Down by 13 in the 4th, Steph Curry’s flurry propels the Warriors to a Play-In win, setting up a duel with Phoenix for the 8th seed.
Hornets. Magic. Warriors. Suns. Two spots – everything on the line.
In tonight’s SoFi Play-In Tournament finales, it’s win-or-go-home for the Playoffs’ No. 8 seeds.
- 7:30 ET, Prime: Charlotte at Orlando
- 10 ET, Prime: Golden State at Phoenix
It’s elimination basketball, in a Play-In that’s already setting records for tight finishes. Buckle up.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Play-In Spectacular: A wild first four games sets up two decisive finales tonight
Warriors at Suns: Can the Dubs channel greatness again, or will the Suns secure the West’s No. 8 seed?
Hornets at Magic: Charlotte surges into Orlando to decide the East’s No. 8 seed
Saturday Look-Ahead: First impressions of the four Game 1’s tipping off the 2026 Playoffs
NBA Mailbag: Jamal Crawford provides a player’s perspective on postseason ball
BUT FIRST … ⏰
The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament concludes tonight on Prime with two elimination games for the final two Playoff spots. In the East, the Magic host the Hornets (7:30 ET | Tap To Watch). In the West, the Warriors visit the Suns (10 ET | Tap To Watch).
The NBA Playoffs start Saturday with four First Round Game 1s across Prime & ABC, before four more Sunday across ABC & NBC/Peacock:
- 1 ET, Prime: No. 5 Raptors at No. 4 Cavaliers (East)
- 3:30 ET, Prime: No. 6 Wolves at No. 3 Nuggets (West)
- 6 ET, Prime: No. 6 Hawks at No. 3 Knicks (East)
- 8:30 ET, ABC: No. 5 Rockets at No. 4 Lakers (West)
Powell’s Kia MVP Ladder: Get a first look at Shaun Powell’s final Kia MVP Ladder of the season.
Cade, Luka Eligible: The NBA & NBPA announced that both players are qualified for 2025-26 awards under the CBA’s extraordinary circumstances provision
1. PLAY-IN SPECTACULAR & WHAT’S AT STAKE TONIGHT
LaMelo Ball’s OT winner. Deni Avdija’s go-ahead and-one. Tyrese Maxey’s takeover. And Steph Curry’s banger 3 – capping an electric Warriors rally.
Four games in, the 2026 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament has produced four can’t-miss finishes, including a few instant classics.
The Play-In has a history of delivering drama, with 16 of its 35 games decided by less than six points or going to overtime.
But this year, it’s hit a whole new level.
- Photo Finishes: This is the first time in Play-In history that three of the first four games have been decided by five points or fewer
- Clutch Chaos: All three of those games saw lead changes in the final minute – the most ever in a single Play-In Tournament
And we still have two more games – both win-or-go-home.
Tonight on Prime, the Play-In peaks with its decisive finale games to determine each conference’s No. 8 seed in the Playoffs.
- 7:30 ET, Prime: No. 9 Hornets at No. 8 Magic (East)
- 10 ET, Prime: No. 10 Warriors at No. 7 Suns (West)
Win, and you’re in.
Lose, and your season is over.
Before we break down each matchup, let’s spin through some early trends of the Play-In’s previous finales and other elimination scenarios:
- 7th Heaven: Since the Play-In’s inception in 2020, No. 7 seeds have only been to two elimination Game 3s. In those games, they’re 2-0 — with Phoenix looking to make that 3-0 tonight
- Good To Be Home: Home teams (the higher seed) are 6-4 in Play-In finales, which bodes well for Orlando, a team that’s 25-15 in its own building versus 19-20 on the road
- But Look Out: No. 9 seeds have the most elimination game wins of any Play-In seed (10), with Charlotte coming into its matchup with Orlando having already survived one elimination game this Tournament — when it rallied back against Miami
- Ten Again? Only one team has ever advanced through the Play-In as a No. 10 seed: the Heat last season. Tonight, the Warriors look to become the second
2. WIN OR GO HOME: WARRIORS VISIT SUNS FOR WEST NO. 8 SEED
Four titles over an eight-year span.
A 73-win season.
The modern dynasty – now out to add some Play-In history to its legacy.
After an electric 4th-quarter road rally to stun a Clippers team that finished the regular season five games ahead of them, Steph Curry and the Warriors face elimination again, in the Valley against Devin Booker’s Suns.
Golden State looks to become just the second 10-seed – and first in the West – to advance out of the SoFi Play-In Tournament.
Coming off yet another display of big-game heroics, Curry looks to guide the Warriors through the Play-In for a second straight year – this time, with two road wins.
- 2nd-Half Steph: Curry’s 27 points after halftime Wednesday were the most 2nd-half points in any Play-In game since 2023
- Strength In Vets: A trio of veteran champs supported – and marveled at – Steph, with Al Horford’s four timely 3s, Kristaps Porziņģis’ (20 pts) highest-scoring game alongside Curry, and Draymond Green’s two final-minute thefts of Kawhi Leonard
- “It was just a beautiful display of competitive will,” Steve Kerr said. “For one night, we’re us. We’re champions again. I know that may sound crazy … I don’t care. Just absolutely beautiful to watch.”
Now, Steph & Co. will face off against Devin Booker & Phoenix, with Book ranking as a top-5 scorer in March and April after netting 25+ points in 15 of the season’s last 20 games.
- Top 10 For 10: Booker and Curry both sit among the NBA’s 10 best scorers of the last 10 seasons with his 17,072 points scored since 2016-17 ranking as 5th-most
- When It Matters Most: Curry and Book are also both top-25 in clutch points this season, despite Steph playing in just 17 clutch games. Booker’s 101 such points are the season’s 12th-most
- Elimination Level-Up: Suns fans can recall Booker’s last win-or-go-home performance, a 49-point outburst in Game 4 of their 2024 First Round series against the Wolves
These two foes of similar make-ups are both anchored by two of the game’s best defensive spark plugs and emotional leaders: Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks.
- Green was called many things after Wednesday’s win: A “Hall-of-Fame defender.” “A force of nature.” “The best defender” Kerr’s ever seen in his life
- His play left Steph speechless: “I don’t know what to say about Draymond … Draymond on defense, on Kawhi all night, two big steals, that’s what I love to see.”
- Steal-For-Steal: The physical Brooks sets the tone defensively for a Phoenix team that joined Golden State (9.7) in the top-5 for steals this season, averaging 9.5 per game
While the Warriors took the season series from the Suns 3-1, Phoenix has a blueprint after limiting Curry to his 3rd-worst shooting night this season (23.1 FG%) in its win.
3. WIN OR GO HOME: MAGIC HOST HORNETS FOR EAST NO. 8 SEED
Thirteen seconds remained, and the Hornets were down three. Hosting its first postseason game in 10 years on Tuesday, Charlotte needed a hero to keep its season alive.
That’s when Coby White – a Goldsboro, North Carolina native – delivered. His turnaround, fallaway 3 off the inbound had just a 23.5% chance of going in, according to AWS statistics.
But it found nothing but net.
Five minutes later, down one with four seconds left in OT, it was LaMelo Ball’s turn, as he dropped in the game-winning layup to extend Charlotte’s season.
Once again, the Hornets had answered the bell.
- “It just shows the character of the team,” said coach Charles Lee postgame. “That’s where I’ve seen the most growth and maturity from our group – is just finding a way to respond.”
Growth has defined Charlotte all season.
When weighted by playing time, the Hornets are this year’s youngest postseason team, with an average age of 24.3 years old. Entering Tuesday, Ball and Miles Bridges were their only starters with postseason experience.
Yet the team continues to defy the odds.
- No Quit: The Hornets are the first team since 1997 to make the postseason after starting 11-22 or worse through 33 games – and just the fifth to do so in the last 50 years
- Never Out: They’re the first team in Play-In history to hit two game-tying or go-ahead shots in the final 12 seconds of regulation or OT in the same game
- On The Cusp: Now, Charlotte is one win shy of its first Playoff berth since 2016
- “We had such a great year,” said Bridges. “We started off badly, but we banded together and created a culture here. We want to win for our fans and for ourselves – and get a taste of Playoff basketball.”
Tonight (7:30 ET, Prime), Charlotte will look to do just that, facing an Orlando squad that knows what it takes.
A win for the Magic would mark their third straight Playoff berth – their longest streak since 2012, when they made it six years in a row (2007-12).
To get there, they’ll look to lean on their stars.
- Bounce-Back Banchero: After a cold shooting night in Wednesday’s loss to Philly, Paolo Banchero will look to respond – and he’s thrived in elimination games, averaging 28 pts and 11 reb in three outings
- Bane Time: Desmond Bane has been Orlando’s late-game answer, ranking 11th this season in clutch points (102), and will look to deliver again after dropping 34 vs. Philly
- The Equalizer: Orlando will also lean on its elite perimeter defense, which allows just 12.1 3s per game, to slow Charlotte’s league-best 3-point attack
- “Lay it all on the line,” said Bane on the Magic’s mindset tonight. “We have one game to make it matter … I’m excited for the challenge.”
4. UP NEXT, PLAYOFFS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR SATURDAY
After Friday’s Play-In finale completes this year’s field, the 2026 Playoffs are officially on.
Get set for Saturday’s four-game tip-off with the key storylines to know:
No. 5 Raptors at No. 4 Cavs (1 ET, Prime): One of the league’s most efficient offenses in Cleveland meets Toronto’s well-rounded and high-paced attack.
- Fast Raps: The league-leader in fastbreak points (18.9 ppg), Toronto swept all three games with Cleveland – all before Thanksgiving – winning the fastbreak battle 62-38
- A Changed Team: The Cavs closed the transition gap in the third meeting (22-21). Toronto also hasn’t seen James Harden’s effect on Cleveland, which tied for the league’s 6th-most wins (21) after his Feb. 7 arrival
No. 6 Wolves at No. 3 Nuggets (3:30 ET, Prime): Anthony Edwards vs. Nikola Jokić in the latest chapter of a years-old rivalry that flourished in 2024’s seven-game West Semis classic.
- Rivalry Of Runs: Minnesota took four straight from Denver following that Game 7 win, with the Nuggets responding to take three straight face-offs this season
- Pack Strength: The Wolves won the most recent meeting with seven of eight active players scoring 9+ points, to overpower Jokić (35/13/9) and Jamal Murray (25 pts)
No. 6 Hawks at No. 3 Knicks (6 ET, Prime): Two more familiar foes square off in Atlanta & New York, with the Hawks riding the emerging duo of Jalen Johnson & Nickeil Alexander-Walker to counter the Knicks’ star pair in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
- Roadblock: New York edged out Atlanta 2-1 in the season series, ending the Hawks’ 13-game home win streak earlier this month – their longest since 1996-97
- Full Circle: That streak was part of an 18-2 stretch that propelled Atlanta to its first top-6 seed since 2021, when the Hawks beat the Knicks in the First Round
No. 5 Rockets at No. 4 Lakers (8:30 ET, ABC): Two of the game’s all-time greats in Kevin Durant and LeBron James square off in their fourth Playoff series. This is their first series since the 2018 Finals, which KD won with the Warriors.
- 30K vs. 30K: James and Durant are the first pair of active players in the 30,000-points club to ever face off in a playoff series
- Someone’s Scoring 18: L.A.’s won two straight in this matchup (2-1 this season). KD outscored LeBron 25-18 in Houston’s win, they both logged 18 points on March 16, and two days later, LeBron had 30 to KD’s – you guessed it – 18
5. JAMAL CRAWFORD MAILBAG: ANSWERING YOUR POSTSEASON QUESTIONS
Postseason basketball is different.
You can see it. You can feel it. But what about someone who’s lived it?
In the latest NBA Mailbag, 20-year NBA vet and NBC analyst Jamal Crawford breaks it down, answering your postseason questions on everything from emotions to execution:
What’s something about Playoff basketball that doesn’t show up on TV but changes everything for players on the court? – from Danijela in Germany
“The emotional burden that a player carries, whether winning or losing. When you win, you feel like you’re on top of the world and going to win the championship. When you lose, you want to stay away from your phone and everything. You feel drained. It’s so much more than the loss.
So balancing that emotional roller coaster is something that players carry regardless of the outcome…”
Given your experience as the greatest 6th man in NBA history, how do you see the role of the bench in the playoffs? Can the bench be just as impactful as the stars in deciding a series? – from Jake in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
“The bench absolutely can be just as impactful. I remember in 2011 when I was with the Hawks, and we played Orlando, I started the series with 4 straight games of 20-plus points off the bench, and I’m pretty sure it was a record at the time in the playoffs. So that definitely gave us a boost and I think it also relaxed the stars to know that even if they just played evenly with the other stars, then I was there to help swing the series.”
What does a team need most from its guards to make a real Playoff run? – from Sam in Great Neck, NY
“What teams need most is leadership, someone who can guide the ship. And then timely shot making. And it may not be just at the end of the game…” | Read More
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