The Charlotte Hornets will take on the Miami Heat in the NBA Play-In Tournament Tuesday night, and the team is ready to welcome fans to the Spectrum Center.
"Protect the Hive" will be the theme for the Hornets as they play their first postseason game in a decade. Following a poor start, the Hornets won 44 games this season, the most since the 2015-16 season.
y’all heard him! #ProtectTheHive | @MilesBridges pic.twitter.com/70cxYQkh62
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) April 13, 2026
A block party in uptown Charlotte begins at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. Hornets Chief Business and Revenue Officer Mike Behan said the organization has improved on and off the court this year.
“We've seen significant growth in key metrics like attendance, retail, sponsorship business, and you know, we're really excited where the organization is going, and we believe that, you know, this is just the beginning, that, you know, the future is incredibly bright for the organization,” Behan said.
Behan also said during Tuesday’s game, fans will be greeted at their seats with a limited edition “Protect The Hive” T-shirt.
“Those will actually be on the chairs in the arena,” Behan said. “ So, we're excited about that. I think it'll create a lot of energy, excitement, and we want fans to come ready to cheer and be loud, and, we know that we've got one of the best home courts in the NBA and we want to demonstrate that tomorrow. We wanna really show up and be excited and loud out there.”
The team averaged over 18,400 fans per game in its 32 home games, a 7% increase compared to last season.
Tip-off is Tuesday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. The winner will take on the loser of the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic game on Friday with a chance at the 8th seed.
