
The NBA postseason is officially here. Tuesday marks the start of the play-in tournament, with a pair of games. In the East, the Hornets and Heat play for a chance to advance to Friday’s games. Out West, the winner of the Suns vs. Trail Blazers will earn the No. 7 seed and face the Spurs in the first round.
While the play-in tournament features teams that were not quite good enough to secure spots in the playoff field, there is plenty to look forward to with these games. Charlotte has been one of the NBA’s surprise teams. Miami, with its famous Heat Culture, is always a threat—and are no strangers to coming out of the play-in to make a deep run. The Suns are way ahead of schedule this season, even after reshaping their roster in the offseason, while the Trail Blazers have overcome plenty of adversity this season to put themselves in the mix for a playoff bid. Sports Illustrated’s staff of NBA writers will be locked in all night to bring you updates, reactions and analysis of Tuesday’s play-in games.
NBA play-in tournament live updates: Hornets vs. Heat, Suns vs. Trail Blazers
More NBA From Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s NBA podcast, Open Floor, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
- One Positive Takeaway for Every NBA Team From the 2025–26 Season
- The Best and Worst Case Scenario for Every NBA Team in the Postseason
- For Better or Worse, Zion Williamson and the Pelicans Remain Committed to Each Other
- Peter’s Points: NBA Best Bets Today (Predictions, Prop Bets for LaMelo Ball, Heat-Hornets, Blazers-Suns)
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Hornets vs. Heat Live Scores and Updates: Miami Leads at Half Despite Bam Adebayo Injury in Play-In Tournament Game.