NBA Play-In Tournament Schedule-How to Watch Friday's Games

The NBA Play-In Tournament will conclude with its final two games on Friday.

The Charlotte Hornets will matchup against the Orlando Magic, fighting for the final No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. The winner will move on to face off against the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons in the first round of the NBA playoffs, and the loser will see their season come to an end.

The Hornets advanced to this matchup after a thrilling overtime victory over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. Lamelo Ball connected on a game-winning layup to secure a 127-126 win for Charlotte.

The Magic failed to secure the Eastern Conference's No. 7 seed on Wednesday night, falling to the Philadelphia 76ers in their first Play-In Tournament matchup.

This Hornets-Magic matchup will tipoff at 7:30 p.m. ET from Orlando's KIA Center. The game will be broadcast exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

Immediately following this game, the Golden State Warriors will matchup against the Phoenix Suns for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. That contest, also broadcast on Amazon Prime Video, will tipoff at 10 p.m. ET.

The Warriors advanced to this game with a 126-121 over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. Veteran point guard Steph Curry put on a masterful performance in the win, notching a game-high 35 points on 7/12 shooting from behind the 3-point arc.

The Suns fell to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, and now need a victory over the Warriors to punch their postseason ticket.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 6:00 AM.