Hornets, Heat Drop Starting Lineups for Play-In Tournament Matchup

We've got postseason basketball in the Queen City. Here at the bottom of the hour, the Charlotte Hornets will host the Miami Heat in the first game of the Play-In Tournament.

Here is who Charles Lee and Erik Spoelstra are throwing out on the floor first.

The first five for the Hive

Apr 12, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) dribbles up court against the New York Knicks during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

G LaMelo Ball - You know LaMelo wants this one badly. Two miserable showings for the Hornets in the Play-In and some rough years ever since. Don't be surprised to see him chuck up a number of threes early.

G Kon Knueppel - The Rookie of the Year candidate is due for a big night, and perhaps he's saving it for when it matters most, starting tonight. Although his impact hasn't been as big of late, he's still knocking down 34.8% of his shots from three.

G Brandon Miller - B-Mill knocked down 43% of his three balls in March, but that's dropped to just 30% in six games this month.

F Miles Bridges - Miles is the other player who experienced those two pitiful play-in outings a few years back, and he is the active leader in games played without a playoff appearance. Look for an inspiring performance from him tonight.

C Moussa Diabaté - In his last two versus the Heat, Moose is averaging seven points and 13.5 rebounds. I have a gut feeling if the Hornets win tonight, it will be because of his effort on the glass and defense on Adebayo.

The first five for the Heat

Apr 1, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) reacts against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

G Davion Mitchell - On March 6th, Mitchell dropped 13 points and seven boards in an 8-point win over the Hornets. Eleven days later, he was limited to just four points on 2/7 shooting. His defense is the thing that will bother the Hornets the most.

G Tyler Herro - Herro was blistering hot in that early March matchup, sinking 8/10 shots from downtown. The Hornets did a good job adjusting their coverage in that second matchup, limiting him to just two three-point attempts.

F Andrew Wiggins - It's not enough to call it a slump just yet, but over his last three games, Wiggins has shot 6/21 from the field and 3/12 from beyond the arc.

F Kel'el Ware - Since Norman Powell returned to the floor in mid-March, his three-point shot hasn't been the same. A career 39% three-ball shooter is connecting on 30.9% in the nine games since he's been back. Spo is going with Ware in the starting lineup instead, who is averaging 11 points and nine rebounds.

C Bam Adebayo - Bam is in a groove, which is a scary sight for the Hornets. He's notched three consecutive double-doubles and was two assists shy of a triple-double twice.

The Hornets and Heat will tip things off at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised exclusively on Prime Video. You can still tune into Sam Farber's call on Sports Radio WFNZ, however.

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