{"id":607334,"date":"2026-04-15T00:28:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T00:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/607334\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T00:28:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T00:28:10","slug":"coach-lee-expects-the-hive-to-be-lit-for-the-hornets-nba-play-in-tournament-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/607334\/","title":{"rendered":"Coach Lee Expects The Hive to be ‘Lit’ for the Hornets’ NBA Play-In Tournament Game"},"content":{"rendered":"

The time has officially come – the Charlotte Hornets are hosting postseason hoops at Spectrum Center for the first time in a decade.<\/p>\n

Build it, and they will come, they say, and that has certainly been the case in the second half of the season. Since January 22nd, when the Hornets went on a 9-game win streak, the team went on to close out the regular season 28-11 and finished with a winning record of 44-38. The Hive has seen 25 sellouts, including 15 in a row to end the season. <\/p>\n

Coach Lee and company expect the best crowd of the season yet when the Hornets face the Heat in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament.<\/p>\n

\u201cI expect it to be lit.,\u201d Lee said with a smile. \u201cMy wife went to a Panthers playoff game recently and called me saying it was insane. This town is ready for a winning team and a playoff atmosphere. I expect the same here. We need everyone to come, be engaged, and stay with it, no matter what happens. Our team will stay with it, and we need consistent support from the fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

don\u2019t disturb the Hive.#ProtectTheHive<\/a> | @Mills_AutoGroup<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/iY22zWZLhp<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) April 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Regardless of the outcome, this season will be labeled a success, both inside and outside of the organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuccess helps confirm you\u2019re moving in the right direction, but we always talk about not being distracted by results. Our process is in a really good place,\u201d Lee said. \u201cImprovement comes from reps, play-in reps, potential playoff reps, and feeling the environment, pressure, intensity, and importance of every possession.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the regular season, especially on back-to-backs, sometimes you just roll into games. Now there\u2019s more preparation, more film, more game management as the game slows down. All of that is going to be really good for our team.\u201d<\/p>\n

The past month leading up to the Play-In Tournament the Hornets have faced top caliber teams, which Lee says has only helped prepare the team for this moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked about how we could have been playing teams with nothing to play for, which actually makes it harder to find that mental edge,\u201d Lee said. \u201cI love that we played playoff-caliber teams in playoff-caliber environments. It helps our young team. Some of them are familiar with that NCAA tournament, win-or-go-home mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n

That NCAA tournament mindset is one Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel will be tapping into. \u201cI think you come in with a focus on the task at hand. You\u2019re not focusing on future games, possible matchups, you\u2019re focusing on the Miami Heat. That\u2019s what you do in the NCAA Tournament,” Knueppel explained. <\/p>\n

“That\u2019s what you do in the NCAA Tournament.”@Kon2Knueppel<\/a> compares the Play-In intensity to March Madness \ud83c\udfc0 via @ashstro<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/sKTTg3birq<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) April 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

“That\u2019s really what we\u2019ve done all season, focus on the team you\u2019re about to play, put all your energy into them, and worry about the next game the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n

CharLIT it\u2019s your time to show the world what Buzz City is about. Protect The Hive.<\/p>\n

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