LaMelo Ball Flips Script in Overtime as Hornets Edge Heat; UEFA Champions League Semifinalists to Be Decided

Charlotte’s Spectrum Center was a study in emotional whiplash Wednesday night, as LaMelo Ball authored a dramatic redemption arc to lift the Hornets to a 118-115 overtime victory over Miami and keep their postseason hopes flickering. Ball, who had misfired on a wide-open corner three that would have sealed the win in regulation, buried a step-back triple with 4.7 seconds left in the extra period to complete the Hornets’ comeback from a seven-point deficit.

The win tightens the jockeying for the final three NBA Play-In seeds, with Charlotte now one game behind the eighth spot and Miami left to regroup before its next must-win contest. Ball finished with 29 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, offsetting a late turnover that led to Miami’s go-ahead bucket in the final minute of regulation.

Across the Atlantic, the focus shifts to continental supremacy. The UEFA Champions League semifinal lineup will be finalized today when Arsenal hosts Sporting CP and Bayern Munich welcomes Real Madrid, each carrying slim aggregate advantages. A pair of 3 p.m. EDT kickoffs on Paramount+ will decide which two clubs join Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain in the final four, setting the stage for Friday’s draw that will map the path to the June 1 final at Wembley.

With the NBA’s play-in picture still fluid and Europe’s elite eight narrowed to six, the next 24 hours promise high-stakes drama on both sides of the ocean.