Headline: Wolves Fortify Playoff Position as Wests Final Spots Hang by a Thread Amid Bucks Clinch

Ant-Man delivers a decisive blow as the Wolves secure their fifth consecutive victory, firmly holding onto the 6th seed in the fiercely competitive Western Playoff race.

**5 HEADLINES IN TODAY’S ISSUE** 🏀 April 6, 2025

**West Race Intensifies:** A mere 1.5 games separate the teams ranked 3rd to 8th, including a three-way deadlock for 6th place.

**Bucks and Hawks Secure Playoff Spots:** The Bucks’ latest win assures them their 9th consecutive playoff appearance, while the Hawks clinch a position in the Play-In round.

**Hall Of Fame Insights:** Key takeaways from the 2025 Hall of Fame class, featuring Melo, Dwight, the Redeem Team, and a trio from the WNBA.

**NBA TV Sunday:** A series of high-stakes matchups among the top 5 teams in the West headline an exhilarating quadruple-header.

**League Pass:** A showdown between elite facilitators, alongside Jalen Brunson’s much-anticipated return, leads a packed schedule of 7 games.

**BUT FIRST …** ⏰ Only one week remains in the 2024-25 regular season.

**NBA TV Quadruple-header:** Get ready for a full day of basketball with significant playoff ramifications – including two clashes between top 5 teams in the West: Bulls at Hornets (1 ET), Lakers at Thunder (3:30 ET), Kings at Cavs (6 ET), and Rockets at Warriors (8:30 ET).

**Pass The Rock:** In the second episode of Season 3 of Pass the Rock, Jalen Williams of OKC shares insights about his remarkable journey to becoming an NBA All-Star, along with commentary from his family.

**Today’s Reads:** Andscape discusses Chris Paul contemplating his NBA future… CBS Sports examines the Warriors’ timelines aligning at a crucial moment… ESPN reveals Nikola Jokić’s rise as a defensive analytics favorite… The Athletic features Wizards rookie Alex Sarr showcasing his entertaining side… The Athletic also covers college players evolving from the NBA Academy ‘brotherhood’ to the Final Four.

**1. WEST PLAYOFF RACE REMAINS THRILLING AFTER WOLVES, CLIPPERS, AND GRIZZLIES TRIUMPH**

How tight is the competition for the Western Conference’s last guaranteed playoff spot?

**Timberwolves 114, Sixers 109:** Anthony Edwards wowed Philadelphia fans with a full display of talent — from a sensational dunk early in the game to a critical three-pointer with seven seconds left that propelled him to 37 points — enabling the Wolves to notch their fifth win in a row. | Recap

**Clippers 135, Mavericks 104:** Kawhi Leonard (29 points, 3 steals), James Harden (29 points, 14 assists, 7 rebounds), and Ivica Zubac (25 points, 10 rebounds) combined for 83 points, leading the Clippers to back-to-back victories over the Mavs by an aggregate margin of 54 points. | Recap

**Grizzlies 109, Pistons 103:** Desmond Bane scored 13 of his game-high 38 points in the closing minutes, Zach Edey notched a career-best 21 rebounds, and Jaren Jackson Jr. recorded a double-double, allowing the Ja-less Grizzlies to secure their second straight win. | Recap

**2. BUCKS SEAL PLAYOFF SPOT, HAWKS SET FOR PLAY-IN**

Following a four-game slump that dropped them from 5th to 6th in the East, Giannis Antetokounmpo elevated his performance to guide the Bucks back on track.

**Bucks 121, Heat 115 (OT):** Trailing 107-100 with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, the Bucks finished the 4th quarter with an 11-4 run to force overtime. In the extra period, Milwaukee again limited Miami to just four points, winning their 3rd consecutive match. | Recap

**Knicks 121, Hawks 105:** The Knicks gained control of the game by outscoring the Hawks 40-22 in the 2nd quarter and hitting 11 first-half three-pointers, cruising to their 49th win of the season, led by a combined 54 points from Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby. | Recap

**3. FIVE NOTABLE INSIGHTS FROM THE 2025 NAISMITH HALL OF FAME CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT**

Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard — one of the league’s premier scorers and defenders, respectively — headline the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

They are joined by three WNBA icons: Sue Bird, Maya Moore, and Sylvia Fowles; the 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball “Redeem Team”; Bulls coach and two-time NCAA champion Billy Donovan; Heat managing general partner Micky Arison; and veteran NBA referee Danny Crawford.

Here are five essential insights from the announcement.

**4. NBA TV QUADRUPLE-HEADER: TWO MATCHUPS FEATURING TOP 5 WEST TEAMS**

With only 1.5 games dividing 3rd and 8th place in the West, there’s still much to determine before next Sunday’s regular-season conclusion.

Two pivotal games in the playoff race take place today as part of an NBA TV marathon.

**Lakers at Thunder (3:30 ET):** Kicking off a two-game series, this contest features the 1st-place Thunder against the 3rd-place Lakers. These teams last faced each other in November, prior to the Lakers’ transformation following Luka Dončić’s addition.

**Rockets at Warriors (8:30 ET):** A showdown between two of the league’s hottest franchises, Houston (aiming for their 15th win in 17 games) and Golden State (seeking to improve to 21-2 with the duo of Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler III) square off for the fifth and final time this regular season.

**Kings at Cavs (6 ET):** The Cavs can secure the No. 1 seed in the East with a victory against the Kings, who are among the only five Western teams to conquer Cleveland this season. If Sacramento prevails, they would reclaim the 9th place in the race for home court in the West Play-In.

**Bulls at Hornets (1 ET):** The Bulls are hunting for their 12th win in 16 outings while trying to enhance their 9th-place standing in the East Play-In. The Play-In teams are set — Orlando, Atlanta, Chicago, and Miami — but their respective seeding is still in flux with just three games between them.

**5. LEAGUE PASS: ELITE PASSING STARS AND BRUNSON’S RETURN HEADLINE 7-GAME SLATE**

Tonight’s matchup between the Nuggets and Pacers (8 ET) not only pits 4th place teams from the West and East against each other but also showcases two of the game’s premier passers — Denver’s Nikola Jokić and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton.

Both players have an impressive arsenal for assisting their teammates, exemplified here:

Don’t leave the backdoor open. Both Jokić and Haliburton shine at connecting with teammates on timely baseline cuts when defenders lose focus.

Drawing the defense and locating the open shooter. As defenders swarm Jokić, he dishes the ball to Russell Westbrook near the rim. Haliburton drives in, attracting defensive help and then finds an unguarded teammate for an easy layup.

In addition to the Pacers-Nuggets game, six more matchups on League Pass cap off an 11-game Sunday, including the highly awaited return of New York’s Jalen Brunson, who has been sidelined for the last 15 games due to an ankle injury, as the Knicks welcome the Suns (7 ET).

**Upcoming Games:** Raptors-Nets (3:30 ET), Jazz-Hawks (6 ET), Wizards-Celtics (6 ET), Spurs-Blazers (6 ET), & Bucks-Pelicans (8:30 ET).