Choo-choo: Hornets’ play-in arrival blocked by freight train

ATLANTA (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets were delayed getting to the arena for their NBA play-in game against the Atlanta Hawks. By a freight train, of all things. Tracks run all around State Farm Arena, a remnant of a time when the area was the site of the city’s two major passenger stations. Those tracks are still frequented by freight trains running near the heart of downtown Atlanta. A train stopped on a crossing before the game, blocking the Hornets’ chartered buses from reaching the players’ entrance at the bottom of the arena. The buses were forced to find an alternate route. Atlanta routed the Hornets 132-103 in the play-in game. The 10th-seeded Hornets were looking to earn their way into the playoffs for the first time since 2016.