Category: Basketball

NBA playoff bracket set for 2025: Here all the matchups entering the postseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

After a grueling regular season, it’s time to crown a champion.

The 2024-25 NBA regular season concluded on Sunday after nearly six months of non-stop action.

The upcoming playoffs will feature all of the best teams from across the league, including the defending champion Boston Celtics and 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder.

How do the seeds stack up in each conference? Who will compete in the Play-In Tournament? And what is the bracket looking like? Here’s everything to know entering the postseason:

When do the NBA playoffs start?

The 2025 NBA playoffs tip off on Saturday, April 19, with Game 1 of four first-round series’ being held.

The remaining four series will play Game 1 on Sunday, April 20.

What are the NBA playoff matchups and seeds?

The top six seeds in each conference are locked into the playoffs, which means matchups for four of the eight first-round series are set. The bottom two seeds in each conference will be determined in the Play-In Tournament.

Here are the seeds and matchups for both conferences:

EAST

• No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 7 Orlando Magic/No. 8 Atlanta Hawks/No. 9 Chicago Bulls/No. 10 Miami Heat
• No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Orlando Magic/No. 8 Atlanta Hawks
• No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Detroit Pistons
• No. 4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks

WEST

• No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 7 Golden State Warriors/No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies/No. 9 Sacramento Kings/No. 10 Dallas Mavericks
• No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 Golden State Warriors/No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies
• No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves
• No. 4 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers

Who is in the NBA Play-In Tournament?

The Play-In Tournament will feature the seventh through 10th seeds in each conference.

The No. 7 seeds will face the No. 8 seeds, with the winners moving to the first-round against the No. 2 seeds. The losers will face the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 games, with the winners of those games moving on to face the No. 1 seeds. Here’s the Play-In Tournament matchups:

EAST

• Game 1: No. 8 Atlanta Hawks at No. 7 Orlando Magic (Tuesday, April 15)
• Game 2: No. 10 Miami Heat at No. 9 Chicago Bulls (Wednesday, April 16)
• Game 3: Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1 (Friday, April 18)

WEST

• Game 1: No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies at No. 7 Golden State Warriors (Tuesday, April 15)
• Game 2: No. 10 Dallas Mavericks at No. 9 Sacramento Kings (Wednesday, April 16)
• Game 3: Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1 (Friday, April 18)

How to watch the NBA playoffs and NBA Finals

The NBA playoffs will air on ESPN, ABC, TNT and NBA TV. The exact partners for each series and game are still to be determined.

For the 23rd consecutive season dating back to 2003, the NBA Finals will be broadcasted on ABC.

NBA playoff bracket set for 2025: Here all the matchups entering the postseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

After a grueling regular season, it’s time to crown a champion.

The 2024-25 NBA regular season concluded on Sunday after nearly six months of non-stop action.

The upcoming playoffs will feature all of the best teams from across the league, including the defending champion Boston Celtics and 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder.

How do the seeds stack up in each conference? Who will compete in the Play-In Tournament? And what is the bracket looking like? Here’s everything to know entering the postseason:

When do the NBA playoffs start?

The 2025 NBA playoffs tip off on Saturday, April 19, with Game 1 of four first-round series’ being held.

The remaining four series will play Game 1 on Sunday, April 20.

What are the NBA playoff matchups and seeds?

The top six seeds in each conference are locked into the playoffs, which means matchups for four of the eight first-round series are set. The bottom two seeds in each conference will be determined in the Play-In Tournament.

Here are the seeds and matchups for both conferences:

EAST

• No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 7 Orlando Magic/No. 8 Atlanta Hawks/No. 9 Chicago Bulls/No. 10 Miami Heat
• No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Orlando Magic/No. 8 Atlanta Hawks
• No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Detroit Pistons
• No. 4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks

WEST

• No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 7 Golden State Warriors/No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies/No. 9 Sacramento Kings/No. 10 Dallas Mavericks
• No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 Golden State Warriors/No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies
• No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves
• No. 4 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers

Who is in the NBA Play-In Tournament?

The Play-In Tournament will feature the seventh through 10th seeds in each conference.

The No. 7 seeds will face the No. 8 seeds, with the winners moving to the first-round against the No. 2 seeds. The losers will face the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 games, with the winners of those games moving on to face the No. 1 seeds. Here’s the Play-In Tournament matchups:

EAST

• Game 1: No. 8 Atlanta Hawks at No. 7 Orlando Magic (Tuesday, April 15)
• Game 2: No. 10 Miami Heat at No. 9 Chicago Bulls (Wednesday, April 16)
• Game 3: Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1 (Friday, April 18)

WEST

• Game 1: No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies at No. 7 Golden State Warriors (Tuesday, April 15)
• Game 2: No. 10 Dallas Mavericks at No. 9 Sacramento Kings (Wednesday, April 16)
• Game 3: Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1 (Friday, April 18)

How to watch the NBA playoffs and NBA Finals

The NBA playoffs will air on ESPN, ABC, TNT and NBA TV. The exact partners for each series and game are still to be determined.

For the 23rd consecutive season dating back to 2003, the NBA Finals will be broadcasted on ABC.

Draymond states Warriors aren't ‘senior citizens' ahead of play-in originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Programming Note: Tune into “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday on NBC Sports Bay Area before the Warriors and Grizzlies tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Warriors Postgame Live.”

Steph Curry just turned 37 years old. Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler both are 35.

But, make no mistake — the Warriors’ core stars have plenty of gas in the tank, Green maintains.

After a brutal 124-119 loss in overtime to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, Golden State must earn its ticket to the NBA playoffs through the play-in tournament.

As a result, the Warriors lose out on a week of rest before the first round starts. That could have been important time off for players to heal some nagging injuries, particularly Curry.

Green was asked if Golden State will have the needed energy to make an extended playoff run — assuming it progresses through the play-in — after Sunday’s hard-fought loss to end the regular season.

“We’ll be fine,” Green responded in his postgame media availability. “[In the] playoffs, you’re not playing on back-to-backs or anything like that, so just got to get there. We’ll be all right.

“We’re not senior citizens. We’re high-level basketball players. If we had to play tomorrow, we would be all right. You train all year for this.”

"We're not senior citizens."

Draymond Green isn't worried about the Warriors missing out on a full week of rest pic.twitter.com/15HUxDyLxP

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 14, 2025

Don’t worry, though. Green clarified his opinions on the elderly community.

“It’s no disrespect to the senior citizens, by the way,” Green added with a smile. “We love our senior citizens. Just throwing that out there.

“But we [aren’t] there yet, so we’ll be just fine.”

With a win Tuesday against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Warriors at least can salvage a few days off before a first-round matchup with the Houston Rockets.

Regardless, Green isn’t worried about Golden State’s ability to make a deep run.

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Two Kings players are secret to team's suddenly improved defense originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Programming Note: Tune into “Kings Pregame Live” at 6:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday on NBC Sports California before the Kings and Mavericks tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Kings Postgame Live.”

SACRAMENTO – There has been plenty to talk about when discussing the Kings’ 2024-25 NBA season, from the early-season firing of Mike Brown to the trade for mercurial scorer Zach LaVine or the double-doubles that Domantas Sabonis collects like stamps.

One thing that hasn’t received nearly the level of attention that it should has been the defense of Keon Ellis and Keegan Murray.

All season the two have been right up front on the battle lines of Sacramento’s defense. Ellis is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard who led the Kings with a career-high 121 steals this season, nearly 60 more than the guy who was second with 66 steals – former franchise star De’Aaron Fox.

Ellis also set a career high with 63 blocks, second on the Kings only to Murray, who swatted away 69 opponent shots.

“That’s kind of my role out there and what I’m out there to do,” Ellis said after the Kings’ win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday at Golden 1 Center. “Definitely glad that I can perform at that level on that end. Good to see all the preparation or the way that I think about the defensive end is working out.”

Murray, Sacramento’s 6-foot-8 power forward, hasn’t met a matchup yet that he’s incapable of handling. When he’s not matched up against players near his size, Murray frequently can be seen trying to body up and muscle his way against opposing centers who often have a 4- or 5-inch height advantage.

As a team, the Kings have had a fairly mediocre defense, although it has been trending upward lately.

Sacramento owns a 115.3 defensive rating for the season, 22^nd in the NBA. Over the last two weeks, however, the Kings have been playing with a top-10 defense.

Most of that improvement is a result of how well the two K’s – Keon and Keegan – have been playing as stoppers.

In turn, that has made it easier at times for interim coach Doug Christie to get his message through.

“What I’m trying to get across is there’s fun in defense, and that’s a hard thing,” Christie said. “When I think of Keon and think of Keegan, I’m going to continue to say it: I think they’re all-league defenders. But then you add Jake [LaRavia] and [rookie Devin Carter] to that, now you have one, two, three defenders on the floor and people feel the gravity, they feel the physicality.

“Keegan and Keon set the tone for that.”

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Kings ready to ‘lock in' vs. Mavs with play-in homecourt secured originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Programming Note: Tune into “Kings Pregame Live” at 6:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday on NBC Sports California before the Kings and Mavericks tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Kings Postgame Live.”

SACRAMENTO – Turns out the Kings will have at least one more opportunity to light the beam in the state’s capital this season.

Having already secured a place in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchup in the first round of the NBA play-in tournament bracket next week, the Kings were in position to make sure that game would be played at Golden 1 Center and did just that against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

“It’s huge from the standpoint of it’s a homecourt advantage,” Keon Ellis said following Sacramento’s 109-98 win over a short-handed Phoenix team. “You don’t have to travel or go anywhere else. Play in front of your home crowd, a familiar place [and] you got the fans behind you.”

That the Kings are even in the play-in bracket is commendable considering all the drama the team faced this season.

There was the early-season shake-up when Mike Brown was fired 31 games into the season, only a few months after the unanimous 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year was rewarded with a hefty contract extension.

Point guard De’Aaron Fox, once thought to be the face of the franchise in Sacramento, was traded away to the San Antonio Spurs not long after that.

“Now we are, one at a time, two wins away from getting to the next step of our journey,” interim Kings coach Doug Christie said. “Very proud of the fight, the determination that they showed in the face of a lot of different adversity that went on this year. That’s a big credit to them. Congratulations to them, the organization and our city.”

Sunday’s win sent a loud G1C crowd home happy. Odds are that the place will be a lot more lively and raucous on Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks.

For good reason, too.

The Kings are trying to get into the NBA playoffs for the second time in 19 years. Under Brown’s lead during the 2022-23 season, Sacramento was eliminated in a thrilling seven-game series with the four-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

Last season, the Kings flipped the script and beat the Warriors at home in the first round of the play-in bracket then lost to the Pelicans in New Orleans and were eliminated from the postseason.

Thus the importance of securing homecourt for Wednesday’s game against the Mavericks.

“It’s not over,” Christie said. “I think when it’s over, we’re headed home with the trophy and we can all celebrate. But now you can’t. You can’t breathe in these moments. This is a time to stay locked in. There’s going to be things that we need to lock in on.

“Mediocrity is not going to be effective in this moment. We got to step up our game.”

The Kings won all three games against the Mavericks this season, including twice in Dallas at American Airlines Center. The Kings went 2-2 against the Mavericks last season, losing twice to Dallas at Golden 1 Center and winning two on the road.

Ellis pointed out that facing a win-or-go-home situation in one game is a lot more daunting than a seven-game series.

“In the playoffs, you lose one you still have three more losses before you’re out,” Ellis said. “But in a game like Wednesday, that’s your one and only shot. Everything has to line up and connect for us because there’s no second chance after that.”

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What to know as Celtics prepare for first round of playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

With the regular season in the books, the Boston Celtics will sit back and await their opponent for the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The C’s wrapped up their 2024-25 campaign with a 61-21 record after securing a 93-86 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. They went 64-18 during their 2024 NBA championship season.

Boston enters the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cleveland Cavaliers earned the No. 1 seed with a 65-17 record.

As the No. 2 seed, the Celtics will begin their playoff run against the No. 7 seed in the East. More on their potential first-round opponent and when the first round is scheduled to begin below:

Who will the Celtics play in Round 1?

The No. 2 seed Celtics will meet either the Orlando Magic or the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. The Magic and Hawks will compete for the No. 7 seed on Tuesday.

Boston went 1-2 against both teams during the regular season.

When is the NBA play-in tournament?

• The play-in tourney begins Tuesday, April 15 with the No. 8 and No. 7 seeds in both conferences facing off.
• The No. 10 and No. 9 seeds in each conference will play against one another on Wednesday, April 16.
• The winner of the East 10/9 matchup will face the loser of the East 8/7 game on Friday, April 18.
• The winner of the West 10/9 matchup will face the loser of the West 8/7 game on Friday, April 18.

When will the first round begin?

The Celtics’ Game 1 showdown vs. the Magic or Hawks at TD Garden will take place on either April 19 or 20. The tip-off time is TBD.

Will Jaylen Brown play for Celtics in first round?

Jaylen Brown has been bothered by a knee issue in recent weeks, but it doesn’t sound like it will keep the Celtics star from suiting up when the playoffs start. C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said Sunday he is “100 percent” confident Brown will be ready to go:

What we learned as Warriors seal play-in fate with OT loss to Clippers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Programming Note: Tune into “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday on NBC Sports Bay Area before the Warriors and Grizzlies tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Warriors Postgame Live.”

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Game 82 of the 2024-25 NBA regular season wasn’t exactly a win or go home for the Warriors, but it certainly had a playoff feel Sunday at Chase Center. 

Win, and the Warriors were guaranteed the No. 6 NBA playoff seed and a first-round matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Lose, and the Warriors dropped to the No. 7 seed, hosting an NBA play-in tournament game on their home court. 

The drama. The suspense. Sports were at their finest, and the Warriors were outlasted 124-119 in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Jimmy Butler played nearly flawless basketball for the Warriors (30 points, nine assists, 12-of-20 shooting). Steph Curry, fighting off a right thumb injury, started off extremely slow but scored 21 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. Brandin Podziemski was a team-high plus-14, giving Golden State 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Curry also had a season-high eight turnovers.

On the other side, Kawhi Leonard (33 points, six rebounds, seven assists, three steals, 13-of-19 shooting), James Harden (38 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists) and Ivica Zubac (22 points, 17 rebounds) were sensational.

While Zubac hauled in 17 rebounds of his own, the Warriors only grabbed 25 as a team. Podziemski had seven rebounds, but the rest of Golden State’s starters had seven. The Clippers finished with 17 more rebounds than the Warriors, and eight more second-chance points.

Here are three takeaways from a wild final game of the regular season.

Steph’s Late Surge

With his right thumb padded and wrapped in athletic tape, Curry wasn’t going let another injury concern deter him from playing the regular-season finale. Whether it was pain, discomfort or something else, Curry was off early on. He scored five points in the first quarter, but had three bad turnovers and already was whistled for two fouls. 

The Warriors then went on a 22-9 run without him before he came back during the second quarter. Curry scored eight points in the second quarter, bringing him to 13, but he was a minus-15 in 15 first-half minutes. 

As Butler continued to carry the Warriors, Curry only scored two points in the third quarter and was down to a minus-16 entering the fourth. The Warriors trailed by one point going into the fourth, needing any extra juice Curry could muster to give them a final jolt. He entered with nine minutes left and the Warriors down by four points. 

Curry hit a deep three with a little under eight minutes remaining to cut the deficit to four points. A fire was lit. Curry exploded for an absurd 18 points in the fourth quarter, putting on a cinematic show for all to enjoy.

WARDELL FOR 3 💦 pic.twitter.com/YZ8Xp6ZVUG

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 13, 2025

Butler vs. Leonard

They stood shoulder-to-shoulder at center court for the opening tipoff. Not all eyes gravitated to Butler and Leonard, but the two players completely change the outlook of their respective teams. The Warriors had lost all three of their previous games against the Clippers this season, though none included either player. 

Butler kicked into get-into-the-playoffs mode right away, scoring 10 first-quarter points. Only two of those points were from the free-throw line, where Butler has lived since joining the Warriors at the NBA trade deadline. He went 4-of-6 shooting and even threw down two dunks. 

JIMMY JAM 💥 pic.twitter.com/HIyxIY6KhJ

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 13, 2025

ANOTHER Jimmy Jam ‼pic.twitter.com/Qrvkhh9Lcy

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 13, 2025

Butler and Leonard undoubtedly were the two best players on the floor. Each looked spry and determined to bring their team a victory. Butler was up to 13 points and seven assists by halftime, but Leonard was even better. In 21 minutes, Leonard was a plus-12 with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting and had four rebounds and four assists. 

Leonard had 25 points going into the fourth quarter, and Butler was at 24. Butler opened the quarter nailing a turnaround jumper, but was outscored 8-6 by Leonard between the fourth quarter and overtime.

The Kuminga Plan

Is there one? In this game, with so many implications, Jonathan Kuminga was an afterthought. He started the game staying loose on the stationary bike, and then watched the rest from the bench.

Buddy Hield was the first player off the bench, something that isn’t new or out of the ordinary. But the next player coach Steve Kerr usually points to is Kuminga to replace Butler. It wasn’t. Gary Payton II checked in as Butler took a seat. 

Kerr has said recently the three-man combination of Draymond Green, Butler and Kuminga doesn’t work, and the numbers show he’s right. They’ve spent 38 minutes on the floor together over three games and have a minus-24.9 net rating with a 97.5 offensive rating and 122.4 defensive rating. The Warriors coach also said after Golden State’s win in Portland on Friday night that the team’s offense has lacked flow and rhythm the past few weeks. 

That just so happens to coincide with Kuminga’s return from a badly sprained ankle. Kuminga’s athleticism is second to none on the Warriors. His impact was loud and obvious when the Warriors beat the Lakers 10 days ago, scoring an efficient 18 points off the bench with nine rebounds, four assists and a blocked shot. 

Kuminga theoretically raises the Warriors’ ceiling. Kerr doesn’t care about hypotheticals, only winning basketball on that particular day.

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NBA playoff bracket set for 2025: Here all the matchups entering the postseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After a grueling regular season, it’s time to crown a champion.

The 2024-25 NBA regular season concluded on Sunday after nearly six months of non-stop action.

The upcoming playoffs will feature all of the best teams from across the league, including the defending champion Boston Celtics and 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder.

How do the seeds stack up in each conference? Who will compete in the Play-In Tournament? And what is the bracket looking like? Here’s everything to know entering the postseason:

When do the NBA playoffs start?

The 2025 NBA playoffs tip off on Saturday, April 19, with Game 1 of four first-round series’ being held.

The remaining four series will play Game 1 on Sunday, April 20.

What are the NBA playoff matchups and seeds?

The top six seeds in each conference are locked into the playoffs, which means matchups for four of the eight first-round series are set. The bottom two seeds in each conference will be determined in the Play-In Tournament.

Here are the seeds and matchups for both conferences:

EAST

• No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 7 Orlando Magic/No. 8 Atlanta Hawks/No. 9 Chicago Bulls/No. 10 Miami Heat
• No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Orlando Magic/No. 8 Atlanta Hawks
• No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Detroit Pistons
• No. 4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks

WEST

• No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 7 Golden State Warriors/No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies/No. 9 Sacramento Kings/No. 10 Dallas Mavericks
• No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 Golden State Warriors/No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies
• No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves
• No. 4 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers

Who is in the NBA Play-In Tournament?

The Play-In Tournament will feature the seventh through 10th seeds in each conference.

The No. 7 seeds will face the No. 8 seeds, with the winners moving to the first-round against the No. 2 seeds. The losers will face the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 games, with the winners of those games moving on to face the No. 1 seeds. Here’s the Play-In Tournament matchups:

EAST

• Game 1: No. 8 Atlanta Hawks at No. 7 Orlando Magic (Tuesday, April 15)
• Game 2: No. 10 Miami Heat at No. 9 Chicago Bulls (Wednesday, April 16)
• Game 3: Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1 (Friday, April 18)

WEST

• Game 1: No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies at No. 7 Golden State Warriors (Tuesday, April 15)
• Game 2: No. 10 Dallas Mavericks at No. 9 Sacramento Kings (Wednesday, April 16)
• Game 3: Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1 (Friday, April 18)

How to watch the NBA playoffs and NBA Finals

The NBA playoffs will air on ESPN, ABC, TNT and NBA TV. The exact partners for each series and game are still to be determined.

For the 23rd consecutive season dating back to 2003, the NBA Finals will be broadcasted on ABC.

Warriors vs. Grizzlies NBA play-in set after Golden State's loss to LA Clippers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Programming Note: Tune into “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday on NBC Sports Bay Area before the Warriors and Grizzlies tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Warriors Postgame Live.”

The Warriors didn’t take care of business Sunday, and now they will have to deal with the NBA play-in tournament again.

Golden State’s crushing season-finale 124-119 overtime loss to the LA Clippers at Chase Center means the Warriors will host the Memphis Grizzlies in the No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in game at 7 p.m. PT on Tuesday night.

Steph Curry led the way with 36 points and Jimmy Butler finished with 30, but that wasn’t enough to overcome big performances from Clippers stars James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac.

The winner of the Warriors-Grizzlies game will advance to take on the No. 2-seeded Houston Rockets in the first round.

The loser of the Golden State-Memphis game will host the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game between the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks on Friday.

Steph Curry and Co. won three of the four regular-season matchups against the Grizzlies, with the most recent coming April 1 in Memphis, thanks to a 52-point eruption from the two-time NBA MVP.

The Warriors and Grizzlies previously met in the 2021 play-in tournament, with Memphis winning the elimination game to end Golden State’s season.

Golden State, winless in three prior play-in games, is hoping for a different result this time.

Games between the Warriors and Grizzlies always are intense, and Tuesday’s showdown should be no different.

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3 observations after Sixers close out dismal 2024-25 season with loss to Bulls  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ 2024-25 season is history. They won’t want to relive much of it. 

The team closed out its schedule Sunday afternoon at Wells Fargo Center with a 122-102 loss to the Bulls. 

At 24-58, the Sixers’ record was by their worst since the 2015-16 season. 

Lonnie Walker IV scored 31 points in the season finale, tying his career high

The injury-plagued Sixers’ eight available players included Isaiah Mobley, who signed Sunday morning. The 6-foot-8 power forward averaged 17.4 points and 7.9 rebounds this season for the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League. He posted six points, five assists and four rebounds against the Bulls.

Here are observations on Game No. 82:

More positives from Bona

The Sixers’ starting lineup had just one member of their opening-night roster: Rookie Adem Bona. He was joined by two trade acquisitions (Quentin Grimes and Jared Butler), a February signing from Lithuania (Walker), and a 10-day contract player (Marcus Bagley). 

In keeping with a late-season theme, Bona’s early work against Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic was a bright spot.

A left-handed Bona tip-in gave him six points in the first six minutes. The rookie finished the season with multiple offensive rebounds in 13 consecutive appearances. 

Bona beat Vucevic in the post with a nifty step-through layup a few minutes later. He’s continued to be efficient and self-aware, but Bona’s offensive comfort zone has clearly expanded this year thanks to in-game reps and ample behind-the-scenes work.

Consistent late-season regulars 

In addition to Bona, several Sixers became consistent contributors at the end of the season.

Grimes had an off day, shooting just 3 for 14 from the field, but was often brilliant. He posted 26.6 points, 4.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game in March. 

Walker drilled two early three-pointers and went 8 for 15 beyond the arc on the afternoon. He wrapped up the season with five straight double-figure scoring games and averaged 22.8 points during that stretch. Walker’s runner late in the second quarter put the Sixers up 54-45. 

Butler (19 points, five assists) also produced steadily over the Sixers’ last couple of weeks. He’s gained familiarity with his teammates, developed pick-and-roll chemistry with Bona and picked his spots to score. 

Coming off of a 20-point, 10-rebound game Friday vs. the Hawks, Bagley was again sharp as a cutter and on the glass in a 10-point, 15 rebound performance. He picked up four steals and a block in the first half, too.

Almost all about the injuries

The Bulls rested starters Kevin Huerter, Coby White, Vucevic and Matas Buzelis for the second half.

Of course, the perpetually undermanned Sixers had no such luxuries. Chicago started the second half well and gradually pulled away.

In our view, a large chunk of the Sixers’ 58 losses can legitimately be chalked up to injuries. 

That doesn’t mean, health permitting, the Sixers were undoubtedly destined for greatness. They had a variety of flaws unrelated to injuries, such as leaning too heavily on older players and remaining a poor defensive rebounding team. However, no team hit by the Sixers’ volume of injuries would have thrived. 

There are ways the Sixers can be better equipped for injury woes. As president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said in February, the team aimed to get younger at the trade deadline. Still, in order to dramatically bounce back from a hellacious season, the Sixers surely need Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey to have much better health.