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Play-In Tournament
The 2026 NBA postseason began with the play-in tournament.
The Hornets were the best team in the NBA since January, going 33-16 with the league's best net-rating at +10.5.
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The Suns secured the 7-seed in the West after a surprising season.
ESPN's panel tallied 10 picks for Charlotte versus 3 for Miami.
The play-in format has the 7/8 winner securing that seed, while the loser plays the 9/10 winner for the 8-seed.
Hornets vs Heat
The Hornets entered the play-in as the hottest team in the league.
ESPN's panel overwhelmingly picked Charlotte, with 10 of 13 experts favoring the Hornets.
The Heat have an elite defensive big man in Bam Adebayo and scorers like Tyler Herro and Norm Powell.
The Hornets play with unusual confidence for such a young group.
Suns vs Blazers
The Suns hosted the Blazers in the 7/8 play-in game, with Phoenix favored by about 3 points.
The Blazers finished the regular season strong, going 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games.
Action Network predicted an ugly, grind-it-out game favoring the Blazers.
Covers recommended betting on Dillon Brooks to score over 19.5 points.
Sportsbook Wire leaned toward the Blazers covering the spread.
First-Round Predictions
ESPN's panel predicted the first-round matchups.
The Pistons would face the Hornets in the East.
The Thunder would face the Trail Blazers or Clippers in the West.
The Nuggets and Spurs were expected contenders.
