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.
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