The Magic and the Suns took the eighth and final spots in this year’s NBA playoffs after surviving the play-in tournament, and both teams had to earn their berths the hard way.
Orlando and Phoenix dropped their opening matches against Philadelphia and Portland, respectively. Fortunately for them, they had one more chance against the winners of the ninth versus 10th games, and they seized the opportunity to extend their campaigns. As a result, the Magic and the Suns have drawn the Pistons and the Thunder as their first-round opponents in the postseason.
With the Magic and Suns getting in, the Hornets, Heat, Warriors, and Clippers are now headed to the offseason, joining the Bucks, Bulls, Nets, Pacers, Wizards, Pelicans, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Kings, and Jazz.
Just in case you missed it, here are some of the notable NBA 2026 updates in the play-in tournament, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Magic crush Hornets to take the East’s eighth seed
Paolo Banchero rued his poor outing against the Sixers last Wednesday, and the former Rookie of the Year made amends against the Hornets on Friday, recording 25 points (game-high), five rebounds, six assists, and two steals on 9-for-17 shooting from the field in 33 minutes of action.
The Magic didn’t waste time in wiping the floor with the Hornets at home, outscoring them 38-16 in the opening quarter. Banchero set the tone for Orlando with his “bully-ball” by scoring 16 of his 25 points in the first two quarters. Moreover, the Magic’s defence stifled the free-flowing Hornets, limiting them to just 34-per cent shooting from the field (28-for-83).
Banchero received enough support from his fellow starters. Franz Wagner had 18 points, seven rebounds, and six assists on 5-for-10 shooting from the field and 8-for-10 shooting from the free throw line, while Wendell Carter Jr., Desmond Bane, and Jalen Suggs added 16, 13, and 12 points.
According to ESPN Research, the Magic’s 31-point win over the Hornets is the biggest margin of victory by any NBA team in a play-in game. At one point, the Magic had a 68-33 advantage with 1:16 remaining in the first half.
Green sizzles for the Suns to dispatch Warriors
Jalen Green had his revenge game of sorts against the Warriors to propel the Suns to the eighth seed in the Western Conference. After dropping 35 points in the losing effort against the Blazers on Tuesday, he one-upped himself by registering 36 points against the Warriors to go along with six rebounds, four assists, two steals, three blocks, and eight three-pointers.
Green was determined to beat the Warriors after the latter ended his playoff run last year in the first round, when he was still with the Rockets. The former second overall pick had been through a lot before last night, so the Suns fans are happy to see him back at his best.
Besides Green, Devin Booker, Jordan Goodwin, Dillon Brooks, Royce O’Neale, and Oso Ighodaro added 20, 19, 13, 11, and 10 points. The Phoenix defence also deserves plaudits for slowing down Stephen Curry, who went off for 35 points against the Clippers in their opening play-in match, as the 38-year-old only had 17 points on 4-for-16 shooting from the field.
With the victory, Phoenix avoided becoming the first team to lose both play-in matches on its home floor. The Jordan Ott-coached squad will look to defy the NBA 2026 odds when they take on the defending champions in the first round.
Ball shows remorse for Heat star’s injury
Before losing to the Magic, the Hornets secured a 127-126 overtime win against the Heat, as LaMelo Ball scored the game-winning layup with 4.7 seconds remaining to finish with 30 points (game-high), five rebounds, and 10 assists on 12-for-31 shooting from the field in 40 minutes. However, the one-time All-Star was largely criticised for his dirty play on Bam Adebayo.
Adebayo left the game early in the second quarter with a lower back injury, as Ball tripped the Heat center while falling. The league ruled it a Flagrant 2 and fined Ball $35,000 for the foul, plus another $25,000 for cussing during an on-court interview. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was livid with Ball for his costly foul, but the latter reiterated that he had no ill intentions toward Adebayo. “It’s all basketball,” Ball said. “I feel like Bam knows. We never had nothing going on, you know what I’m saying? I never had really (anything with) anybody. Go out there and play basketball. Even (on) the one before, I (saw) him, try to foul him, stuff like that.”
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