The 2026 NBA playoff picture gained some more clarity as the play-in tournament kicked off on Tuesday.
The Charlotte Hornets opened the play-in with a 127-126 overtime victory over the Miami Heat. Charlotte will now play the loser of Wednesday’s clash between the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Portland Trail Blazers also clinched the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs following a 114-110 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.
Here’s a look at the updated playoff picture for each conference.
2026 First-Round Playoff Picture
West: No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 TBD
West: No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 7 Portland Trail Blazers
West: No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves
West: No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 5 Houston Rockets
East: No. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. No. 8 TBD
East: No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 TBD
East: No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Atlanta Hawks
East: No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Toronto Raptors
Remaining Play-In Tournament Schedule
East: Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET
West: Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors, Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET
East: 7/8 Loser vs. Charlotte Hornets, Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET
West: Phoenix Suns vs. 9/10 Winner, Friday at 10 p.m. ET
Charlotte Hornets 127, Miami Heat 126
Tuesday’s first game was a back-and-forth affair, as neither team held a double-digit lead at any point in the contest.
The Hornets led 26-24 at the end of the first quarter before the Heat held a 54-52 edge at halftime.
Charlotte eventually took an eight-point advantage with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but Miami quickly responded with an 11-0 run to move back in front.
The Heat led 112-108 with 28 seconds left in the fourth before a three-pointer from Hornets forward Brandon Miller cut the deficit to one.
Miami guard Tyler Herro hit a pair of free throws to extend his team’s lead to three, although Charlotte’s Coby White sent the matchup to overtime with a game-tying triple.
The Hornets appeared to be pulling away in overtime after gaining a 125-120 lead with 26 seconds remaining, but Herro connected on a corner triple before the Heat forced a turnover on Charlotte’s ensuing possession.
Herro was fouled while attempting another long-range jumper and hit all three free throws, putting Miami up by one point.
Still, the Hornets pulled off the victory after LaMelo Ball connected on a go-ahead layup with just under five seconds left in overtime.
In a game that featured 16 lead changes, Charlotte came out on top.
Portland Trail Blazers 114, Phoenix Suns 110
The Suns opened the game with an 8-2 edge and held a 14-7 lead early in the first quarter before the Trail Blazers stormed back to only trail 33-31 at the end of the period.
Portland continued to build momentum and gained a 14-point lead with five minutes remaining in the second quarter, but Phoenix responded with a 21-10 run to stay within striking distance at halftime.
The Trail Blazers pushed their lead to double digits again in the third quarter, although the Suns fought back to jump in front once more.
Both teams battled down the stretch of the game, as Phoenix led 108-107 with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija connected on a short push shot to give the Trail Blazers a one-point lead, although Suns guard Jordan Goodwin responded with a reverse layup.
Avdija came up clutch again, connecting on a layup while getting fouled on Portland’s ensuing possession.
With the Trail Blazers holding a two-point lead and 16 seconds remaining in the game, Suns guard Jalen Green was unable to connect on a go-ahead triple and Portland held on for the win.
Avdija finished with a game-high 41 points on 15-of-22 shooting.
