Where the Hornets Stand Right Now (Season-End Recap)
Final record: 44-38 | Postseason: Won play-in 9-vs-10, lost play-in 8-seed game | Next: Draft June 25-26 — Charlotte holds Picks 14 and 18
The Charlotte Hornets won their first postseason game in a decade on April 14, beating Miami 127-126 in overtime to advance through the play-in tournament's 9-vs-10 round. Three days later in Orlando, the Magic ran out to a 35-point first-half lead and ended Charlotte's season 121-90. The 10-year playoff drought extends to eleven.
This tracker now logs the rest of the arc — the elimination game on April 17 and the offseason news that has rolled in since (Diabaté Hustle Award, Miller shoulder surgery, LaMelo Ball discovery ruling, draft lottery).
Stage 1 of the offseason was the lottery on May 12. Picks 14 and 18 are the chips Charlotte plays with on June 25-26.
After starting the year 4-14, a mid-season turnaround — anchored by a franchise-best nine-game winning streak from January 22 to February 7 — put Charlotte in position to reach the postseason for the first time in a decade. They finished 44-38 and got there.
(How did this turnaround happen? John Speedway has thoughts.)
Latest Result: Hornets 127, Heat 126 OT — Play-In Tournament (April 14)
LaMelo Ball scored 30 points and handed out 10 assists. Miles Bridges had 28 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks — including the buzzer-beating block that ended it. Coby White scored 14 points in four minutes of the third quarter, going 5-of-5 from the field and 4-of-4 from three, then hit the regulation-tying three-pointer with 10.8 seconds left.
Ball drove right and laid the ball in with 4.7 seconds remaining in overtime to put Charlotte ahead 127-126. Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell's answering layup at the buzzer. Spectrum Center had 19,444 people in "Protect the Hive" T-shirts. Charlotte had not won a postseason home game since 2016.
Brandon Miller added 23 points. Moussa Diabaté pulled down 14 rebounds. Charlotte shot 18-of-56 from three (32.1 percent) and committed 21 fouls to Miami's nine — and still won by one.
Final Result: Magic 121, Hornets 90 — Play-In Game 3 (April 17 — Season Ended)
Orlando ended Charlotte's season at Kia Center on Friday night. The Magic built a 35-point first-half lead — the largest halftime lead in the seven-year history of the play-in tournament — and never let Charlotte closer than 27 in the second half. Final: 121-90.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 25 points. LaMelo Ball led Charlotte with 23, with 21 of those coming in the third quarter. Orlando advanced to face Detroit in the first round and took the 8th seed. Charlotte's season ended. The 10-year playoff drought stretches to eleven years.
Previous Result: Hornets 110, Knicks 96 (April 12 — Regular Season Finale)
LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Coby White each scored 19 points as Charlotte clinched the 9th seed with a win at Madison Square Garden. Kon Knueppel hit three more three-pointers, finishing his rookie season with 273 — the franchise single-season record and the NBA all-time rookie record. New York rested Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby with the 3rd seed locked. Charlotte finished 44-38.
The Play-In Picture (Final — All Results)
The Eastern Conference play-in tournament concluded April 17. Final outcomes:
| Seed | Team | Record | Play-In Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Philadelphia 76ers | 44-38 | Beat Orlando — locked in 7-seed |
| 8 | Orlando Magic | 44-38 | Lost to PHI, then beat Charlotte 121-90 — took 8-seed |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | 44-38 | Beat Miami 127-126 OT, lost to Orlando 121-90 — eliminated |
| 10 | Miami Heat | 43-39 | Eliminated (lost to Charlotte) |
What happened: Charlotte used its first chance and won. Used its second chance and lost. Orlando faced Detroit in the first round.
How the Play-In Tournament Works
The NBA Play-In Tournament runs April 14-17, between the end of the regular season (April 12) and the start of the first round of the playoffs.
The format:
- Game 1 (April 14): No. 7 seed hosts No. 8 seed. The winner locks in the 7th seed.
- Game 2 (April 14): No. 9 seed hosts No. 10 seed. The loser is eliminated. ✅ Charlotte won.
- Game 3 (April 17): The Game 1 loser hosts the Game 2 winner. The winner gets the 8th seed.
Charlotte won Game 2. They advance to Game 3 on Friday.
The Remaining Schedule
The regular season is complete. The play-in is underway.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| W 124-101 — Ball 29 pts, Miller 22 pts | |||
| W 134-90 — White 27 pts, Ball 20 pts, 26 team 3s (franchise record tie) | |||
| W 114-103 — Knueppel 26/10/8, Ball 22. Recap | |||
| L 114-118 — Blew 13-pt lead. Embiid 29, Miller 29/8/8, Ball 7-26. Recap | |||
| L 99-114 — Tatum 32, Pritchard 28. Charlotte 12-43 from three (28%). Recap | |||
| W 117-86 — Miller 25/7-13/7-7 FT, Ball 14/9 ast, Bridges 19/4 stl. Recap | |||
| W 127-107 — Knueppel 20/4-9 3PT (261 — FRANCHISE RECORD), Bridges 25, Ball 15/11 ast, White 19, Kalkbrenner 8/7/4 blk. Recap | |||
| W (4-game win streak) | |||
| W 122-108 — Ball 35 (13-22, 7-14 3PT), Bridges 25 (10-12, 4-4 3PT), Miller 7 (+22), White 17, Diabaté 9 reb/4 ast. Recap | |||
| L 102-113 — Ball 36 pts (0 in Q4), Miller 20. Brown 35 for BOS. Recap | |||
| L 100-118 — Ball 27/8 ast, Miller 22. Duren 20, Robinson 19 for DET. Locked Charlotte into play-in. | |||
| W 110-96 — Ball 19, Miller 19, White 19. Knueppel 3 3PT (273 season). Clinched 9th seed. REGULAR SEASON FINALE | |||
| April 14 | Miami Heat | Home | W 127-126 OT — Ball 30/10, Bridges 28/9/3 blk, White 19 (+21), Miller 23. PLAY-IN 9-vs-10. Recap |
| April 17 | Orlando Magic | Away (Kia Center) | L 90-121 — Play-In Game 3, season ended. Banchero 25, LaMelo 23 (21 in Q3). Magic +31 at half (biggest in PIT history) |
The Key Players Driving This Push
LaMelo Ball — Ball played 69 of 82 regular season games — his healthiest season as a pro. Hit 6,000 career points on March 17 against Miami. Then he delivered when it mattered most: 30 points and 10 assists in the play-in, with the go-ahead layup at 4.7 seconds. He's the fourth player in play-in history with a 30-10 game (joining Giddey, Irving, Lillard). Charlotte needs him one more time on Friday.
Miles Bridges — The play-in was his masterpiece: 28 points on 10-of-18, 5-of-10 from three, nine rebounds, three blocks — including the buzzer-beating rejection that ended Miami's season. The steadiest hand Charlotte has.
Coby White — Arrived in a midseason trade from Chicago and delivered the signature bench performance of the season in the play-in: 19 points, 5-of-8 from three, plus-21 in 26 minutes. His 14-point third-quarter run (5-of-5, 4-of-4 from three in 4:05) turned a five-point deficit into a six-point lead. His regulation-tying corner three at 10.8 seconds forced overtime. A North Carolina native who played at UNC — playing his 22nd game since the trade.
Brandon Miller — The 2023 No. 2 overall pick added 23 points in the play-in on 9-of-17 shooting with five rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. Steady in his third year.
Kon Knueppel — Finished the regular season with 273 three-pointers — the franchise record, passing Kemba Walker's 260 from 2018-19. Also holds the NBA all-time rookie record (broke Keegan Murray's 206 in 59 games). He is twenty years old. Had a rough play-in night (2-of-12, 0-of-6 from three, minus-20) — but his season speaks for itself.
Ryan Kalkbrenner — The other 2025 draft pick. Contributed 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 23 minutes against Phoenix. Altering shots at the rim.
Moussa Diabaté — Pulled down 14 rebounds in 36 minutes of the play-in game. The energy and the boards off the bench.
The Nine-Game Streak That Changed Everything
From January 22 to February 7, the Hornets won nine straight: Orlando (127-97), Washington (119-115), Philadelphia (130-93), Memphis (112-97), Dallas (123-121), San Antonio (111-106), New Orleans (102-95), Houston (109-99), and Atlanta (126-119).
It was the franchise's longest winning streak since the 1997-98 season and the second-longest in team history (trailing only 10 straight in 1998).
The most remarkable stat from that run: the Hornets were the first team in NBA history to win nine consecutive games without getting a single point from any player age 28 or older. This team is young. And this team is getting better.
Detroit snapped the streak on February 9 in a game that included a fight and four ejections. The Hornets didn't collapse after. They kept winning.
What's Next
Draft June 25-26. Charlotte holds Picks 14 and 18. The May 12 lottery confirmed the 14th pick. The 18th pick gives Mitch Kupchak two first-round selections in a draft with thin top-end consensus.
Brandon Miller is out indefinitely after May 7 shoulder surgery. Miller — the team's leading scorer at 20.2 points per game — played the second half of the season with a wrap on his left shoulder after subluxating it in late October. The May 7 procedure addressed the instability. Full recovery expected, no return date announced.
Moussa Diabaté won the 2025-26 Kia NBA Hustle Award. Announced April 30. Diabaté ranked top-11 leaguewide in six of the nine hustle categories. Charlotte went 35-18 from his December 23 promotion to full-time starter through the end of the season — sixth-best winning percentage in the NBA over that span.
LaMelo Ball ordered to turn over text messages and prescription-drug records. A Mecklenburg County judge ruled on April 29 that Ball must produce the records in the 2024 civil lawsuit over an October 2023 incident in which the foot of an 11-year-old was allegedly injured outside Spectrum Center. Trial expected mid-June.
Knueppel finished with the franchise three-point record at 273. Kon Knueppel's rookie season produced the most three-pointers in Hornets history, passing Kemba Walker's 260 from 2018-19. He also broke the NBA all-time rookie record. The play-in loss to Orlando didn't move those numbers — they're locked in.
A decade-plus of waiting continues. Charlotte has not made the playoffs since losing to Miami in seven games in 2016. The 2025-26 team beat Miami in the play-in for the first postseason home win in a decade — then ran into a 31-point Orlando first half three days later. The drought stretches to eleven years.
Offseason Notes (May 2026)
May 12 — Draft Lottery. Charlotte stayed at the 14th pick, as expected (97.6% pre-lottery probability of landing there). The Hornets also hold the 18th pick. Mitch Kupchak has two first-round selections to work with on June 25-26.
May 7 — Brandon Miller shoulder surgery. Left shoulder instability — the team announced the procedure ruled Miller out indefinitely with a full recovery expected. Miller, the team's leading scorer at 20.2 points per game, played the second half of the season with a wrap on the shoulder after a late-October subluxation that cost him 13 games. Charlotte was 41-24 in his 65 games, 3-14 without him.
April 30 — Diabaté Hustle Award. Moussa Diabaté won the 2025-26 Kia NBA Hustle Award. The award uses a statistical formula across nine hustle categories — Diabaté ranked top-11 in six. From his December 23 promotion to full-time starter through the end of the season, Charlotte went 35-18 — the sixth-best winning percentage in the NBA over that span. Career highs in points (7.9), rebounds (8.7), and assists (1.9) per game.
April 29 — LaMelo Ball ordered to produce text messages and prescription-drug records. Mecklenburg County Superior Court Judge Lou Trosch ordered Ball to turn over messages sent in the six hours before and 12 hours after the alleged 2023 incident outside Spectrum Center, plus a list of prescribed drugs he was taking at the time. Plaintiff Tamaria McRae filed the civil suit in 2024 alleging Ball drove over the foot of her then-11-year-old son after a scrimmage. Trial expected mid-June.
Update Log
April 14 — Hornets 127, Heat 126 OT (PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT). Ball 30/10 (12-31, 2-16 3PT, go-ahead layup at 4.7 sec). Bridges 28/9/3 blk (10-18, 5-10 3PT, buzzer block). White 19/5/3/2stl (+21, 26 min, 5-8 3PT, 14 pts in 4:05 of Q3, regulation-tying 3 at 10.8 sec). Miller 23 (9-17). Diabaté 14 reb. Knueppel 2-12/0-6 3PT (-20). For MIA: Mitchell 28 (12-24, 6 ast), Wiggins 27, Ware 19 reb/5 blk (42 min), Herro 23. Adebayo out Q2 (lower back). 19,444 sellout. First postseason home win since 2016. Charlotte advances to Friday's Game 3 vs. loser of PHI-ORL. Full recap.
April 12 — Hornets 110, Knicks 96. Regular season finale at MSG. Ball 19, Miller 19, White 19. Knueppel 3 3PT (273 season — franchise record final). Knicks rested Brunson, Towns, Hart, Anunoby (3rd seed locked). Charlotte finishes 44-38, clinches 9th seed. Hosts Miami in play-in Tuesday.
April 10 — Pistons 118, Hornets 100. Ball 27/8 ast, Miller 22. Duren 20, Robinson 19 for Detroit. Charlotte locked into play-in tournament. Record to 43-38.
April 7 — Celtics 113, Hornets 102. LaMelo Ball 36 pts on 12-24 FG (0 in Q4 — Mazzulla deployed Brown/White on him in tandem). Brandon Miller 20 (8-17). Jaylen Brown 35 for Boston. Hornets fall to 43-37, drop from 8th to 9th seed. Orlando (42-36) now holds the 8th by a half game. Charlotte still holds head-to-head tiebreaker over Magic. Two games remain. Full recap.
April 5 — Hornets 122, Timberwolves 108. LaMelo Ball 35 points (13-22 FG, 7-14 3PT, 8 ast). Miles Bridges 25 (10-12 FG, 4-4 3PT, 8 reb, 7 ast) — missed two shots all game. Brandon Miller 7 pts on 3-15 but finished +22. Kon Knueppel 11 (4-14). White 17 off bench. Diabaté 9 reb/4 ast. Minnesota without Anthony Edwards (8 of last 10 missed, right knee) and Jaden McDaniels (week-to-week, left knee). Charlotte trailed 60-55 at half, outscored Minnesota 34-19 in Q3. Randle 26 for MIN. Record to 43-36 — half a game behind Atlanta (45-33) for sixth place. Four straight wins, three games remain. Full recap.
April 2 — Hornets 127, Suns 107. Kon Knueppel's 261st three-pointer broke Kemba Walker's franchise record of 260 from 2018-19. The fourth three came from the corner in Q4 — the building knew before the ball touched the net. Bridges 25 (10-16, 4-8 3PT). Ball 15/11 ast. Miller 17/7-14. White 19 off bench in 20 min. Kalkbrenner 8/7 reb/4 blk. Phoenix shot 16-24 in Q1, built 41-33 lead — Charlotte outscored them 69-39 over Q2-Q3. Record to 41-36, 8th seed. Two straight wins. Five remain. Full recap.
March 31 — Hornets 117, Nets 86. Miller 25 (7-13 FG, 4-8 3PT, 7-7 FT). Ball 14/9 ast/7 reb. Bridges 19/4 stl. Diabaté 10/12. White 16/5 ast off bench. Knueppel 0-3 from deep (257 season). Record to 40-36, 10th seed. Full recap.
March 29 — Celtics 114, Hornets 99. Charlotte 12-43 from three (28%). Tatum 32 (season-high). Pritchard 28. Ball 19/7-13. Knueppel 1-3 (257 season). Record to 39-36. Full recap.
March 28 — 76ers 118, Hornets 114. Blew 13-pt lead. Embiid 29, blocked Miller's potential tying three. Miller 29/8/8, Ball 7-26. Knueppel 3-14 (256 season). Record to 39-35, 9th. Full recap.
March 26 — Hornets 114, Knicks 103. Knueppel 26/10/8 — youngest with 250 threes in a season (253). Five straight. Record to 39-34. Full recap.
March 24 — Hornets 134, Kings 90. White 27 (9-12, 6 threes). Ball passes Dell Curry for 2nd on franchise 3PT list. 26 team threes ties franchise record. Knueppel at 247. Record to 38-34. Full recap.
March 21 — Hornets 124, Grizzlies 101. Ball 29 (7-14 from three). Record to 37-34. Three straight.
March 20 — Initial tracker published. Hornets at 36-34, 10th in the East. 12 games remaining.
This article is updated after every Hornets game through the end of the play-in tournament. Bookmark it. For a full preview of the stretch run, see The Charlotte Hornets Have 11 Games Left. The Math Is Clear.
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