All good things must come to an end. On Friday, the Hornets learned that the hard way.
One of the hottest teams in the NBA since January, Charlotte entered the play-in tournament with a ton of momentum and more attention than the franchise has enjoyed since the Kemba Walker days. The first play-in game marked another big step by a young roster, as they outlasted an experienced Heat team in a wild overtime affair. That left Friday’s play-in game as the final obstacle between the Hornets and their first playoff appearance since 2016, and with the reeling Magic as their opponent there were plenty who already had Charlotte written in as the No. 8 seed in the East.
