Never underestimate NBA playoff basketball – especially when tensions rise on the floor.
Late in the fourth quarter, as tempers flared between the Warriors and the Rockets in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series, an unusual sequence took place.
As players exchanged words, Rockets forward Tari Eason chucked a towel at Warriors guard Pat Spencer, hitting the 28-year-old in the face. Eason later received a technical foul.
Following what was a physical game, Eason shared with reporters his intentions behind the incident.
“My emotions just got the best of me,” Eason told reporters after the Rockets’ win. “That’s really all that was. You got to keep it basketball. That’s really all it is. I’m just going to be better for my team moving forward in controlling my emotions.”
As Eason recognizes, Golden State tests its opponents in multiple ways.
“I know that with them some of the guys they got over there, their thing is to kind of try to beat you mentally,” Eason added. “If you know basketball, basketball is 90 percent mental. I just have to stay even-keeled.”
With a fiery series at play, the question becomes: What sequence will playoff basketball produce next?
After a season full of clutch moments, Jalen Brunson was voted as the 2024-25 NBA Clutch Player of the Year on Wednesday.
The Knicks point guard garnered 70 of the 100 possible first-place votes -- almost three times more than Nikola Jokic's 26 -- 24 second-place votes and four third-place votes for a total of 426 points. The other four votes went to Anthony Edwards (2), Stephen Curry (1) and LeBron James (1).
The NBA Clutch Player of the Year award was first presented back in the 2022-23 season and honors the NBA player who best comes through for his teammates late in close games and Brunson was one of the best.
Brunson averaged an NBA-high 5.6 points in clutch situations, which are defined as possessions in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points. He also led the league in field goals made (52) and ranked second in total points (156) and third in total assists (28) in those situations.
Brunson shot 51.5 percent from the field and 84.0 percent from the free-throw line in clutch time. In 28 clutch games with Brunson, the Knicks had a record of 17-11.
In his third season with the Knicks, Brunson was named to his second All-Star Game -- first as a starter. He averaged 26.0 points and 7.3 assists per game this season, both eighth in the NBA.
Warriors star Draymond Green has heard just about everything from opposing fans, even what Houston Rockets fans said Wednesday night.
Throughout the Rockets’ 109-94 Game 2 win over the Warriors, Houston fans serenaded Green with “F–k you Draymond’ chants.
Those chants reached a fever pitch in the fourth quarter when Green picked up a technical foul for shoving Rockets center Alperen Sengun as tempers flared.
After the game, Green brushed off the banter from Rockets fans.
“It’s not original,” Green told reporters at Toyota Center. “Been there before, won a championship while it was happening. So yeah, it’s not really an original. You can’t steal other people’s s–t. That belongs to Boston. So I kind of just kept it pushing.”
"It's not original."
A classic Draymond response to the "F–k you, Draymond" chants tonight in Houston 😅 pic.twitter.com/en5gX4G3pX
As Green noted, Boston Celtics fans gave him the business during the Warriors’ 2022 NBA Finals win.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr addressed the situation and wished fans would show more respect.
“No, Draymond’s, he’s been around forever,” Kerr told reporters. “He’s an instigator. He’s always going to be in the mix and because of his career, his championships, his fire, he’s going to be a lightning rod, and that’s all part of it.
I would prefer if fans could use a little more discretion and remember that the guy has kids. I don’t know … maybe I’m old school, but I’m all for the fans cheering for their team, and if they want to yell at the opponents, great, but I don’t know, I just think FU is a little much.”
Green, who finished with eight points on 2-of-6 shooting from 3-point range and grabbed five rebounds, is public enemy No. 1 in several NBA arenas, so he’s no stranger to rowdy fans.
The Warriors now head home to Chase Center for the next two games, but they’ll have to return to Houston at least one more time — and possibly twice — before the series ends.
BOSTON — A bloodied Kristaps Porzingis smiling and saluting a raucous TD Garden crowd perfectly summed up the first two games of the Boston Celtics’ opening series against the Orlando Magic.
During the second quarter, Caldwell-Pope again was the center of attention after tripping Celtics veteran Al Horford. The 38-year-old big man took exception, causing a brief dust-up between the two sides.
Late in the third, Kristaps Porzingis was bloodied after taking an elbow from Magic center Goga Bitadze. The Celtics big man left for the locker room, but he returned shortly thereafter with a bandage on his forehead and a loud ovation.
Porzingis received five stitches on his forehead and played through the ailment, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. After the Celtics’ 109-100 victory, he told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin that the injury “looked worse than it felt.” It was reminiscent of the cut he sustained on his nose during the team’s April 4 win over the Phoenix Suns.
While he could have played it safe and sat out the rest of the game, Porzingis couldn’t turn down the opportunity to fire up the crowd with another WWE-style entrance.
“I love my WWE moments, for sure,” Porzingis said during his postgame press conference. “It just happens in the game. I always love engaging with the crowd. I already knew getting hit again, blood again, the crowd was gonna love it. …
“How could I not come out?” he added. ” Oh, I have five stitches, I can’t play.’ My legs work. I like these moments. … Get a little love from the crowd … this is not gonna stop me.”
Predictably, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla enjoyed the bloody scene.
“I like watching him bleed on the court,” Mazzulla said. “I think it’s important. And then he comes back in and does his job.”
The Magic “mucked it up” throughout, putting the C’s on the free-throw line for a season-high 23 attempts in the first half. Boston finished 25-of-33 from the charity stripe.
Despite the Magic heading back to Orlando trailing the series 2-0, Porzingis doesn’t expect them to tone down their physical style. All the Celtics can do is continue to play their game, with their elite offense against one of the league’s worst.
“That’s how they’re gonna play the whole series,” Porzingis told Chin. “They’re gonna try to muck it up, there’s gonna be borderline fouls all the time. At the end, we’ve got to have our runs, we’re gonna have guys hitting big shots, making runs, and we’re gonna show that we believe we’re the superior team.”
Porzingis’ jovial demeanor turned serious toward the end of his press conference as he delivered a stern message to the Magic and future playoff opponents.
“We’re not gonna let anybody punk us,” he said. “We expect teams to do this type of stuff, to try to get in our heads, to try to provoke us. To try to maybe get some reaction out of us.
“It’s an emotional game, obviously. So we weren’t surprised, but we’re just not gonna take it. We’re gonna hit them right back.”
Porzingis’ WWE-style entrances will have to wait as the Celtics will visit Orlando for Games 3 and 4. Game 3 is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET Friday on NBC Sports Boston.
“There was something extra,” Horford said after Sunday’s game. “It was about the second or third time they, especially KCP, went at him in that way.”
In the second quarter of Wednesday’s Game 2 at TD Garden, Caldwell-Pope gave Horford something extra, appearing to trip the Celtics big man as he ran up the court on a fast break following a Jaylen Brown rebound.
Horford immediately got up and had words to Caldwell-Pope before walking away, while Brown got in KCP’s face to share some choice words of his own.
“I was starting to run on the break and he got into me there and impeded my progress.”
Orlando has tried to get under the Celtics’ skin with aggressive physicality to make up for a disadvantage in on-court talent. When asked about Horford’s call-out of Caldwell-Pope before Wednesday’s Game 2, Magic guard Cole Anthony responded, “If anything, I look at it like a positive because now we’ve got them complaining,” adding that Orlando is “going to keep mucking it up.”
The Magic certainly mucked up Wednesday’s game, committing 23 personal fouls that resulted in 33 free throw attempts for Boston. But their offensive deficiencies again proved costly, as they made just 7 of 29 (24.1 percent) 3-pointers in a 109-100 loss to the Celtics.
As for Caldwell-Pope? He finished the night with three points on 1 for 9 shooting (0 for 6 from 3).
The Celtics will take a 2-0 series lead to Orlando for Game 3 on Friday night, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
Clippers guard Norman Powell shoots a three-pointer as Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and center Nikola Jokic (15) defend in the second half of Game 2. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
At no point, Clippers guard Norman Powell maintained, did he waver in his belief in himself. At no point was he going to shy away from taking shots with the game hanging in the balance, despite missing many of his shots.
Powell said he has worked too hard all season to lose his confidence now, even if the stage has gotten bigger because the Clippers are in the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets.
Then he made three of his last four shots in the fourth quarter, during key moments, big-time shots that helped the Clippers pull out the tense game to tie the best-of-seven series 1-1.
Powell shot five for 14 from the field and finished with 13 points. But it was his seven points on three-for-four shooting in the final 12 minutes that showed how he impacted the game.
“Obviously for me, shots or buckets aren't coming as they have been all year,” Powell said after practice Wednesday. “But it's just about staying confident, riding the waves of the ups and downs of it. I’m trusting my work and just continue to take the shots that are open. Every shot that I've taken in this series have been shots I've made all year. It’s just not going in, but I have unwavering confidence in myself. My teammates [and] the coaching staff does.
“Throughout the course of the first two games, they've kept telling me to be aggressive and look for my spots, look for my shots, and late in the game I was able to convert on some of those shots … when we needed them, and that's what matters most is just continuing to believe in myself and find ways to be effective.”
Powell’s floater with 6:30 left gave the Clippers a 91-90 lead. His floater with 5:16 left gave them a 96-92 lead.
It was his three-pointer with 1:35 left, off a pass from Kawhi Leonard, for a 103-100 lead that proved to be biggest of all in the Clippers' 105-102 win. Getting the ball in that big spot showed Powell how much faith his teammates have in him.
“It just shows that they trust the work and they trusted my abilities as a player, as a teammate. Like I said, around this time you need that. You need the confidence in your two star players," Powell said, referring to Leonard and James Harden. "You need the confidence in the supporting cast and the role players to go out there and execute and win.
"It's a team game. Those guys are going to do what they have to do to put us in position, but it's everybody stepping up and making plays throughout the course of the series, throughout the course of a 48-minute game that's going to dig out wins. Not just going to be one guy, but everybody around here knows the amount I put into this game each and every day. Whether it's a good game, bad game, I'm here the next day putting in the work, getting better, watching film and seeing how I can be the best version of myself for this team. So it means a lot.”
They will need Powell again when the Clippers play Game 3, which will be their first playoff game at their new home, the Intuit Dome, on Thursday night.
Coach Tyronn Lue doesn’t care that Powell is shooting only 38.5% from the field in the series, averaging just 12.5 points after averaging a career-best 21.8 during the regular season and shooting 48.4% from the field, including 41.8% from three-point range.
Lue had a conversation with Powell to offer encouragement.
“He's got to trust in his work,” Lue said. “He works too hard. Sometimes I think too much. So, left him in at the end of the game. We saw what he did for us last year at the end of the games and so this wasn't any different. So, I'm glad he was able to make those three shots in the fourth quarter and hopefully that gets him going throughout the course of this series.”
Clippers applying full-court pressure
There have been times in this series when the Clippers applied full-court pressure on the Nuggets.
Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. would defend Denver point guard Jamal Murray full court in an attempt to wear him down.
Ben Simmons would pick up Denver center Nikola Jokic full court to try to slow him down.
“It helps a lot,” Lue said. “I think it allows them to get into their triggers later in the clock, which takes away Joker’s decision making being able to pass the ball three or four times and make a play. It also wears them down when they are playing so many minutes, so many heavy minutes. I thought when Ben came in the game and picked up Joker full court and kind of denied him and got into him, I thought it wore him down.
"Then DJ picked up Jamal and then Nico [Batum] was up picking up the floor against them. I think as the series goes along and the more minutes they are playing, the more we can be physical, picking up full court and trying to wear them down, it will be good for us.”
Jimmer Fredette has a career arc unlike anybody else. A former BYU standout who became an NBA lottery pick, he went on to be a massive star in China, then transitioned into being one of the top 3x3 players in the world and an Olympian.
That basketball career arc is ending for Fredette, 36, as he announced his retirement from the sport.
It’s time to say goodbye to basketball. I have loved every second of my career through the good and the bad! Thank you all for the support throughout the years. Basketball has made me who I am today. Excited for what is next in my life with my family! pic.twitter.com/Rx4r8Y4yfG
"It's been unbelievable, rewarding, and I definitely can't complain," Fredette told NBC Sports this summer before heading to Paris as part of the USA's men's 3x3 team. "I mean, what an awesome career I've had and it has built me into the person I am today, and not just a basketball player. So it's been pretty incredible to experience so many cool different cultures and places."
Fredette led the NCAA in scoring during his senior season at BYU, averaging 28.9 points per game and shooting almost 40% from three-point range, and he was voted the Naismith College Player of the Year.
BYU great Jimmer Fredette has announced his retirement from basketball.
Fredette was the No. 10 pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2011, part of a draft-night trade with the Kings. Fredette was never able to establish himself as a solid rotation player in the league, but he played 241 games across six NBA seasons, averaging six points a game.
The next chapter of Fredette's career largely unfolded in China. He played four seasons for the Shanghai Sharks, was named league MVP in 2017 and was a three-time All-Star. He also played a season in Greece for Panathinaikos, where he helped it win the Greek League championship.
In recent years, Fredette has been one of the top 3x3 players in the world — he won gold medals at the 2022 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup and the 2023 Pan American Games — and with that represented the USA in the Paris Olympics.
"It's been amazing," Fredette told NBC Sports this summer. "Honestly, it's been an incredible career. I started off up and down in the NBA, obviously, when I got there, it was some great times and some, some really tough times. Kind of a roller coaster at that point. And then I ended up going to China and really had a great career over in China and in Europe. And now to be a 3x3 and be able to be on what is considered one of the best teams in the world and, and to have a chance to go to the Olympics and play in the pinnacle of athletics. It's been unbelievable."
And it won't be forgotten by fans for a long time.
HOUSTON – When the Warriors return to San Francisco on Thursday, they’ll be doing so as a beat-up team needing to find their home-court advantage after a 109-94 loss Wednesday to the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
The loss evened the series at one win apiece. The final score also wasn’t as top of mind as usual.
Warriors star Jimmy Butler exited late in the first quarter after a hard fall to the hardwood that resulted in a pelvis contusion. He will undergo an MRI on Thursday after the Warriors return the Bay Area.
Steph Curry wasn’t able to recreate his masterful Game 1 performance. Curry had 20 points on 6-of-15 shooting and was 4 of 9 from deep in 37 minutes. He also had five rebounds and nine assists, but a game-high six turnovers.
He also was without his co-star for the majority of the game. Butler’s night only lasted eight minutes, in which he had three points on two shot attempts. The rest of the starting five – Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody – combined to score 20 points on 18 shots. Podziemski battled an illness and was scoreless, going 0 of 5 overall.
Golden State’s defense held Houston to six made 3-pointers in Game 1. Jalen Green, who scored just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting to open the series, scored eight threes himself. Green played a huge role in the Rockets’ win, exploding for a game-high 38 points.
The Warriors’ loss looked more like a football game or rugby match than basketball. WrestleMania made its way to Houston but these aren’t actors. There were a handful of “F–k you, Draymond” chants from Rockets fans and technical fouls for both sides.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ Game 2 loss.
Physicality Ramps Up
The next time someone says the modern NBA is soft, show them this series. It already was obvious the Rockets were going to grab Curry until the referees blew their whistle. Anything to slow him down. In the first quarter alone, it felt like these two teams were going to trade the ball for boxing gloves.
With four minutes left in the first quarter, Steve Kerr called a timeout not to slow the Rockets’ momentum but to let his feelings be known loudly to the refs. Not even two minutes later, a scary sight had everyone on the edge of their seats as Amen Thompson got under Butler in mid-air and the Warriors star slammed to the ground. He took a long time to get up before taking two free throws, missing his first and making his second.
Butler shortly after limped to the locker room with his personal trainer, as well as Warriors director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini. He was ruled out for the rest of the game with eight minutes left in the second quarter because of a pelvis contusion.
His injury was far from the only example of an extremely physical game. Curry and Kerr showed more frustrations than usual, and the Warriors looked like a team that desperately needs this series to end as quickly as possible.
Tari Eason was called for a transition take foul after shoving Brandin Podziemski to the ground 🤨 pic.twitter.com/18DTZtEJ6N
Podziemski was a late addition to the Warriors’ injury report with an illness three hours before tipoff. Coach Steve Kerr said Podziemski had a stomach issue from something he ate and had to go through pregame warmups to see if he could beat his bug. Podziemski battled through his shooting routine but toughed it out and was in the starting lineup.
The second-year pro came up clutch Sunday in his playoff debut, scoring 14 points with a team-high eight rebounds, plus five assists and two steals, making him a game-high plus-17. Right away, it was clear how much Podziemski was hurting in Game 2.
Kerr’s first substitution was bringing Gary Payton II in for Podziemski. He returned but Curry replaced him for the final 28 seconds of the first quarter and Podziemski, during the second quarter,r was deemed questionable for the rest of the game while in the locker room because of his illness. Podziemski made his return with a little more than six minutes left in the third quarter as the Warriors trailed by 15 points.
Butler’s injury opened the door for the return of Jonathan Kuminga, who was a DNP-CD (Did Not Play, Coach’s Decision) in the Warriors’ previous three games. Pat Spencer came in for Podziemski and played his most real minutes since the Warriors’ win against the Rockets on Feb. 13. The backup point guard deserves to be commended for his efforts, recognizing the Rockets’ foul trouble and scoring nine points over nine minutes in the second quarter.
Kuminga had 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting in 26 minutes.
Help Wanted
There isn’t a world where Spencer can be one of the Warriors’ most reliable bench scorers and they move onto the next round. Kuminga got to the basket, but he was far too inefficient trying to score by himself, missing at the rim on multiple occasions. Rust is a factor, but he didn’t look like a player Kerr can rely on, even if Butler misses the next game or more.
Rookie center Quinten Post undoubtedly made mistakes. He also proved getting through the first game loosened him up, and Post hit four 3-pointers for 12 points in 25 minutes off the bench. His role could increase moving forward.
Maybe Podziemski gets over his illness quickly and he finds his shot again. Moody knocked down three threes but they felt empty and Buddy Hield was a non-factor for the second straight game. Gui Santos’ minus-8 plus/minus was the worst among Warriors reserves.
The Warriors have scored under 100 points in the first two games of the series and in five of the seven games against the Rockets this season.
The fact is, the Warriors don’t have a No. 2 scorer without Butler. His MRI results could erase major worries. Someone, though, will have to step up with or without him.
Bailey talked about how much he enjoyed playing at Rutgers — "I felt a lot of love from everyone... I loved being in college and playing college basketball" — and assessed himself in an interview with ESPN.
"I did good. I could have done way better, but I matured this season. The game slowed down for me. My IQ got higher. I got faster and way stronger. My ball-handling and shooting tightened up. Rutgers had me guarding everyone from point guards to power forwards. I learned a lot."
Bailey looks like a prototypical wing or stretch four in the NBA: he's 6'10", is a freak athlete, who can create his own shot, and averaged 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds a game while shooting 36.7% from beyond the arc.
Bailey is a relatively polarizing player for a projected top-three pick, according to scouts who spoke to NBC Sports. His supporters said Bailey may have the highest ceiling of any player in this draft but his detractors questioned whether he could live up to that. He showed flashes of being able to create for others at Rutgers but his passing was inconsistent. Will he thrive in the NBA where the spacing is far better on the floor, or will it be more of the same?
Bailey's potential is so high that he is not going to fall further than No. 4 in the draft, and is most likely a top-three pick (depending on how the NBA Draft Lottery shakes out). With that, he made the smart move by declaring for the draft.
Forward Jimmy Butler has been ruled out of the Warriors’ game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night due to a pelvis contusion after a scary fall to the Toyota Center floor.
Butler will undergo an MRI on Thursday, the Warriors announced.
Jimmy Butler will undergo an MRI tomorrow, per the Warriors. The team lands back in the Bay Area tomorrow afternoon following tonight’s Game 2 @NBCSWarriors
Brunson was up against Denver Nuggets star and multi-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Minnesota Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards.
The NBA considers “clutch time” as the final five minutes of either the fourth quarter or overtime of a five-point game.
In such scenarios this season, Brunson averaged a league-high 5.6 points. He also led the league in field goals made (52), ranked second in total points (156) and third in total assists (28).
The two-time All-Star shot 51.5% from the field and 84% from the foul line in clutch time. In the 28 clutch games he appeared in, the Knicks posted a 17-11 record.
De’Aaron Fox won the first ever edition of the award in 2022-23 as a Sacramento King, while Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry picked it up last season, making Brunson the first from the Eastern Conference to claim the award.
Brunson played 65 games this season and posted total averages of 26.0 points, 7.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds on a 49/38/82 shooting split.
Brunson was up against Denver Nuggets star and multi-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Minnesota Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards.
The NBA considers “clutch time” as the final five minutes of either the fourth quarter or overtime of a five-point game.
In such scenarios this season, Brunson averaged a league-high 5.6 points. He also led the league in field goals made (52), ranked second in total points (156) and third in total assists (28).
The two-time All-Star shot 51.5% from the field and 84% from the foul line in clutch time. In the 28 clutch games he appeared in, the Knicks posted a 17-11 record.
De’Aaron Fox won the first ever edition of the award in 2022-23 as a Sacramento King, while Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry picked it up last season, making Brunson the first from the Eastern Conference to claim the award.
Brunson played 65 games this season and posted total averages of 26.0 points, 7.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds on a 49/38/82 shooting split.
BOSTON — Payton Pritchard has come a long way since joining the Boston Celtics. On Tuesday, his efforts were recognized with the 2025 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.
The honor represents the sacrifices Pritchard has made to carve out a key role with the team that drafted him in 2020. After averaging 19.2 minutes per game as a rookie, the Oregon product saw his playing time dip significantly during the 2021-22 campaign and even more in 2022-23.
That led to Pritchard requesting a trade ahead of the 2023 deadline, but a deal never materialized. Instead, the Celtics showed their faith in Pritchard with a four-year contract extension ahead of the 2023-24 season. Since then, Pritchard has evolved into an NBA champion and one of the best bench players in the league.
“It’s a credit to him. It’s a credit to the player development staff,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said before Wednesday’s Game 2 against the Orlando Magic. “I’ve said before about him, it’s easy for guys to slip through the cracks dealing with uncertainty, but he dealt with it with a high level of professionalism.”
Pritchard took a moment before Wednesday’s game against Orlando to reflect on his accomplishment.
“It’s definitely an honor to get the award. It just shows that I’m on the right path,” Pritchad said. “That all the hard work that I put in, and the grind and everything, it’s paying off. …
“It’s just having this dying passion for something I love,” he added. “I pour everything into it every day. It’s just a commitment I’ve had at a young age and a belief in myself that I could do things that a lot of people said — a majority, everybody said — I would never be able to do.”
After winning the award, Pritchard quickly shifted his focus to the ultimate goal: Banner 19.
“The main goal is to win a ring,” he said. “Like, it’s great to have this award, but I’d much rather have a ring than an individual award. The most important thing is to get this for the team and the city.”
Pritchard stepped up in Game 1, delivering 19 points off the bench in Boston’s 103-86 win. He’ll look to duplicate the performance when the Celtics and Magic face off in Game 2 Wednesday night at TD Garden.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies Preview
It’s Thursday, April 24, and the Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14) and Memphis Grizzlies (48-34) are all set to square off from FedExForum in Memphis.
The Thunder handled business in the first two games of the series. They were dominant in both. Those wins made a statement, setting the stage for a tough Memphis comeback.
The Thunder are currently 32-8 on the road with a point differential of 13, while the Grizzlies have a 4-6 record in their last ten games at home.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Thunder vs. Grizzlies live today
Date: Thursday, April 24, 2025
Time: 9:30PM EST
Site: FedExForum
City: Memphis, TN
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Thunder vs. Grizzlies
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Odds: Thunder (-362), Grizzlies (+284)
Spread: Thunder -8.5
Over/Under: 226 points
That gives the Thunder an implied team point total of 116.33, and the Grizzlies 111.89.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Thursday’s Thunder vs. Grizzlies game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Thunder & Grizzlies game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Oklahoma City Thunder on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Memphis Grizzlies at +8.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 226.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Thunder vs. Grizzlies on Thursday
The Thunder have won 3 straight games at the Grizzlies
10 of the Grizzlies' last 12 matchups with the Thunder have stayed under the Total
The Grizzlies have covered the spread in 6 of their last 8 home postseason games
The Thunder are on a 5-game win streak
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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For the first time in 2,980 days, the Boston Celtics will play a postseason game without Jayson Tatum.
Tatum won’t play in Game 2 of Boston’s first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday due to a wrist injury the team is labeling as a “right distal radius bone bruise.”
Tatum suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Game 1 when he landed on his right wrist after a hard foul by Magic guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Tatum remained in the game, then received an MRI on his wrist immediately after the 103-86 win.
While Tatum said his wrist felt “all right” following the game and did some on-court work during Tuesday’s practice, the Celtics listed him as doubtful for Wednesday’s game later that afternoon.
Now, Tatum is set to miss the first playoff game of his eight-year NBA career after playing in all 114 of Boston’s postseason contests from 2018 to 2024.
The last time the Celtics played a playoff game without Tatum in the lineup was May 25, 2017, a 135-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals that featured a Boston starting lineup of Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Kelly Olynyk and Al Horford.
The Celtics still will be favored to win Game 2 in Tatum’s absence and went 8-2 without Tatum in the lineup during the regular season. But it’s still a blow for Boston to not have the No. 4 candidate for 2025 NBA MVP who led the C’s in points (26.8), rebounds (8.7) and assists (6.0) per game this season.
Tip-off at TD Garden is set for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, with NBC Sports Boston’s coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.
