Two games tonight decide the final two spots in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Win and you are in. Lose and your season is over.
In the Eastern Conference, the Charlotte Hornets (44-38) travel to the Kia Center to face the Orlando Magic (45-37) at 7:30pm ET. In the West, the Golden State Warriors (37-45) go to the Footprint Center to face the Phoenix Suns (45-37) at 10:00pm ET. The winners earn the 8-seed in their respective conferences. The losers go home.
East: Charlotte Hornets at Orlando Magic
Charlotte got here by beating the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime in the 9v10 game. LaMelo Ball made a go-ahead layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime. Miles Bridges then blocked the Heat’s final attempt to keep Charlotte alive. It was a performance that reminded everyone what Ball is capable of when the game is on the line.
Orlando took the other route. The Magic held the 8-seed all season with a 45-37 record, then ran into the Philadelphia 76ers in the 7v8 game and lost 109-97. Paolo Banchero shot 7-of-22 for 18 points in that defeat. The Magic need a sharper performance from their best player.
Franz Wagner had a late knee scare against the 76ers but returned before the final whistle and is not on the official injury report heading into tonight. Jonathan Isaac is listed as day-to-day with a knee issue.
Charlotte are the team that has won a game in this tournament. Orlando are the team that is 1-0 in regular season play-off position and 0-1 when it counts. That is the narrative going in. It is not the only thing that matters but it is worth noting which side has momentum.
LaMelo Ball is available tonight, despite receiving fines totalling $60,000 for incidents in the Heat game. No suspension. He plays.
West: Golden State Warriors at Phoenix Suns
The Warriors (37-45) had no business being here on regular-season record. They finished as the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. Then Steph Curry came back.
Curry returned from a two-month knee absence in early April, gradually building his minutes back. Against the Clippers in the 9v10 West Play-In game, he scored 35 points in 36 minutes, 27 of them in the second half, including the go-ahead three with 50 seconds left as Golden State closed on a 16-5 run from 13 down in the fourth quarter.
He is listed as questionable for tonight. He is expected to play.
Phoenix (45-37) had the better regular season by eight wins. They lost the 7v8 game to Portland Trail Blazers 114-110, blowing an 8-point lead with 3:31 remaining. Grayson Allen is out with a hamstring injury. Kevin Durant is not with this Phoenix team, having been traded to Houston during the season. Devin Booker averaged 26.1 points and 6.0 assists per game this season and is Phoenix’s best player.
The Warriors went 3-1 against Phoenix in the regular season. That is relevant context, not a guarantee of anything.
Kristaps Porzingis is questionable for Golden State. Jimmy Butler (ACL) and Moses Moody (patellar tendon) are both out for the season.
What Is at Stake
The winners of tonight’s games face the No. 1 seeds in the first round of the playoffs. They are underdogs from the moment they earn the 8-seed. The point is getting there.
For Golden State, it means another playoff run for the most successful dynasty of the past decade, built around a 37-year-old who is still producing when it matters. For Charlotte, it means LaMelo Ball’s first playoff appearance. For Orlando, it is about protecting a 45-win season and the form they showed across a long regular season. For Phoenix, a team without Durant and missing Allen, it is about competing in a changed landscape.
Both games have genuine stakes. Tonight is worth watching.
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