Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball has been fined $60,000 for his actions involving Tuesday's play-in game against the Miami Heat, ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk reports. Ball was fined $35,000 "for making unnecessary and reckless contact" with Miami's Bam Adebayo. The Hornets star was not called for a foul during the game, but he was assessed a flagrant foul 2 after the league reviewed the incident, which forced Adebayo to leave the game early with a lower back injury. Additionally, the NBA fined Ball $25,000 for using profane language in a TV interview after the game. Charlotte will be happy to know that Ball was only fined for the Adebayo incident and didn't receive a suspension. The team will hope to see him lead the Hornets into the playoffs for the first time since 2016 with a victory over Orlando on Friday.

Philadelphia 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey scored a team-high 31 points in Wednesday's playoff-clinching 109-97 victory over the Orlando Magic. Maxey averaged a career-high 28.3 points per game during the regular season and had plenty of firepower left for the first postseason game. He made three triples on nine attempts and finished 11-for-25 overall from the field. Maxey's efforts included two rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block in 42 minutes. With Joel Embiid (abdomen) dealing with yet another health issue, Maxey will once again carry a heavy workload during the postseason. He averaged a whopping 44.6 minutes per game the last time Philadelphia reached the playoffs in 2024.

Orlando Magic guard/forward Desmond Bane led the team's offense in Wednesday's Play-In Tournament game against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring a game-high 34 points in a 109-97 loss. He already had 19 points by halftime, more than Paolo Banchero (18) managed in the entire game. Bane was highly efficient from the field, finishing 10-for-16 with his attempts, including 4-for-6 from downtown. He also did an excellent job getting to the line, missing only one of 11 free-throw attempts. Across a team-high 40 minutes, Bane notched three rebounds, three assists, and one steal, but also committed five turnovers. The Magic now face Charlotte in a do-or-die matchup on Friday night. Bane averaged 17.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists against the Hornets in four regular-season meetings.

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry starred in Wednesday's 126-121 Play-In Tournament victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, leading all scorers with 35 points. He had eight points inside the final eight minutes of play, helping Golden State overturn a 103-99 deficit. Curry's seventh triple of the game put the Warriors 120-117 up with less than a minute remaining. Curry went 7-for-12 from outside and had a 12-for-23 overall record from the field. He produced four assists, and picked up one rebound and one steal. Curry's crew will now square off with the Phoenix Suns on Friday night for a spot in the 2026 playoffs. During the regular season, the two-time MVP averaged 23.7 points in this matchup, as Phoenix limited him to 34.4 percent efficiency from behind the arc.