Charles Lee Proud of Hornets 'Togetherness' During Play-In Win Over Miami

Charlotte wins first postseason game in over a decade, advances in Play-In Tournament.

Apr 14, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets staff and cheerleaders react to the overtime win during during the play-in rounds between the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Togetherness.

That’s what this Hornets season has been all about, and it was on full display at Spectrum Center during the team’s NBA Play-In Tournament game vs. the Miami Heat.

“It just shows the character of the team. I think at the end of the day, execution is not always going to be perfect, but I think that these guys find a way to stick with it and not give in sometimes when things aren't going well or not going your way, I think that's where I see the most growth and maturity from our group is just finding a way to respond,” Hornets head coach Charles Lee said following the team’s 127-126 overtime win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.

Through a rollercoaster of a game that saw 16 lead changes and an overtime finish, Lee watched his players rally and rise to the standard he’s held them to all season.

“I thought that our execution at times was good. At times it was not good. But, when it mattered, I thought we executed our side-out-of-bounds really well, and then that winning effort and competitiveness and togetherness to come up with a big-time block to end the game just shows kind of who we are,” Lee said.

It’s a standard that the team has bought into, improving vastly from a 19-63 record last season to 44-38 this year. Now they’re just one win away from advancing to an Eastern Conference playoff series as the No. 8 seed.

“We just stayed together throughout it all. It was an up-and-down game, but that’s what the Play-In is about,” Hornets forward Miles Bridges said. “For us, just to get a win like that... we’re just happy to win. We want to continue to win; we’ve got one more until we can get to the playoffs, so we’re trying to lock in on that.”

That win not only brought the organization together, but the city of Charlotte and the Carolinas. The Hive saw its largest crowd yet, a record-setting 19,698 fans.

Next up, the Hornets will travel to face the winner of Wednesday's Play-In game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic. The game will tip off at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET and will also be streamed on Prime Video. Charlotte is 3-1 vs. Orlando this season and 1-2 vs. Philadelphia.

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