The Portland Trail Blazers clinched a playoff spot with a comeback victory over the Phoenix Suns, while the Charlotte Hornets advanced in the NBA play-in tournament with a dramatic overtime win over the Miami Heat.
How the play-in works and next steps
The winner of the seventh-versus-eighth matchup earns the No 7 seed in the conference playoffs. Portland’s win over Phoenix secures them the Western Conference No 7 seed. The losing Suns will face the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers (9) vs Golden State Warriors (10) game for the final No 8 seed.
In the East, ninth-ranked Charlotte will next play the loser of the Philadelphia 76ers vs Orlando Magic matchup for a chance at the No 8 seed.
Portland rallies past Suns to clinch No 7
Portland rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Phoenix 114-110. Deni Avdija led the Blazers with 41 points and added 12 assists, hitting a go-ahead three with 16.1 seconds left. After Jordan Goodwin’s layup put Phoenix up 110-109 with 32 seconds remaining, Avdija drove, scored, drew a foul and converted the free throw to make it 112-110.
Phoenix had an opportunity to retake the lead, but Jalen Green’s three missed; Goodwin’s offensive rebound was stripped by Matisse Thybulle, sealing the win. Portland will face No 2 seed the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
The Blazers led 83-82 entering the fourth despite a poor third-quarter three-point showing (1-of-11). Phoenix opened the fourth with an 11-0 run to lead 93-83, and Royce O’Neale’s steal-and-three put the Suns up 98-87 with 7:13 remaining before Portland’s comeback began.
Hornets advance with LaMelo’s late layup in OT
The Hornets defeated the Heat 127-126 in overtime as LaMelo Ball scored the go-ahead layup with 4.7 seconds left. Miami lost Bam Adebayo to injury early after a play in which Ball appeared to trip or grab Adebayo’s leg; Adebayo left with a lower back injury and did not return. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called for an ejection, but no foul was called on the play. Ball, who scored 30 points, apologised for his role, saying he was disoriented after being hit in the head on the drive.
Charlotte rallied in the third, sparked by Coby White’s three-pointers, while Miami answered in the fourth with back-to-back threes from Andrew Wiggins. White tied the game late to force overtime. Miles Bridges sealed the Hornets’ win with a block at the buzzer, eliminating Miami from playoff contention.
How and when to watch (BST)
The 2026 NBA playoffs begin on Sky Sports Sunday, April 19, with four live games on Sky Sports Action from 6pm BST:
– 6pm — East No 7 @ Boston Celtics (2)
– 8.30pm — West No 8 @ Oklahoma City Thunder (1)
– 11pm — East No 8 @ Detroit Pistons (1)
– 2am — Portland Trail Blazers (7) @ San Antonio Spurs (2)
Sky Sports will also show the Western Conference Finals live from May 20.
Western Conference first-round matchups
– Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs 8th seed (TBC)
– San Antonio Spurs (2) vs Portland Trail Blazers (7)
– Denver Nuggets (3) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (6)
– Los Angeles Lakers (4) vs Houston Rockets (5)
Play-in results (West)
1. Phoenix Suns (7) 110-114 Portland Trail Blazers (8)
2. Los Angeles Clippers (9) vs Golden State Warriors (10)
3. Phoenix Suns vs Winner Game 2
Eastern Conference first-round matchups
– Detroit Pistons (1) vs 8th seed (TBC)
– Boston Celtics (2) vs 7th seed (TBC)
– New York Knicks (3) vs Atlanta Hawks (6)
– Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs Toronto Raptors (5)
Play-in results (East)
1. Philadelphia 76ers (7) vs Orlando Magic (8)
2. Charlotte Hornets (9) 127-126 Miami Heat (10)
3. Loser Game 1 vs Charlotte Hornets
Watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs live on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.