NBA Play-In Tournament: Hornets, Trail Blazers Win + Is Bronny A Good Value Draft Pick?
Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss last night's play-in games in the NBA, Bronny James and more.
The Charlotte Hornets pulled off a dramatic 127-126 overtime win over the Miami Heat in a tightly contested play-in game, keeping their season alive in thrilling fashion. The game featured constant momentum swings, with numerous ties and lead changes, but it was LaMelo Ball who ultimately took over, finishing with around 30 points and scoring the game-winning layup in the final seconds of overtime. However, his performance was also overshadowed by controversy after a trip on Bam Adebayo early in the game contributed to Adebayo leaving with an injury, a moment that proved pivotal as Miami lost its defensive anchor and interior presence. Highly touted rookie Kon Knueppel struggled badly, turning in a disappointing performance with minimal scoring impact and inefficiency, giving Charlotte very little from what’s usually a key supporting piece. The loss ends Miami’s season, while Charlotte advances in the play-in tournament and now sits one win away from securing a playoff spot, where they would likely face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. What happened to Knueppel? Should LaMelo be suspended next game? Did Ball trip Adebayo intentionally? Is LaMelo Ball too nonchalant? Does he care?
The Portland Trail Blazers rallied late to defeat the Phoenix Suns 114-110 in a dramatic Western Conference play-in game. With the win, Portland secures the 7-seed and advances to face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs, while Phoenix is pushed into a must-win situation where they’ll need to beat the winner of the play-in matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers to keep their season alive.
