Former Next Star LaMelo saves Green’s season

LaMelo Ball won it for Hornets as Josh Green and Matisse Thybulle is through the Playoffs in 7 seed

Former NBL Next Star and the league’s youngest player to record a triple double LaMelo Ball kept Australian Josh Green‘s Charlotte Hornets 2026 NBA Play-off hopes alive with a game-winning bucket in overtime against the Miami Heat in Charlotte, North Carolina, today (AEDT).

Ball, who played for the Illawarra Hawks seven years ago, laid the ball in with just 4.7 seconds left in overtime to lead the Hornets to a thrilling 127-126.

Ball’s bucket led to Miles Bridges’ block on Davion Mitchell’s game-winning attempt at the other end as the clock expired.

It knocked out Bam Adebayo’s Miami Heat. Adebayo holds the record for the second most points in a single NBA game with 83 against the Washington Wizards earlier in the season.

Charlotte advances to the final Eastern Conference Play-In game, keeping its postseason hopes alive.

The Hornets are now just one win away from its first playoff appearance in 10 years.

NBA Play-In Tournament – Charlotte Hornets 127 def. Miami Heat 126 (OT)

Spectrum Center — Charlotte, NC
Halftime: Miami 54–52

Game SnapshotQuarter Scores: CHA 26–24, 26–30, 37–29, 25–31, OT 13–12Largest Lead: Miami by 7 │ Charlotte by 6Game Flow: Late-game chaos as Charlotte forces OT, then wins on final possession

Charlotte edged Miami 127–126 in overtime in a wild Play-In finish, with a late layup and defensive stand sealing the result in front of a home crowd.

Miami controlled stretches through the third and early fourth, but Charlotte’s perimeter shooting surge flipped momentum before a dramatic closing sequence in both regulation and overtime.

The Hornets forced overtime after a clutch corner three, then traded blows in the extra period. Miami briefly regained control at 126–125 after a three-shot foul and perfect free-throw trip, but Charlotte answered immediately with a go-ahead drive.

With no timeout, Miami pushed in transition — only for the final layup attempt to be blocked at the buzzer, ending their season.

Star Performers Lead CharlotteLaMelo Ball — 30 points, 10 assists, game-winning layupMiles Bridges — 28 points, 9 rebounds, game-saving blockCoby White — 19 points, 5-of-8 from three, including key late shots

Charlotte’s three-guard creation and shot-making defined the comeback, particularly during a decisive third-quarter run and late-game execution.

Miami Production Not EnoughDavion Mitchell — 28 points, 12-of-24 FGAndrew Wiggins — 27 points, 4-of-8 from threeTyler Herro — 23 points, clutch free throws late

Miami generated efficient offence (48% FG, 39% from three) but couldn’t close the final possession in either regulation or overtime.

🇦🇺 Josh Green — Game Impact

Josh Green logged a short stint off the bench for Charlotte:

Josh Green (Charlotte) — 5 MIN │ 0 PTS │ 0–1 FG │ 1 REB │ 0 AST │ 0 TO │ 0 STL │ 0 BLK

Green’s minutes were limited in a tight rotation game, with Charlotte leaning heavily on its primary creators and perimeter scorers in high-leverage moments.

By the NumbersField Goal %: Miami 48% │ Charlotte 44%Three-Point %: Miami 39% (16–41) │ Charlotte 32% (18–56)Rebounds: Charlotte 54 │ Miami 48Assists: Miami 32 │ Charlotte 26Turnovers: Miami 7 │ Charlotte 6NBA Play-In Tournament – Portland Trail Blazers 114 def. Phoenix Suns 110

Footprint Center — Phoenix, AZ
Halftime: Portland 65–62

Game SnapshotQuarter Scores: PHX 33–31, 29–34, 20–18, 28–31Largest Lead: Portland by 8 │ Phoenix by 6Game Flow: Portland’s offensive burst holds off Phoenix late

Portland secured a 114–110 win over Phoenix, riding elite offensive efficiency and late composure to close out a tight Play-In contest on the road. The Trail Blazers built their advantage through a high-scoring first half, then absorbed multiple Suns runs before executing down the stretch.

Portland advances in the Play-In, keeping its postseason push alive behind a dominant offensive performance.

Phoenix is eliminated despite efficient scoring but unable to generate enough stops in down the stretch.

Avdija Drives Portland OffenceDeni Avdija — 41 points, 12 assists, 15-of-22 FGJrue Holiday — 21 points, 4-of-11 from threeScoot Henderson — 9 points, 2 steals, tempo impact

Portland’s offence was built around Avdija’s shot creation and playmaking, with spacing and perimeter shooting (17 made threes) stretching Phoenix’s defence.

Suns Push Late but Fall ShortJalen Green — 35 points, 14-of-29 FGDevin Booker — 22 points, 8-of-13 FTDillon Brooks — 20 points, 4 steals

Phoenix shot 49% from the field and generated consistent half court offence, but struggled to contain Portland’s perimeter volume and couldn’t flip the margin late.

🇦🇺 Matisse Thybulle — Game Impact

Matisse Thybulle had a low-usage defensive stint off the bench:

Thybulle (Portland) — 13 MIN │ 3 PTS │ 1–2 FG │ 1–1 3PT │ 0 REB │ 0 AST │ 0 TO │ 0 STL │ 1 BLK │ –13

Thybulle’s minutes came in a bench rotation role, with his impact centred on defensive possessions rather than offensive involvement.

By the NumbersField Goal %: Phoenix 49% │ Portland 45%Three-Point %: Portland 36% (17–47) │ Phoenix 36% (9–25)Rebounds: Portland 42 │ Phoenix 38Assists: Portland 27 │ Phoenix 20Turnovers: Portland 15 │ Phoenix 13