A Charlotte Hornets Fan's Guide to NBA Play-In Action on April 15

Here's how to watch the Play-In action as a Hornets fan.

Charlotte Hornets bench reacts during the second half during the play-in rounds | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

What a night it was in Charlotte. The Charlotte Hornets survived a thrilling contest with the Miami Heat, blitzing them to force overtime and then surviving a late-game gaffe that would make Duke and Cayden Boozer proud.

The Hornets aren't done yet. They'll have to beat another Eastern Conference foe to advance to the playoffs and ake on the Detroit Pistons over a seven-game series. They'll visit the loser of tonight's contest between the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic.

For selfish reasons (grandfather is a Magic fan), avoiding Orlando would be great. But in the team's best interest, that's who we should all hope loses tonight. The Hornets took three of four from Orlando, with the only loss coming back in October, when this was a very different Hornets squad.

Going on the road isn't of concern, either. The Hornets beat the Magic in Orlando by an average of 21 points. They've been incredibly underwhelming, but there is a chance their talent, which they certainly have, finally shows up.

Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) runs up court with the ball during the third quarter | Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images

Philadelphia, though, has been a bit of a bugaboo this year for Charlotte. They blew two leads in losses to the 76ers. Even without Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe are dangerous, particularly Paul. He has a habit of turning back the clock against Charlotte.

The best matchup is Orlando, so we should all be rooting for the 76ers tonight. However, without Embiid, there is always a chance they stumble, as they were just 21-23 without Embiid in the lineup this season.

As a bonus, the Western Conference matchups matter for the Hornets, too. Because the Phoenix Suns lost last night, they are at risk of falling out of the playoffs. They need to lose the next matchup to get in the lottery because Charlotte owns their pick without any protections.

The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers are playing tonight, and neither team is incredibly dangerous. However, the Trail Blazers beat the Suns by outpacing them from distance, and with Steph Curry, that's what the Warriors represent.

Plus, the Warriors went 2-1 versus the Suns with Curry in the lineup. The Clippers split with the Suns. As dependable as playoff Kawhi Leonard can be, there's no one like playoff Steph Curry, so Hornets fans should root for the Warriors tonight so that the Suns can send a lottery pick to Charlotte.

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