itself in the playoff field for the first time since 2021. That qualifies as an infusion of something new, with Avdija landing in the playoffs for the first time.
We could enjoy more of what he has to offer after Tuesday night’s sampling.
