The bad news: The Charlotte Hornets and LaMelo Ball have to win two postseason games to reach the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, instead of one. The good news: They still get a taste of genuine playoff pressure, a catalyst for future development. Taking the bad with the good is a clear focus for Charlotte as a young team enters its big moment under less-than-ideal circumstances.

The Hornets lost their third straight game as they fell to the Washington Wizards, 115-110.

The Hornets were up by 16 points at one point in this game, but they could not hold on to the lead in the fourth quarter. The Wizards managed to put up 36 points in that quarter alone.

This loss slides the Hornets out of the eighth-place spot they have held for two weeks, and into the tenth spot. They will face the ninth-place Indiana Pacers on the road on Tuesday, May 18, in the play-in round's elimination game. The Wizards swiped the eighth spot and will play the seventh-place Boston Celtics in the play-in round's win-and-in game.

Hornets coach James Borrego is ready to put this game behind him and get rolling for the Pacers on Tuesday.

“We can't cry about this, we just have to play better,” Borrego said. “We've earned the tenth seed in the Eastern Conference and now we get a chance to play postseason basketball and our guys look forward to it,” he continued.

Borrego also highlighted the importance of these games and how these experiences will help the Hornets in the long run. Mentioning LaMelo Ball's first taste of late-season pressure, and several other young players' first time experiencing what high-stakes basketball is all about, represented a point of emphasis in Borrego's remarks. Ball is only 19 years old, but already has the keys to the offense, so this week is crucial for his development.

In the past three games, the Hornets have struggled to put up points in the last five minutes. They have shot themselves out of games. Terry Rozier feels it is due to a lack of creativity.

“Teams have figured us out. We're too predictable,” he said.

The Hornets have had a solid lead at some point in each game, but their inexperience shows when maintaining it throughout the course of the game.

Borrego knows these are growing pains; these games are exactly what the Hornets need.

“You have to experience these tough moments, it is just part of our development,” Borrego said.

For the teams that have been scraping for a play-in spot, the postseason has already begun. For the No. 9 and No. 10 teams, it is officially do-or-die time. Every team has battled through a lot this year, so making the playoffs is a reward for a young franchise such as the Hornets.

Rozier mentioned how good it feels to be in the playoff atmosphere, even if a team loses in the heat of battle.

“It builds you up for the summer and especially when you're trying to turn this organization around,” he said.

Rozier and the rest of the Hornets want to clinch this playoff berth by any means necessary. It should be interesting to see how they start against the Pacers on Tuesday.