2026 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament: Your information to Tuesday’s matchups

Will Charlotte have sufficient massive man depth to decelerate Miami star Bam Adebayo?

The opening evening of this 12 months’s SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament will decide the No. 8 seed in a single convention and eradicate a staff in one other. Get prepared for the motion with previews and predictions for Tuesday’s matchups.

East: (10) Miami Heat at (9) Charlotte Hornets

7:30 ET, Prime Video

• The winner: Advances to face the loser of No. 7 vs. No. 8 recreation in East (ORL-PHI) on Friday (7:30 ET, Prime Video).
• The loser: Eliminated from postseason.
• Regular-season outcomes: Heat, 3-1.

Keep your eyes on: Charlotte’s 3-point taking pictures & Miami’s perimeter protection

The Hornets are fearless when it’s time to let it fly. In some respects, that may harm them as not all of their 3-point pictures are launched properly (LaMelo Ball could be the most important offender as a result of he’s undisciplined at instances). But he and Kon Knueppel (42.5% on 3-pointers) have to be revered always as a result of neither will hesitate to take these pictures. Plus, the Hornets’ offense is geared towards getting them open seems. Add Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges and this staff will beat you when you don’t prioritize perimeter protection.

That’s the place Miami should carry the warmth; they had been a middle-of-the-pack defensive staff for a lot of the season and allowed 120-plus factors 13 instances over the past month. Also, the Heat’s greatest defender is Bam Adebayo, not precisely a fringe shutdown man. This places stress on Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Norman Powell to step up a stage and make the Hornets work arduous for these pictures.

Key matchup: Adebayo vs. Hornets’ massive males

The excellent news for Charlotte is that Adebayo will seemingly not carry 83-point warmth, so to talk. That epic efficiency towards Washington was as soon as in 5 lifetimes. That mentioned, he’s a much better risk than anybody on the Hornets’ roster. Adebayo understands the state of affairs and the way he should exploit a Hornets staff missing an imposing massive man. Adebayo averaged 20 factors and 10 rebounds per recreation in 2025-26 and tends to boost his recreation this time of 12 months.

As for the Hornets, they’ll go by a committee that includes Moussa Diabaté, who led the membership in rebounding and had respectable stretches this season, and Ryan Kalkbrenner, a stable shot-blocker (1.5 per recreation) however gentle rebounder (6.5). If you could possibly fuse these gamers collectively, the Hornets would have a borderline All-Star.

Prediction: Hornets

The Hornets had been among the many greatest groups within the NBA — no typo — over the past two months of the season, a surge that caught everybody unexpectedly. They had been 11-23 two days into the New Year, after which dropped the accelerator foot arduous and completed with 44 wins. It helped that Ball stayed comparatively wholesome and Knueppel by no means hit the rookie wall. The Hornets play with uncommon confidence for such a younger group — swagger, as they are saying — and the franchise is anxious to finish the league’s longest non-playoff streak (9 years) to lend proof that the Hornets have turned the nook. Miami has the appreciable edge in expertise, however in a single-game elimination, typically the warmer staff wins. Plus, the Hornets are scorching and at house.

West: (8) Portland Trail Blazers at (7) Phoenix Suns

10 p.m. ET, Prime Video

Devin Booker shall be a central determine for the Suns as they give the impression of being to win vs. Portland and seal the No. 7 seed.

• The winner: Advances to face the No. 2 seeded San Antonio Spurs within the first spherical because the No. 7 seed.
• The loser: Plays the winner of Wednesday’s Warriors-Clippers recreation to find out the West’s No. 8 seed.
• Regular-season outcomes: Suns, 2-1.

Keep your eyes on: How the younger Blazers reply

This is a checkpoint for the numerous inexperienced gamers on the Blazers’ roster, most of whom will get their first glimpse on the vibrant lights. This is essential as a result of the meat of the Blazers’ rotation is youth.

Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan all serve essential roles, and their steadiness will decide their value. By distinction, the Suns are a extra veteran staff with Devin Booker (and particularly Dillon Brooks), who’ll look to rattle the younger Blazers. Portland might and will use youth to its benefit and provides the Suns a style of pace and vitality, particularly defensively. Portland is among the many higher defensive groups within the league, with Camara serving as a disruptor on that finish of the courtroom.

Key matchup: Devin Booker vs. Jrue Holiday

If you recall, these two had an enormous second 5 years in the past in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. As Booker tried to spin to the ring late within the fourth quarter of a good recreation, Holiday — then with the Bucks — wrestled the ball away, dribbled downcourt and threw a lob to Giannis Antetokounmpo that modified the sequence and gave Milwaukee a commanding 3-2 lead going house.

Fast ahead to now: Holiday shouldn’t be solely a stable veteran presence to the Blazers, however stays productive right here in his so-called twilight. This is a scrumptious matchup. Booker stays a harmful scorer, averaging 26.1 factors per recreation in 2025-26, and whereas his effectivity took a dip, he’s essentially the most dependable risk within the lineup. Holiday was surprisingly stable offensively for Portland, averaging 16.3 ppg whereas remaining a top-shelf defender. Something’s gotta give between these two credible veterans.

Prediction: Suns

The Suns managed to win 45 video games regardless of shedding Kevin Durant final offseason and with Brooks, Jalen Green and Mark Williams lacking 20 or extra video games every. That’s an astounding success price given the circumstances. Nobody anticipated Phoenix to be this good earlier than the season started, and now with this play-in comes a flip — it will be shocking in the event that they did not advance to the playoffs. While the Blazers do carry youth and vitality, Phoenix appears a staff of future. Did anybody see Collin Gillespie, till now a journeyman younger guard, having such an influence? Or Jordan Ott, the first-year coach, who constructed a top-10 protection? That mentioned, the Suns have to be at their greatest towards Portland and in addition hope their mini-slide attributable to accidents since going 30-19 and rising to sixth within the standings was only a short-term section.

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Shaun Powell has coated the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at [email protected], discover his archive right here and follow him on X.