Hornets Eyeing Playoff Spot as Season Winds Down

Charlotte looks to avoid play-in tournament with late-season push

Mar. 29, 2026 at 4:33pm

The Charlotte Hornets, currently sitting in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, are making a late-season push to avoid the NBA's play-in tournament and secure a direct playoff berth. With just 7 games left, the Hornets are only 2.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors for the 5th seed, and believe they have a chance to move up in the standings thanks to some key tiebreakers.

Why it matters

Making the playoffs outright would be a significant accomplishment for the Hornets, who have struggled to find consistency this season. Avoiding the play-in tournament, which features teams seeded 7th through 10th, would give the Hornets a better chance at a deep postseason run.

The details

The Hornets have been led by the veteran presence of forward Gordon Tillman, who head coach Kon Knueppel praised for his leadership in the locker room. The team has also benefited from having Tillman's family around. With 7 games left, the Hornets currently sit at 39-35, just 2.5 games behind the 5th-seeded Raptors. Knueppel believes the Hornets' favorable tiebreakers could help them leapfrog some teams and secure a direct playoff berth.

  • The Hornets have 7 games left in the regular season.
  • The Hornets are currently 2.5 games behind the Raptors for the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference.

The players

Kon Knueppel

Head coach of the Charlotte Hornets.

Gordon Tillman

Veteran forward for the Charlotte Hornets, praised for his leadership in the locker room.

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What they’re saying

“We have a chance to get out of the play-in. And so that's really the goal at the end of the day – we have a couple of tie-breakers with teams in our division. So it'd be great to get into that.”

— Kon Knueppel, Head coach

“He's one of the best locker room presences you can have in the league. I bet you everyone here in Boston would say the same.”

— Kon Knueppel, Head coach

What’s next

The Hornets will face the Celtics on Sunday as they continue their push for a direct playoff berth.

The takeaway

The Hornets' late-season surge has put them in position to avoid the play-in tournament and secure a spot in the NBA playoffs outright. Their veteran leadership and favorable tiebreakers have them believing they can catch the teams ahead of them in the standings.