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Devin Booker sinks the stepback mid-range jumper for the victory, adding to the Suns’ winning streak, which now stands at four.
### 5 HIGHLIGHTS FROM TODAY’S ISSUE 🏀 March 25, 2025
**Tight Race in the West:** Booker secures victory, AD makes his comeback, with three teams now within half a game of two Play-In positions.
**On Fire:** Coby White’s third consecutive game scoring over 35 points fuels the Bulls to their third straight win, while the Magic triumph over the Lakers as Dwight receives tribute.
**Summary:** The Pacers notch their fifth consecutive win to widen their lead for the fourth spot in the East, while both the Raptors and Pelicans secure victories.
**TNT Doubleheader:** The Warriors, riding high, visit Miami with Butler, while the Thunder aim for their 60th win in Sacramento.
**Tip-off Alert:** The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament begins in just three weeks…
### Tonight’s TNT doubleheader opens in Miami with Jimmy Butler making his long-awaited return with the Warriors (7:30 ET). Following that, the Thunder seeks their seventh consecutive win and targets the season’s first 60-win mark against the Kings (10 ET).
1. **WEST PLAY-IN SCENARIO HEATS UP: BOOKER SEALS THE DEAL, DAVIS RETURNS, CELTICS DEFEAT KINGS**
As the game was knotted at 106 with just 5.7 seconds remaining, the Suns turned to Devin Booker to clinch the win.
Having faced similar situations countless times before, Booker rose to the occasion once again, netting a game-winning shot in the dying moments for the seventh time in his career.
Receiving the inbounds pass beyond the three-point line, Booker maneuvered into the mid-range, found his sweet spot, and executed a precise stepback jumper from 19 feet that sent the crowd into a frenzy with 1.7 seconds left.
**Final Score: Suns 108, Bucks 106:** Kevin Durant, named West Player of the Week, led all scorers with 38 points, while Booker contributed 19 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds, guiding the Suns to their fourth straight victory – their longest streak since a seven-game run from October 26 to November 8.
In his Mavs debut on February 8, **Anthony Davis** showcased his prowess with 26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks in 31 minutes, before succumbing to an adductor injury late in the third quarter.
After being sidelined for 18 games over six weeks, Davis returned just as the Mavs encountered further injuries, dropping them from eighth to eleventh in the West standings.
**Final Score: Mavs 120, Nets 101:** In his first game back in 44 days, Davis scored 12 points with six boards in 27 minutes, while Naji Marshall led the team with 22 points.
**Celtics 113, Kings 95:** Jayson Tatum posted a game-best 25 points but exited with an ankle injury after a four-point play late in the third quarter. The Celtics achieved their sixth consecutive win, handing the Kings their third straight defeat.
The intense competition for the Western Play-In has tightened with victories by the Mavs and Suns, alongside a loss by the Kings, leaving the three teams contesting for the last two Play-In berths just half a game apart.
### East Playoff Race Update
– **Celtics:** Remain 2nd in the East, trailing the Cavs by 4.5 games.
– **Bucks:** Sit 5th in the East after the loss, now 2.0 games behind the 4th-place Pacers and only 0.5 games ahead of the 6th-place Pistons.
2. **ON FIRE: COBY & THE BULLS KEEP WINNING, MAGIC DUO SHINES**
On Monday, Coby White joined the ranks of Bulls greats, becoming just the second player in franchise history to earn Player of the Week honors consecutively.
That evening, he took a step towards a potential trio of such honors, delivering yet another 35+ point performance to propel the Bulls to their third win in a row.
**Final Score: Bulls 129, Nuggets 119:** White’s game-high 37 points, combined with Josh Giddey’s nearly perfect triple-double (26 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists), propelled the Bulls to a perfect season series sweep over the Nuggets.
The Magic triumphed over the Lakers as well:
**Final Score: Magic 118, Lakers 106:** Orlando’s Franz Wagner (32 points) and Paolo Banchero (30 points) outperformed Los Angeles’ Luka Dončić (32 points) and LeBron James (24 points), who combined for 56 in a losing effort.
3. **ROUNDUP: PACERS RAISE WIN STREAK TO FIVE, RAPTORS & PELICANS VICTORIOUS**
The Pacers secured their fifth consecutive win with another double-double from Tyrese Haliburton (24 points, 11 assists) and a 3-point barrage from Obi Toppin (20 points, 6 3-pointers), defeating the Timberwolves.
**Final Score: Pacers 119, Timberwolves 103**
The Raptors triumphed over the Wizards with balanced scoring:
**Final Score: Raptors 112, Wizards 104:** Jakob Poeltl and Immanuel Quickley each scored 21, with Scottie Barnes coming close to a triple-double (13 points, 10 boards, 8 assists), securing victory against Jordan Poole’s 23 points.
**Final Score: Pelicans 112, Sixers 99:** Led by Karlo Matković (19 points, 8 rebounds), and Kelly Olynyk (14 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists), the Pelicans saw five players score in double figures as they overcame the Sixers, who were led by Jared Butler and Justin Edwards with 19 points each.
4. **TNT DOUBLEHEADER: BUTLER RETURNS TO MIAMI WITH HOT WARRIORS, THUNDER CHASE 60 WINS**
As the regular season reaches its final stretch, the Warriors have solidified their spot as one of the league’s top teams, posting an 8-2 record over their last ten games. Their defensive prowess has skyrocketed since acquiring Jimmy Butler III.
Tonight, Butler returns to Miami, where he spent five and a half seasons and participated in two East Finals, as the sixth-place Warriors face the Heat (7:30 ET).
Meanwhile, the Heat recently ended a ten-game losing streak, spearheaded by a remarkable 42-point performance from Andrew Wiggins.
**Thunder at Kings (10 ET):** Oklahoma City aims for their seventh consecutive victory, seeking to become the first team this season to secure 60 wins.
5. **TONIGHT ON LEAGUE PASS: PLAYOFF PICTURE CONTINUES TO EVOLVE**
Several teams are vying for crucial postseason positioning in tonight’s League Pass lineup.
– **Hawks at Rockets (8 ET):** After Houston’s nine-game winning streak was halted by the Nuggets on Sunday, they still made significant strides, moving from fifth to second in the West.
– **Magic at Hornets (7 ET):** Paolo Banchero, who has scored over 30 points in five of Orlando’s last six games, leads the team into Charlotte. The Magic seeks their first three-game winning streak since a six-game win run from November 21 to December 1.
– **Spurs at Pistons (7 ET):** Cade Cunningham (25.7 ppg, 9.2 apg) continues to shine in a career-best season as Detroit rebounds impressively from a last-place finish last season, now sitting close to the top five seeds.
– **Mavs at Knicks (7:30 ET):** Following his return on Monday, Anthony Davis scored 12 points with six rebounds in 27 minutes after an 18-game absence, but his participation tonight will be assessed closer to game time.
– **Grizzlies at Jazz (9 ET):** Every victory is crucial for Memphis in a packed Western race, with only 2.5 games separating seeds two through five. The team aims to complete a perfect 4-0 season against Utah.
– **Cavaliers at Trail Blazers (10 ET):** While the Celtics have narrowed the gap during Cleveland’s four-game losing streak, the Cavaliers maintain a 4.5-game cushion with 11 matches left. Meanwhile, the Blazers hope to chip away at their three-game deficit behind Phoenix for the 10th seed.
