The NBA play-in tournament tips off Tuesday with four teams fighting for postseason positioning. In the East, the Miami Heat face the Charlotte Hornets in a No. 9 vs No. 10 seed matchup, while the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers clash in the No. 7 vs No. 8 game. The West features the Portland Trail Blazers against the Phoenix Suns in their own No. 7 vs No. 8 battle.

Miami enters with a 3-1 season series advantage over Charlotte and extensive play-in experience, having appeared in an NBA-high seven games since 2021. The Heat reached the 2023 NBA Finals after emerging from the tournament, led by Norman Powell and Tyler Herro. Charlotte, seeking its first playoff berth since 2016, rebounded from a 9-20 start to finish 35-18, setting an NBA record with an 18.2 point differential in wins. LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel ranked first and second in 3-pointers made.

Phoenix returns to the play-in after a 45-win bounce-back season, taking the season series 2-1 behind Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks. Portland, last in the playoffs in 2021, features first-time All-Star Deni Avdija alongside Shaedon Sharpe and Jerami Grant. The winners advance to face higher seeds, while losers face elimination games Wednesday.