NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
5 HEADLINES IN TODAY’S ISSUE 🏀 April 20, 2025 | What can you expect in today’s edition?
Nuggets Triumph in Nail-Biter: Denver overcame a 15-point deficit to beat the Clippers in overtime.
Wolves Claim Victory on the Road: Minnesota connected on 21 three-pointers to down the Lakers in Los Angeles.
Knicks Surge Past Pistons, Pacers Jump Ahead: New York finished strong against Detroit, while Indiana raced ahead of Milwaukee early.
Western Conference Previews: The playoffs begin in Oklahoma City (Thunder vs. Grizzlies) and wrap up in Houston (Rockets vs. Warriors) on Sunday.
Eastern Conference Previews: The Celtics launch their title defense against the Magic, with the Cavaliers facing the Heat.
BUT FIRST… ⏰ Here are yesterday’s results & what to catch today…
Four more Game 1s are slated to tip off today, starting with an ABC doubleheader featuring the Thunder hosting the Grizzlies (1 PM ET) and the Celtics beginning their title defense against the Magic (3:30 PM ET).
The evening action shifts to TNT, where the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers will take on the Heat (7 PM ET), followed by a matchup in Houston with the Rockets hosting the Warriors (9:30 PM ET).
Today’s Highlights: USA Today discusses Giannis’ evolving game during playoff seasons… The Athletic dives into Donovan Mitchell’s impact on the Cavaliers through selflessness… and The AP explores the wide-open race for the championship.
1. NUGGETS EDGE CLIPPERS IN OVERTIME DRAMA
Russell Westbrook, who spent the last two playoffs with the Clippers, made crucial contributions against his previous team on Saturday.
Final Score: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110 (OT): After trailing by 15 at one point in the first half, the Nuggets staged a comeback to win Game 1, led by a near-triple-double from Nikola Jokić (29 points, 9 rebounds, 12 assists), along with Aaron Gordon’s 25 points, Jamal Murray’s 21 points, Westbrook’s key plays, and Christian Braun’s timely three-pointer in overtime. |Recap
2. WOLVES FLOOD LA WITH THREE-POINTERS, SECURE ROAD VICTORY OVER LAKERS
After falling behind 28-21 at the end of the first quarter, the Wolves turned the game around in the second, going on a 26-6 run and hitting eight three-pointers to win the quarter 38-20, taking control of the match.
The onslaught of three-pointers continued with seven more in the third, including three during an 11-0 run to kick off the quarter, as Minnesota surged to a 27-point lead. The Lakers managed to narrow the gap to 12 in the fourth, but the Wolves held strong.
Final Score: Wolves 117, Lakers 95: Jaden McDaniels (25 points, 3 threes), Naz Reid (23 points, 6 threes), and Anthony Edwards (22 points, 9 assists, 4 threes) accounted for 70 points and 13 of Minnesota’s franchise playoff record of 21 three-pointers, claiming their first road victory of the 2025 playoffs. |Recap
3. KNICKS’ STRONG FINISH, PACERS’ FAST START LEAD TO HOME WINS IN GAME 1
In this tightly contested 3-vs-6 matchup, there were 12 lead changes and 10 ties over the first two and a half quarters, with neither team holding more than a seven-point advantage.
Then came two pivotal runs.
Final Score: Knicks 123, Pistons 112: The dynamic backcourt duo of Jalen Brunson (34 points, 8 in the final quarter) and Cam Payne (14 points, 9 off the bench) propelled New York’s tremendous fourth-quarter performance, winning that period 40-21 to secure a 1-0 series lead. |Recap
In a series where the Pacers previously only secured one win against the Bucks this season—thanks to a dramatic four-point play from Tyrese Haliburton—they didn’t need any last-minute heroics this time around.
Final Score: Pacers 117, Bucks 98: Indiana dominated, outscoring Milwaukee 48-25 from 5:04 in the first quarter until halftime, transforming a one-point contest into a commanding 24-point lead that they held comfortably for the remainder of the game. |Recap
Looking Ahead: The Pacers lead the series 1-0 with Game 2 scheduled for Tuesday (7 PM ET, NBA TV).
4. WESTERN CONFERENCE GAME 1s: THUNDER HOST GRIZZLIES, WARRIORS PAY A VISIT TO ROCKETS
Just a year ago, the Thunder made their first playoff appearance in three years as the top seed in the West.
Focus on SGA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander clinched his first scoring title, boasting an impressive average of 32.7 points per game. Against Memphis, he elevated his game, averaging 36.3 points across four matchups with shooting splits of 53.7/41.2%.
Collision of Strengths: While Oklahoma City arrives with the NBA’s best-ranked defense at 106.6 Defensive Rating, the Grizzlies counter with the league’s second-highest scoring offense at 121.7 points per game.
When Houston last hosted a playoff game, the Rockets were eliminated by the Warriors in Game 6 of the 2019 Western Semifinals, marking the fourth time in five years Golden State ended their postseason run.
Fast forward six years, and playoff basketball returns to H-Town tonight (9:30 PM ET, TNT) with a revamped Rockets team, facing off against familiar foes in the Warriors’ Steph Curry and Draymond Green, who are on the pursuit of a fifth championship.
The Warriors finished the season strong at 23-8 (third in the NBA) after adding Jimmy Butler III from Miami. Despite narrowly missing out on the 6 seed due to an overtime loss to the Clippers in their final regular-season game, they secured the 7 seed with their first-ever Play-In victory.
5. EASTERN CONFERENCE GAME 1s: CELTICS KICK OFF TITLE DEFENSE AGAINST MAGIC, CAVALIERS HOST HEAT
The two top teams in the Eastern Conference begin their playoff campaigns this Sunday, as the historically significant Cavaliers and reigning champion Celtics step onto the court.
The Celtics embark on their quest for a repeat versus the defensively formidable Orlando Magic, known for being one of the league’s top defensive units. This season, the Magic allowed the fewest points per game at 105.5, while the Celtics were a close second at 107.2.
In their battle for supremacy this season, the Magic clinched the series against Boston 2-1, limiting the Celtics to just 76 points in their latest encounter on April 9, their lowest scoring game since January 2021.
This season, Boston shattered the NBA record for three-pointers made as a team, hitting 1,457 in total. Will their high-octane offense dominate the Magic’s defense?
Cleveland, which asserted its dominance in the Eastern Conference starting October 30, didn’t falter, holding onto the top seed throughout the entire season.
The Cavaliers recorded 64 wins (the second-highest total in franchise history), produced 26 clutch victories (tying for the most in the league), and became the second team in NBA history to achieve three separate winning streaks of 12 or more games during the regular season.
The Miami Heat, who made history as the first 10 seed to qualify for the playoffs last Friday, are set to challenge them.
While the Cavaliers took the season series against Miami 2-1, Heat star Bam Adebayo made his impact known.
