Game 5: Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat GameThread

Friends!

The Charlotte Hornets play the Miami Heat once again tonight, this time in Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs. The series is tied at 2-2, and a win tonight would give the Hornets the opportunity to close out the series at home. If you'd like to catch up on what to expect in tonight's game, you can read our preview. If you want to know how to watch tonight's game, we've got you covered on that as well.

Tonight's projected starters are Kemba Walker, Courtney Lee, Marvin Williams, Frank Kaminsky, and Al Jefferson. Nicolas Nicolas Batum is expected to play tonight, but as of the time this GameThread was written it's unclear whether he'll start or come off the bench. The Hornets won Game 3 and 4 without Batum, but he's a huge part of what they do on offense and offers some defensive versatility for Hornets head coach Steve Clifford.

For the Heat, expect to see the same group of Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson, Luol Deng, and Hassan Whiteside start.

Tip off is at 8 p.m.

Grab your snacks and get to a TV. It's time for Hornets basketball!