The Charlotte Hornets are going to have a postseason game at home for the first time since 2016 after a gritty 118-109 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.
The win locked in the Hornets as the Eastern Conference’s ninth seed.
With the victory, the Hornets finished 42-40, one game ahead of the Miami Heat for the ninth spot. The season-long climb from a 19-63 disaster two years ago is complete.
The Charlotte Hornets last had a 40-win season in 2022, when they finished 43-39 and earned the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference before falling in the play-in tournament.
Now the real test begins. On Tuesday night the Hornets will host the 10th-seeded Miami Heat in the play-in tournament’s opening game.
Winner advances to face the loser of the 7-vs-8 matchup, Orlando vs. Philadelphia, on Friday for the eighth and final playoff seed.
The Charlotte Hornets went 1-3 against the Miami Heat during the regular season.
Charlotte struggled in the first three meetings, particularly on the road in Miami where they were blown out by double digits both times.
The lone victory came at home in mid-March, a dominant 30-point win that snapped a four-game losing streak in the series and showcased the Hornets’ improved pace and defense late in the season.
Charles Lee’s message to the locker room, last night, was simple: “We earned this. Now we take it.”
The path is narrow. One loss ends the season, but the Hornets have nothing to lose and everything to gain. A raucous home crowd, a surging young roster, and the momentum of a season of new culture will be the theme.
After years of lottery frustration and a rock-bottom 19-63 season just a year ago, the buzz is palpable. Tickets sold out in minutes.
With the way that this Hornets team can catch fire beyond the perimeter and offensively, anything is possible. A deep playoff run is not out of the question at all.
Postseason basketball returns to Charlotte Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. One game. One shot. The Hornets are ready.