The Hawks comfortably beat the Hornets in the play-in tournament 132–103 Wednesday, meaning Atlanta will play Friday and Charlotte will head to the offseason.
However, while the loss was tough for the Hornets, it did relieve one NBA Hall of Famer. During Inside the NBA on TNT Tuesday night, Shaquille O’Neal was so confident in a Hawks victory, he made a wild bet for them to win.
“If Charlotte beats the Hawks, I’ll stick my hand in a Hornets nest, deal?” O’Neal said Tuesday night. “On the last segment of the show, I will stick my fist in a hornets nest.