Skip to main content
All Hornets

Coach Lee Expects The Hive to be 'Lit' for the Hornets' NBA Play-In Tournament Game

Rookie Kon Knueppel will use win or go home mindset from NCAA Tournament
Ashley Stroehlein|
Apr 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee watches from the sideline as they take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Apr 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee watches from the sideline as they take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

In this story:

Charlotte Hornets

The time has officially come - the Charlotte Hornets are hosting postseason hoops at Spectrum Center for the first time in a decade.

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.

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.

“I expect it to be lit.,” Lee said with a smile. “My 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.”

Regardless of the outcome, this season will be labeled a success, both inside and outside of the organization.

“Success helps confirm you’re moving in the right direction, but we always talk about not being distracted by results. Our process is in a really good place,” Lee said. “Improvement comes from reps, play-in reps, potential playoff reps, and feeling the environment, pressure, intensity, and importance of every possession.”

“In the regular season, especially on back-to-backs, sometimes you just roll into games. Now there’s more preparation, more film, more game management as the game slows down. All of that is going to be really good for our team.”

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.

“We talked about how we could have been playing teams with nothing to play for, which actually makes it harder to find that mental edge,” Lee said. “I 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.”

That NCAA tournament mindset is one Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel will be tapping into. “I think you come in with a focus on the task at hand. You’re not focusing on future games, possible matchups, you’re focusing on the Miami Heat. That’s what you do in the NCAA Tournament," Knueppel explained.

"That’s really what we’ve done all season, focus on the team you’re about to play, put all your energy into them, and worry about the next game the next day.”

CharLIT it’s your time to show the world what Buzz City is about. Protect The Hive.

Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter for the latest news and updates on the Charlotte Hornets

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Ashley Stroehlein
ASHLEY STROEHLEIN

Ashley Stroehlein is a sports reporter who is based in Charlotte, NC, and has covered multiple professional and collegiate sports ranging from the NBA, NFL, MLS, ACC, SEC and more. Stroehlein currently contributes to Charlotte Hornets On SI, ESPN’s coverage of college football as a sideline reporter, serves as a freelance host on SiriusXM’s NBA and NASCAR Radio channels and as a fill-in host and sideline reporter for FanDuel Sports Network’s coverage of the Charlotte Hornets. Ashley graduated with honors from Radford University, majoring in mathematics. She moved to North Carolina to teach secondary math and coach basketball and track. However, her passion for sports led her to decide to return to school to study broadcasting. Ashley’s work as an anchor and storyteller has earned her many industry honors. Most notably, she is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Gracie Award, which recognizes exemplary programming created by, for and about women in all facets of media and entertainment.

Home/Gameday