If this is what a rookie season ending looks like for the Charlotte Hornets, the rest of the NBA should probably be concerned about what comes next.
The Hornets survived the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime in Tuesday’s NBA Play-In Tournament game, with LaMelo Ball delivering the decisive blow and Miles Bridges blocking Miami’s final attempt to win it at the buzzer.
The game moved through multiple momentum swings that had the sellout Spectrum Center crowd experiencing every possible emotion within a single evening. Charlotte trailed by four points with just 28 seconds remaining in regulation when Brandon Miller converted a three to cut the deficit to one. Miami extended back to three on a pair of Tyler Herro free throws. Then Coby White hit a fadeaway three-pointer to tie the score and force overtime after Herro missed a potential clinching attempt at the buzzer.
In overtime, Miami went up by one with 8.7 seconds remaining, forcing Charlotte into an immediate response. Ball attacked the basket and converted the go-ahead layup with 4.7 seconds left. Miami’s final attempt was blocked by Bridges as the clock expired, sending Charlotte into the next round.
Ball led all scorers with 30 points while Bridges added 28 as the primary offensive contributors in a game that will be remembered for its drama rather than its shooting efficiency.
The game also illustrated perfectly what this Charlotte team looks like when Knueppel is struggling. Knueppel finished with just six points on 2-for-12 shooting and zero made threes in 34 minutes, yet the Hornets still found a way to win, relying on Ball, Bridges, and White to carry the offensive load in the moments that mattered most.
Charlotte will now face the loser of Wednesday’s 7-8 matchup between the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference bracket.
The Hornets are still alive. Knueppel’s rookie season continues. And somewhere in Dallas, Cooper Flagg is watching on a bad ankle and waiting to see how this story ends.
