NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
**5 HEADLINES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀 March 11, 2025**
**Denver Bounces Back:** After suffering a loss to top-seeded OKC on Sunday, the Nuggets in second place rebounded strongly on Monday.
**Three-Point Highlights:** Boston sets a 3-point record, while New York breaks out of a 3-point slump.
**Warriors Enhance Their Record:** With a 12-1 record featuring Butler, the Warriors maintain the last Playoff spot in the West.
**East Play-In Review:** Though the standings remain unchanged, the competition is tightening up.
**Tonight’s Matchups:** The Cavaliers aim for their second 15-game winning streak on League Pass, while the Bucks and Pacers go head-to-head on TNT.
**BUT FIRST … ⏰ Cleveland has a chance to make history tonight…**
**Can the Cavaliers Repeat Their Success?** The Cavs kicked off the season with an incredible 15-game winning streak, the longest in franchise history. Tonight, against Brooklyn (7 ET, League Pass), they have the opportunity to replicate that success.
**Potential First Round Preview?** The Bucks and Pacers have held the 4th and 5th positions (in interchangeable order) for almost two months. Could this matchup (7:30 ET, TNT) be a preview of a possible Playoff rematch in 2024?
1. **JOKIĆ AND NUGGETS REBOUND, SPLIT THEIR SERIES IN OKC**
On Sunday, the Thunder seized control in the 4th quarter with a 41-20 scoring run to defeat the Nuggets in a much-anticipated clash between the top contenders in the Kia MVP rankings.
However, on Monday, Denver retaliated, outscoring OKC in the second half 73-54 to complete a split of their two-game matchup 1-1 and even the season series at 2-2.
Final Score: Nuggets 140, Thunder 127 — Nikola Jokić tallied 35 points, 18 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Jamal Murray contributed 34 points to lead the Nuggets to a season-high 140 points — the highest the Thunder have conceded all season — in avenging Sunday’s defeat. | Recap
**Next Up:** OKC will clash with East’s second seed, Boston, on Wednesday (7:30 ET), followed by a Nuggets-Wolves face-off at 10 — both airing on ESPN.
Here’s how the MVP contenders performed against each other in their four regular-season encounters this year.
Nets 111, Lakers 108: In their first game since losing LeBron James to a groin injury on Saturday, the Lakers fell to the Nets despite Luka Dončić recording his 5th triple-double of the season (22 pts, 12 ast, 12 reb).
Noah Clowney and Cam Johnson combined for 37 points, helping Brooklyn halt a seven-game losing streak. | Recap
Grizzlies 120, Suns 118: Fueled by Ja Morant’s 29 points and 12 assists, the Grizzlies overcame a 16-point deficit in the first quarter and managed to secure their third consecutive victory, edging out Kevin Durant (35) and Devin Booker (26) in a thrilling finish. | Recap
**West Playoff Race Update**
2. **THREE-POINT SHOOTING PROPULSES BOSTON AND NEW YORK**
On track to break the record for most 3-pointers by a single team in NBA history, the Celtics made featured headlines on Monday thanks to Sam Hauser’s performance.
Celtics 114, Jazz 108: Filling in for the injured Jayson Tatum (knee), Hauser achieved a career-high 33 points, connecting on nine 3-pointers to secure Boston’s fifth consecutive victory against Utah. | Recap
Knicks 133, Kings 104: Coming off a three-game losing streak where they shot just 24.5% (27-of-110) from beyond the arc, the Knicks exploded on Monday, matching a season-high with 22 triples while shooting 55% from deep to end their slump. | Recap
**East Playoff Race Update**
3. **WARRIORS KEEP LEAD IN WESTERN PLAYOFF AND PLAY-IN RACE**
The Warriors began Monday in a near tie with the Wolves, separated by a slim margin of .002 in win percentage, as they both navigated the boundaries of the Playoff and Play-In zones.
With a fifth consecutive win, the Warriors gained a bit of breathing room.
Warriors 130, Blazers 120: Golden State saw four players score over 20 points: Gary Payton II (26), Steph Curry (25), and both Moses Moody and Buddy Hield contributing 20 each. They set the pace to defeat a Blazers team that saw impressive contributions from Deni Avdija and Anfernee Simons, never trailing since the first quarter. | Recap
Mavericks 133, Spurs 129: Dallas also showcased four players crossing the 20-point mark — Spencer Dinwiddie (28), Klay Thompson (26), Naji Marshall (23), and Kessler Edwards (22) — as they remained undefeated against San Antonio this season, improving to 3-0 ahead of Wednesday’s regular-season finale. | Recap
**West Playoff & Play-In Race Updates**
4. **EAST PLAY-IN RACE NARROWS**
Hawks 132, Sixers 123: In the absence of Trae Young (quad injury), Dyson Daniels took the lead with a team-high 25 points while teammate Zaccharie Risacher recorded his fourth 20-plus game of the rookie season, leading the Hawks to a victory over the Sixers, who were paced by Quentin Grimes’s 35 points. | Recap
Rockets 97, Magic 84: Jabari Smith Jr. led the way with 20 points and five 3-pointers as part of a balanced effort that saw five Rockets score in double figures. Houston’s defense stood out, limiting Orlando to just 84 points and 32.6% shooting, marking their third straight win. Orlando now sits at 3-22 when scoring below 100 points this season. | Recap
Hornets 105, Heat 102: Miles Bridges has had three performances with over 35 points in the past week, including Monday’s effort that sparked the Hornets past Miami after trailing by up to 17 points. LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams each added double-doubles for Charlotte. | Recap
Bulls 121, Pacers 103: Excellent contributions from Josh Giddey and Coby White, both dropping 29 points, propelled the Bulls to their first three-game winning streak since December while pushing the Pacers into their third consecutive loss. | Recap
**East Play-In Race Update**
Raptors 119, Wizards 104: A.J. Lawson had a stellar outing with personal bests across the board — 32 points, 12 rebounds, and seven 3-pointers, leading Toronto to victory against Washington. RJ Barrett (14 pts, 10 reb, 8 ast) and Scottie Barnes (14 pts, 13 reb) both chipped in with double-doubles. | Recap
5. **TUESDAY PREVIEW: CAVS SEEK 15TH STRAIGHT VICTORY; BUCKS, PACERS BATTLE**
The Cavaliers’ remarkable season could reach new heights if they manage to complete a season sweep against the Nets tonight (7 ET, League Pass).
Cleveland’s offense has been electric, boasting the top offensive rating in the league at 122.0. Spearheaded by Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, the Cavs have thrived with the pick-and-roll, presenting a multitude of offensive options on the court.
**The Roll Man:** Jarrett Allen (1st) and Evan Mobley (9th) rank among the top 10 in efficiency as roll men and are the only duo featured in the top 15 (minimum 100 possessions).
Cleveland is on track for a historic 68 wins this season, exceeding their previous franchise record of 66 victories set in the 2008-09 season when LeBron James captured his first MVP award.
**Bucks vs. Pacers on TNT (7:30 ET):** As the NBA season approaches its conclusion, the Playoff races are intensifying.
Milwaukee and Indiana have alternated between the No. 4 and No. 5 spots in the East since January 15, with just one game separating them. They’re both in contention for home-court advantage in what could become a 2024 Playoff rematch.
Two additional games tip off on League Pass, featuring the Pistons, who are 10-3 in their last 13 outings, hosting the Wizards (7 ET) and the Clippers aiming for their fourth consecutive win against the Pelicans (8 ET).
