Where the Hornets Stand Right Now
Record: 41-36 | Seed: 8th in the Eastern Conference | Games remaining: 5
The Charlotte Hornets are in the play-in tournament picture with five games left in the regular season. After starting the year 4-14, a mid-season turnaround — anchored by a franchise-best nine-game winning streak from January 22 to February 7 — has put Charlotte in position to reach the postseason for the first time since 2016.
That is not a typo. The Hornets have not made the playoffs in a decade. (How did this turnaround happen? John Speedway has thoughts.)
Latest Result: Hornets 127, Suns 107 (April 2)
Kon Knueppel's 261st three-pointer of the season broke Kemba Walker's franchise record of 260, set during the 2018-19 season. The fourth three came from the corner in the fourth quarter. Head coach Charles Lee doused him with water on the bench. The crowd at Spectrum Center stood for a twenty-year-old rookie who has been in the league for less than a calendar year.
Miles Bridges led Charlotte with 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 4-of-8 from three — his most efficient night of the stretch run. Brandon Miller added 17 on 7-of-14 with four assists. LaMelo Ball scored 15 points and distributed 11 assists against the Suns' switching defense. Coby White scored 19 points in 20 minutes off the bench. Ryan Kalkbrenner added 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 23 minutes.
Phoenix shot 16-of-24 in the first quarter and built a 41-33 lead behind Jalen Green (25 points) and Devin Booker (22 points). Charlotte outscored the Suns 33-19 in the second quarter, took a 66-60 lead into halftime, and stretched it in the third. The final margin was twenty points.
Charlotte moves to 41-36 and holds the eighth seed with five games remaining. Full recap.
The Play-In Picture (Updated April 2)
The Eastern Conference play-in race after Charlotte's 20-point win over Phoenix:
| Seed | Team | Record | GB from 7th |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Philadelphia 76ers | 42-34 | — |
| 7 | Toronto Raptors | 42-34 | — |
| 8 | Charlotte Hornets | 41-36 | 1 |
| 9 | Orlando Magic | 40-36 | 1.5 |
| 10 | Miami Heat | 40-37 | 2 |
What this means: Charlotte holds the eighth seed at 41-36. Both the 7th and 8th seeds get two chances in the play-in — lose the first game, and there is still one more to reach the postseason. The 9-vs-10 game is single elimination. Charlotte is positioned for the safer path, but must hold position against Orlando (one game back) through the final five games.
Five games remain. The Pacers arrive at Spectrum Center tomorrow night for the second half of a back-to-back.
How the Play-In Tournament Works
The NBA Play-In Tournament runs April 14-17, between the end of the regular season (April 12) and the start of the first round of the playoffs.
The format:
- Game 1 (April 14): No. 7 seed hosts No. 8 seed. The winner locks in the 7th seed.
- Game 2 (April 14): No. 9 seed hosts No. 10 seed. The loser is eliminated.
- Game 3 (April 16 or 17): The Game 1 loser hosts the Game 2 winner. The winner gets the 8th seed.
For the Hornets at the 8th seed, the path is safer than it was a week ago. They get two chances — a loss in the 7-vs-8 game still leaves one more opportunity to reach the postseason via the Game 3 matchup.
The Remaining Schedule
The Hornets have 5 games left. Here is the stretch run:
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| W 124-101 — Ball 29 pts, Miller 22 pts | |||
| W 134-90 — White 27 pts, Ball 20 pts, 26 team 3s (franchise record tie) | |||
| W 114-103 — Knueppel 26 pts/10 reb/8 ast, Ball 22 pts. Recap | |||
| L 114-118 — Blew 13-pt lead. Embiid 29, Miller 29/8/8, Ball 7-26. Recap | |||
| L 99-114 — Tatum 32 (season-high), Pritchard 28. Charlotte 12-43 from three (28%). Recap | |||
| W 117-86 — Miller 25/7-13/7-7 FT, Ball 14/9 ast, Bridges 19/4 stl. Recap | |||
| W 127-107 — Knueppel 20/4-9 3PT (261 season — FRANCHISE RECORD), Bridges 25, Ball 15/11 ast, White 19, Kalkbrenner 8/7/4 blk. Recap | |||
| April 3 | Indiana Pacers | Home | Back-to-back |
| April 5 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Away | |
| April 7 | Boston Celtics | Away | |
| April 10 | Detroit Pistons | Home | |
| April 12 | New York Knicks | Away (MSG) | REGULAR SEASON FINALE |
Five games remain. Charlotte has won two straight after dropping back-to-back games to Philadelphia and Boston. Indiana visits Spectrum Center tomorrow night for a back-to-back, then road games at Minnesota and Boston before closing with Detroit at home and the finale at MSG on April 12.
The Key Players Driving This Push
LaMelo Ball — Ball has played 66 of 77 games — his healthiest season as a pro. Hit 6,000 career points on March 17 against Miami. Against the Suns, he scored 15 and distributed 11 assists, content to find the open man rather than force the issue. Ball's playmaking is the engine of everything Charlotte does offensively.
Brandon Miller — The 2023 No. 2 overall pick is in his third year and has taken a significant leap. Miller had 17 points on 7-of-14 against Phoenix with four assists — steady and efficient.
Kon Knueppel — The franchise's single-season three-point record holder. Knueppel's 261 threes broke Kemba Walker's mark of 260, set during the 2018-19 season. He already holds the NBA all-time rookie record (broke Keegan Murray's 206 in 59 games vs. Murray's 80). He is twenty years old. Five games remain to extend the record.
Miles Bridges — Led the team with 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting against Phoenix — his most efficient night of the stretch run. Veteran presence this young roster needs.
Coby White — Scored 19 points in 20 minutes against the Suns, continuing a late-season resurgence that has given Charlotte real second-unit scoring.
Ryan Kalkbrenner — The other 2025 draft pick contributed 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 23 minutes against Phoenix, altering shots at the rim every time the Suns tried to go inside.
Collin Sexton & Spencer Dinwiddie — The veteran guard additions — Sexton signed under former GM Mitch Kupchak; current GM Jeff Peterson has continued building around the core.
The Nine-Game Streak That Changed Everything
From January 22 to February 7, the Hornets won nine straight: Orlando (127-97), Washington (119-115), Philadelphia (130-93), Memphis (112-97), Dallas (123-121), San Antonio (111-106), New Orleans (102-95), Houston (109-99), and Atlanta (126-119).
It was the franchise's longest winning streak since the 1997-98 season and the second-longest in team history (trailing only 10 straight in 1998).
The most remarkable stat from that run: the Hornets were the first team in NBA history to win nine consecutive games without getting a single point from any player age 28 or older. This team is young. And this team is getting better.
Detroit snapped the streak on February 9 in a game that included a fight and four ejections. The Hornets didn't collapse after. They kept winning.
What to Watch
Knueppel owns the franchise record — and he's not done. Kon Knueppel's 261st three-pointer broke Kemba Walker's franchise record of 260 from the 2018-19 season. Walker set that mark during a year the Hornets finished 39-43 and missed the playoffs. Knueppel set it during a year that might not be. Five games remain to extend it.
Ball's health is the headline underneath the headline. LaMelo Ball has played 66 of 77 games — his healthiest professional season. Against the Suns he had 15 points and 11 assists, content to distribute rather than force. Charlotte needs him healthy through the play-in.
Coby White's bench resurgence is real. White scored 19 in 20 minutes against Phoenix — continuing the best stretch since his injury return. Charlotte didn't have this second-unit scoring during the nine-game winning streak. It has it now.
The 8th seed is the safer path — but Charlotte has to hold it. Charlotte sits 8th at 41-36. Orlando is one game back at 40-36. From the 8th seed, the Hornets get two chances in the play-in. From the 9th or 10th, the margin shrinks to a single game. Five games remain to hold position.
A decade of waiting. Charlotte has not made the postseason since losing to Miami in seven games in 2016. The play-in isn't the Finals. But for this city, it would mean everything.
Update Log
April 2 — Hornets 127, Suns 107. Kon Knueppel's 261st three-pointer broke Kemba Walker's franchise record of 260 from 2018-19. The fourth three came from the corner in Q4 — the building knew before the ball touched the net. Bridges 25 (10-16, 4-8 3PT). Ball 15/11 ast. Miller 17/7-14. White 19 off bench in 20 min. Kalkbrenner 8/7 reb/4 blk. Phoenix shot 16-24 in Q1, built 41-33 lead — Charlotte outscored them 69-39 over Q2-Q3. Record to 41-36, 8th seed. Two straight wins. Five remain. Full recap.
March 31 — Hornets 117, Nets 86. Miller 25 (7-13 FG, 4-8 3PT, 7-7 FT). Ball 14/9 ast/7 reb. Bridges 19/4 stl. Diabaté 10/12. White 16/5 ast off bench. Knueppel 0-3 from deep (257 season). Record to 40-36, 10th seed. Full recap.
March 29 — Celtics 114, Hornets 99. Charlotte 12-43 from three (28%). Tatum 32 (season-high). Pritchard 28. Ball 19/7-13. Knueppel 1-3 (257 season). Record to 39-36. Full recap.
March 28 — 76ers 118, Hornets 114. Blew 13-pt lead. Embiid 29, blocked Miller's potential tying three. Miller 29/8/8, Ball 7-26. Knueppel 3-14 (256 season). Record to 39-35, 9th. Full recap.
March 26 — Hornets 114, Knicks 103. Knueppel 26/10/8 — youngest with 250 threes in a season (253). Five straight. Record to 39-34. Full recap.
March 24 — Hornets 134, Kings 90. White 27 (9-12, 6 threes). Ball passes Dell Curry for 2nd on franchise 3PT list. 26 team threes ties franchise record. Knueppel at 247. Record to 38-34. Full recap.
March 21 — Hornets 124, Grizzlies 101. Ball 29 (7-14 from three). Record to 37-34. Three straight.
March 20 — Initial tracker published. Hornets at 36-34, 10th in the East. 12 games remaining.
This article is updated after every Hornets game through the end of the play-in tournament. Bookmark it. For a full preview of the 11-game stretch run, see The Charlotte Hornets Have 11 Games Left. The Math Is Clear.
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