The NBA’s regular season has wrapped up, and the playoffs are set to kick off on April 18. But before that, the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in both conferences will be decided through the NBA Play-In Tournament.
The tournament’s opening game features the 10th place Miami Heat facing the 9th place Charlotte Hornets.
The Hornets are returning to the playoff scene for the first time since 2016, finishing the season with a record of 44 wins and 38 losses—marking their highest win total since the 2015-16 season. Meanwhile, the Heat, who ended at 43-39, are a lower seed but have had success against Charlotte, winning the season series 3-1.
Here’s what to know about the Heat vs. Hornets matchup:
- What: NBA Play-In Tournament
- When: April 14, 7:30 PM ET
- Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Streaming: Prime Video (Free Trial)
The winner of this game will move on to the second play-in game against either the 76ers or the Magic, which will depend on the outcome of tomorrow’s game. Unfortunately, the losing team will be out of the playoff race.
Heat vs. Hornets start time:
The game will start tonight, April 14, at 7:30 PM ET, with pregame coverage available on Prime Video starting at 7 PM.
How to watch Heat vs. Hornets for free:
To catch the Heat vs. Hornets game, you’ll need to watch on Prime Video, as it’s the exclusive streaming service for the NBA play-in tournament.
If you don’t have a Prime Video subscription yet, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial that also includes other Prime benefits, like free two-day shipping. After the trial, Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 annually.
For those aged 18-24, there’s a Young Adult Prime membership that offers discounts after a six-month free trial, reducing the price to about $7.49 a month.
Key dates for the NBA Playoffs:
- April 14-17: NBA Play-In Tournament
- April 18: NBA playoffs first round begins
- June 3: NBA Finals Game 1
