If the Denver Nuggets advance from this series, this will be the play that will be remembered.
In the final seconds of Game 4 between the Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver star Nikola Jokic was forced into a tough fadeaway as time expired.
But just a tenth of a second before it did, forward Aaron Gordon flew for the putback dunk that counted after review, winning it for Denver 101-99 on the road.
AARON GORDON WITH THE WILDEST BUZZER BEATER EVER đ¨
Gordon immediately had confidence it would count before the official review, running the full length of the court and celebrating with teammates.
The series, now tied at 2-2, will return to Denver with Gordon helping the momentum be with his team entering Tuesday.
Jokic, as usual, posted incredible numbers to lead his side: 36 points, 21 rebounds and eight assists. Every Nugget starter scored double-digit points, with all five playing at least 42 minutes or more in a key game.
Gordon, with the game winner, finished with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Los Angeles went a bit deeper with its rotation, but didnât have one player clearly above the crop. Kawhi Leonard led the way with 24 points, nine rebounds and two assists, with Norman Powell adding 22 points.
Ivica Zubac tried to rival Jokic with 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, but James Harden mustered just 15 points to go with 11 assists and four rebounds. Bogdan Bogdanovic led the bench with seven points.
Apr 26, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts after scoring against the Miami Heat in the third quarter during game three for the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
MIAMI (AP) â Donovan Mitchell didn't have a great shooting day. Darius Garland was in street clothes, out with an injury.
And Cleveland rolled anyway, moving to the brink of Round 2.
Jarrett Allen scored 22 points, DeâAndre Hunter added 21 and the Cavaliers - bullying Miami around all day - handed the Heat their worst playoff loss with a 124-87 win Saturday to take a 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
The Cavs took control with a 33-5 run early, outrebounded Miami 46-29 and outscored the Heat 60-30 in the paint.
âOur guys knew that was the key, rebounding and winning the rebounding battle,â Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. âWe really executed defensively.â
Evan Mobley scored 19 and Max Strus added 18 for Cleveland. Ty Jerome had 13 points and 11 assists in 22 minutes - he was plus-33 in those minutes - and Mitchell scored 13 on 4-for-14 shooting.
They didn't need more from him and didn't need anything from Garland, their All-Star guard who was out with a sprained toe.
âLook, our guys really want this and it probably looks like our guys don't," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. âBut I know what our last six weeks have been like, just to fight and scratch and claw to get into this.â
Bam Adebayo scored 22 and Davion Mitchell added 16 for Miami. The worst Heat playoff loss before Saturday was a 36-point defeat in Game 3 of the 2013 NBA Finals at San Antonio.
That Heat team won an NBA title. This Heat team is on the brink of being swept.
It's the 11th time that a Cavaliers team has taken a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven series - the other 10 were all in the LeBron James eras in Cleveland, and they all ended in 4-0 sweeps.
These Cavs will try to finish off a sweep of their own in Game 4 at Miami on Monday. It's the 159th time in NBA history that a team has taken a 3-0 series lead; the first 157 went on to win the series, and Oklahoma City is the 158th and could oust Memphis later Saturday.
It was all Miami for the first 5 1/2 minutes. After that, it was all Cleveland, the Cavaliers taking full control of the game over the next 8 minutes with a 33-5 run.
Cleveland shot 13 for 17 during the spurt, scoring on its first eight possessions of the run. And it ended with five consecutive makes from 3-point range, those coming in a span of just over 2 minutes.
Just like that, 15-6 Miami became 39-20 Cleveland.
âWe took the first punch,â Mobley said. âAnd from there we just took the game over.â
It was 62-42 at halftime, and Cleveland missed its first eight shots of the second half. But Miami scored only four points during that span, wasting a chance. Cleveland led 88-64 going into the fourth and that was it.
âClearly, a very disappointing day,â Spoelstra said.
Without Jimmy Butler on Saturday night, the Warriors had to rely on their defense to beat the Houston Rockets, and thatâs exactly what happened at Chase Center.
And while Steph Curry went thermonuclear to the tune of 36 points, Gary Payton II knows exactly how the Warriors won the contentious game.
âWe got stops,â Payton told NBC Sports Bay Areaâs Kerith Burke on âWarriors Postgame Liveâ moments after the final buzzer. âTalked about getting stops and converting them, take care of the ball. When we take care of the ball, itâs very hard to stop us. So thatâs what we did. We got stops and converted.â
Butler was ruled out roughly an hour before tip-off due to a pelvic contusion sustained in Game 2, but the Warriors didnât throw in the towel. They fought and scrapped their way to a win that most observers didnât think they could earn with the six-time NBA All-Star in street clothes.
For Payton and the Warriors, they won the game for Butler.
âProtect Jimmy at all costs,â Payton told Burke. âHave Jimmyâs back. When he gets back, you know, be ahead. So, tonight we did that, had his back, everybody stepped up and made huge plays down the stretch and now hopefully we get him back for Game 4.â
Butler has roughly 48 more hours to rest up and get ready to possibly play Monday night. But if he doesnât suit up, Curry will be ready to carry the load.
âWe get him open, we get him looks and you know most of the time, heâs going to knock them down,â Payton said of Curry to Burke. âSo we can continue to get him looks, crazy things happen.â
The Warriors are two wins away from advancing to the Western Conference semifinals, and they stole home-court advantage away from the Rockets.
If Butler returns Monday and Curry goes off again, the Warriors could make quick work of the feisty Rockets.
SAN FRANCISCO â Playing without Jimmy Butler because of a left pelvic contusion he sustained in Game 2, Steph Curry and the Warriors willed their way to an exhilarating 104-93 Game 3 victory Saturday night at Chase Center against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
History is on the Warriorsâ side, too. The winner of a Game 3 when a series is tied one win apiece in a best-of-seven series has gone on to win 74.2 percent of the time.
Curry had to remember what his life was like before Butlerâs arrival, but the four-time NBA champion put on his heroâs cape and gave the home crowd a show to remember. He started slow, but once his flame began to grow, Curry couldnât be stopped. Curry scored a game-high 36 points on 12-of-23 shooting, went 5 of 13 from three and added seven rebounds and nine assists.
While the four starters alongside Curry combined to score 26 points, Buddy Hield gave Golden State 29 huge minutes off the bench. Hield was a plus-14 with 17 points, going 5 of 11 behind the 3-point line.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr made a change to his starting lineup knowing he would be without Butler. In came Jonathan Kuminga, as well as rookie center Quinten Post, which pushed Moses Moody to the bench. Kuminga scored seven points in seven minutes and only grabbed one rebound. Post in 27 minutes scored just two points but came down with a career-high 12 rebounds.
Houstonâs length continued to be a problem for Golden State in a multitude of ways. But the Warriors were able to overcome the issue through other means, with more second-chance points, points in the paint and fastbreak points than the Rockets. They also had a lowly 10 turnovers, a winning number for the Warriors.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriorsâ Game 3 win.
Let Curry Cook
To state the obvious, the Rockets are going to do everything in their power to get the ball out of Curryâs hands. He played into their strategy, passing too much to start the game, and his passes were sketchy at best. The Warriors for the third straight game were held to 18 points in the first quarter, with Curry only having two points on four shots.
About halfway through the second quarter, Curry began taking things into his own hands. Driving into the lane for finger rolls. Burying buckets from downtown. Even hitting a mid-range jumper. Curry only made one 3-pointer through two quarters but went into halftime with 15 points, while the rest of the starting five had 11.
Then the real takeover happened in the third quarter with Curry scoring 12 of the Warriorsâ 23 points, giving fans some sizzling highlights. Curryâs scoring clinic brought him to 27 points going into the fourth quarter. He continued to get little help from the rest of the starting five.
Curry in the fourth quarter nailed two more threes and scored nine more points to put a cherry on top of this Warriors win.
The last few weeks have been quite the ride for Kuminga. After being a DNP-CD (Did Not Play, Coachâs Decision) in the final game of the regular season, Kuminga again wasnât in Kerrâs game plan in the Warriorsâ lone NBA play-in tournament game, a win against the Memphis Grizzlies. The same goes for Golden Stateâs Game 1 win against the Rockets.
And he wasnât expected to play in Game 2 until Butler went out to injury late in the first quarter. Now with Butler sidelined, Kuminga was back in the starting lineup for Game 3. Kuminga was very successful playing the Rockets in the regular season when he averaged 21.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game against them. That same success didnât follow him early Saturday night.
Kuminga in the first quarter only played five minutes, which was the fewest among the starting five. He had a turnover on a pass out of Draymond Greenâs reach and attempted a wild left-handed shot attempt through traffic that had no chance. Kuminga played just nine minutes in the first half and scored three points.
He added four points in the third quarter but didnât see any action in the fourth, showing where Kerrâs trust is with him. If Butler can play Monday in Game 4, Kuminga might be fully out of the rotation again. If he is given another big opportunity, heâll have to do more with it.
Buddy Buckets
It was easy to forget about Hield through the first two games of the series. The veteran shooting guard who made 200 threes for a seventh straight season only made one 3-pointer on five attempts coming into Saturday night for a total of seven points. On a night when the Warriors were searching for scoring help, Hield showed up.
Hield at halftime was up to 11 points and had made three 3-pointers after missing his first two attempts. In the final two minutes of the first half, he and Curry went on a 9-0 run to cut the Rocketsâ lead to three points. Hield in that span hit a 26-foot three and raced ahead of the defense to catch a long pass from Curry for an easy layup.
The outside has questioned Kerrâs faith in Hield throughout his highs and lows in an up-and-down season. The Warriorsâ Game 3 win was a shining example of Hieldâs value. Their offense much of the night was a hope and a prayer of Curry and Hield making threes.
They combined to go 10 of 24 on threes. The rest of the Warriors went 4 of 21. A big game from Hield was required, and he provided the juice to take a two-games-to-one series lead.
It was a sweep for the home teams on Friday night, 3-0.
TIMBERWOLVES 116, LAKERS 104 (Minnesota leads series 2-1)
It raised the eyebrows of some casual fans when Minnesota signed Jaden McDaniels to a five-year, $136 million extension, a deal that kicked in this season. Was he worth more than $27 million a year on average?
This is the Jaden McDaniels Minnesota hoped it was paying for. He has been the difference in this series. McDaniels had 25 points in Minnesotaâs Game 1 win, and then on Friday night, he put up 30 on 13-of-22 shooting in Minnesotaâs clutch win at home.
This felt like a confidence-boosting win for the Timberwolves in front of a raucous Minnesota crowd. This looks like a team starting to believe in itself. Minnesota is simply outworking Los Angeles through most of this series and did it again Friday night, including running past the Lakers for 21 fast-break points (and a lot of other early offense). Minnesota is capable of playing some incredible high-level basketball â something we have seen dating back to last year, before the Karl-Anthony Towns trade â but it doesnât do it consistently.
Did Game 3 â and the 13-1 run to close the game â change that? They sound like a team that believes in itself. However, the real test is Sunday: Can they come out and take Game 4 against a desperate Lakers team, taking total control of the series?
The best adjustment J.J. Redick can make before Game 4? Get Luka Doncic healthy. A great LeBron James game â which we got Friday with 38 points â will not be enough.
MAGIC 95, CELTICS 93 (Boston leads series 2-1)
While the focus in this series has been on Orlandoâs physicality and how far it goes, Boston had been able to execute well enough against it to pick up a couple of wins at home.
That flipped Friday night in Orlando â the Magic were a little more desperate and Boston got a little sloppy with the ball. The Celtics had 21 turnovers on the night, and while some of those were instances like Payton Pritchard having the ball stolen in the backcourt, there were a couple of 24-second violations and a lot of offensive fouls.
At the same time, the Magic fixed another of their problems on the court: The third quarter. They had been outscored by 19 in the third in the first two games in Boston, and thatâs where things tended to get away from them. Not in Game 3 at home. Orlando opened the third quarter on a 14-0 run, retook the lead, and changed the dynamic of the game.
Trentâs nine 3-pointers tied Ray Allen for the franchise record for most in a postseason game. It was Trent â along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who also scored 37 â who sparked the Bucksâ third-quarter comeback and kept their season alive.
Game 4 becomes huge in this series. Can the Bucks get stops again when they need them? Can the Bucks get someone to step up and help Antetokounmpo again? If not, if the Pacers score their way to a 3-1 series lead, this is over.
As expected, there has been no shortage of fireworks between the Warriors and Houston Rockets in their first-round NBA playoff series, with plenty of chatter between the teams and their fanbases.
But Rockets coach Ime Udoka clearly believes Dub Nation only feels comfortable talking trash online, as he said in his pregame press conference at Chase Center before Game 3 on Saturday.
âVery pleasant,â Udoka said with a smile when NBC Sports Bay Areaâs Kerith Burke asked about exchanges with Warriors fans who recognized him during his walks outside the Rocketsâ hotel in San Francisco. â⌠Wherever you go, you might have hostility online and all this, but in person, nobody says anything. Youâre not as brave in person.â
After Golden Stateâs Game 1 win, Houston came out with a physical approach in its Game 2 victory, which led to Jimmy Butlerâs pelvic injury that will keep him out of Game 3. During that game, Udoka was heard on a hot mic telling the Rocketsâ bench, âDonât worry, theyâre [the refs] not going to call anything, play through it,â and guard Fred VanFleet reportedly told Draymond Green the Warriors âbetter pray Jimmyâs back.â
Always-candid Rockets forward Dillon Brooks also told reporters Green was âdirtyâ and to blame for Butlerâs injury â a sentiment coach Steve Kerr later called âinterestingâ â while many Warriors fans have pointed the finger at Houston forward Amen Thompson for crashing into Butler on the play. The entire situation played out during a game where Rockets fans chanted âFâk you, Draymondâ in Houston.
Itâs safe to say thereâs no love lost between the Warriors and Rockets in the high-stakes matchup. And that goes for the fans, too â who now might be more inclined to give Udoka a piece of their mind if they run into him in the Bay.
NBC Sports Bay Areaâs Dalton Johnson reported that Butler was on the Warriorsâ practice court at Chase Center getting up shots about an hour before tip-off of Game 3.
Jimmy Butler is officially OUT with a left pelvic contusion. Heâs currently getting up shots right now on the Warriorsâ practice court. Absence isnât expected to be a long one @NBCSWarriors
Butler was all smiles walking into Chase Center before the game, but the Warriors clearly donât believe heâs ready to play against a physical Rockets team.
The Warriors had hoped two full days off between games would give Butler enough time to receive treatment and be ready for Saturday night.
But Golden State also knows they canât risk Butler making the injury worse. If they want to make a deep NBA playoff run, theyâll need him to be healthy in the long run.
Kuminga rejoined the Warriorsâ rotation when Butler sustained the injury. But before that, the 22-year-old had received three consecutive DNPs (Did Not Play).
It remains to be seen how effective Kuminga will be, but he played well against the Rockets in four regular-season games, averaging 21.3 points and 6.8 rebounds.
The Orlando Magic have injured three Boston players with three flagrant fouls through three postseason games. Jayson Tatum bruised his wrist after Kentavious Caldwell-Popeâs hard foul took him to the floor in Game 1, Kristaps Porzingis needed five stitches after Goga Bitadzeâs elbow split his forehead in Game 2, and Brown dislocated a finger after an excessive foul by Cole Anthony early in Game 3.
Once is chance. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is a pattern. Now Brown is wondering out loud if the Celtics will be forced to match Orlandoâs energy in this series.
âThere might be a fight break out or something,â Brown said after Bostonâs Game 3 loss in Orlando. âBecause itâs starting to feel like itâs not even basketball, and the refs are not controlling the environment. So, it is what it is.
âIf you want to fight it out, we can do that. We can fight to see who goes to the second round.â
While we are largely unopposed to this first-round matchup turning into WrestleMania, it should be stressed that it is not in Bostonâs best interest to get dragged into Orlandoâs shenanigans. The Magic are using increased physicality to mask an obvious talent discrepancy, and the Celtics would only be playing into Orlandoâs hands to allow its antics to sap their focus.
So, as much as Celtics fans might like to see Torrey Craig dispatched to drop an Orlando player, itâs unlikely to solve whatâs truly keeping the Magic in this series.
The Celtics need to fight. They need to fight for better shots. They need to fight to protect the basketball and maximize possessions. And they need to fight the urge to retaliate.
Orlandoâs length and physicality has absolutely bothered Boston. The Celtics owned the third-best half-court offense in the NBA during the regular season, generating 104.1 points per 100 possessions against a set defense. But Bostonâs efficiency has plummeted against Orlando, dipping to 93.1 points per 100 possessions in the half court through three games.
Too often the Celtics have allowed Orlando to get back and get set. The Magic have done a better job than just about any team this season running the Celtics off the 3-point line, and Bostonâs offense has gotten frustrated while settling for poor late-clock shot attempts.
The third quarter on Friday night might have been the Celticsâ most atrocious frame of the season. Boston misfired on 14 of its 17 shot attempts while scoring just 11 points. After Tatumâs 3-pointer early in the frame, the Celtics went nearly seven minutes without a field goal, all with its starters on the floor.
Boston turned the ball over six times in the frame and watched its double-digit lead morph into a six-point deficit heading to the fourth quarter.
The Magic sent multiple crashers at the glass chasing offensive rebounds. Not only did they win Joe Mazzullaâs beloved shot margin (83 attempts to Bostonâs 74) because of it, but the Celtics never made them pay by pushing in transition and looking for easy buckets against a scrambling defense.
Boston generated just 78.8 points per 100 possessions in the half-court, per Cleaning the Glass data. Impossibly, Orlando was even worse (76.2), but utilized offensive rebounds to mask some of its woes.
The Celtics turned the ball over a staggering 21 times overall, leading to 26 points. Orlando generated nearly 28 percent of its total offensive output on Boston giveaways. The Celtics ranked second in the NBA in turnover rate during the regular season (12.2 percent) but that number has spiked to 16.1 percent of possessions in the postseason.
đ Celtics Talk POSTGAME POD: Celticsâ offense falls flat in Game 3 loss to Magic | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
And the Celtics still had a chance to force overtime on the final possession.
A fight isnât going to do these Celtics any good. Regaining some focus, getting back to Celtics basketball, and getting this series over quick is the better path. Let Orlando take its physicality to a beach in Cancun.
The only thing that can prolong this series is Boston getting sucked into a wrestling match. The Celtics can be appropriately physical, but thereâs a fine line to walk, especially when the referees are on high alert now.
Yes, the only thing Boston needs to fight is its urge to retaliate.
On Sunday, April 27, the New York Knicks (51-31) and Detroit Pistons (44-38) are all set to square off from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first round.
New York stole Game 3 in Detroit, 118-116, behind a combined 61 points from Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson and 20 or more points from four starters. Cade Cunningham double-doubled with 24 points and 11 assists for the Pistons, while Malik Beasley dropped 24 points and the bench combined for 40 points.
The Knicks are currently 24-17 on the road with a point differential of 4, while the Pistons have a 5-5 record in their last ten games at home. Weâve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on 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 Knicks vs. Pistons live today
Date: Sunday, April 27, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM EST
Site: Little Caesars Arena
City: Detroit, MI
Network/Streaming: ABC / ESPN
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 Knicks vs. Pistons
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Knicks (+109), Pistons (-130)
Spread: Pistons -2
Over/Under: 217 points
That gives the Knicks an implied team point total of 108.02, and the Pistons 109.07.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sportsâ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sundayâs Knicks vs. Pistons game
Rotoworld Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans Jalen Brunsonâs point prop and the Knicks +2:
"The Knicks took the pivotal Game 3 that can really swing a series, so the momentum is certainly in their favor. Jalen Brunson, the Clutch Player of the Year, had another heroic effort as Batman (Brunson, 30 points) and Robin (KAT, 31 points) closed the game for New York. I can't expect KAT to have another massive performance, but there's no reason why Brunson can't after 34, 37, and 30 points in the series thus far â Over 29.5 points looks good for Brunson and if the Knicks win here, they can close it out at home in five games, so I lean the Knicks +2 and ML (+110).
If you have the series correct score market â I like the value on the series to end in 5 (+185) more than the Knicks ML here (+110) because they would be laying at least -7.5 at home in Game 5 up 3-1."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
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 todayâs Knicks & Pistons game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Knicks at +2.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 217.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on todayâs calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Knicks vs. Pistons on Sunday
In 3 wins against the Pistons this season the Knicks' average winning margin is +14.3
The Over is 29-26 in the Pistons' matchups against Eastern Conference teams this season
The Pistons have covered in 15 of their 21 matchups against Eastern Conference Atlantic Division teams this season
In 3 wins against the Pistons this season the Knicks' average winning margin is +14.3
If youâre 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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- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) - Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) - Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) - Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards dunks over Lakers guard Luka Doncic during Game 3 Friday at the Target Center in Minneapolis. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Somehow, the Lakers concealed the shortcoming in plain sight for months, enough to where the situation looked manageable.
That was then.
Now, in a postseason series against an athletic team with size, their lack of a big man has become a major problem. Now, as the Lakers find themselves with a two-games-to-one deficit in their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the absence of a reliable center could be why their season comes to a premature end.
Timberwolves forward Julius Randle shoots over Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, guard Gabe Vincent and guard Luka Doncic in Game 3 of their series Friday at the Target Center. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Considering how Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards practically skipped to their basket on Saturday night at Target Center, the Lakers might as well have replaced their free-throw lane with a red carpet.
The Timberwolves knew the Lakers couldnât stop them, and the numbers reflected their lack of respect. They attempted 45 shots in the paint, compared to 28 for the Lakers. They scored 56 points in the paint, compared to 26 for the Lakers.
McDaniels scored 30 points, including 24 in the paint. Edwards finished with 29 points and a team-high eight assists.
âThe fact is we donât have rim protection,â Lakers coach JJ Redick said. âSo if you give up blow-bys, weâre gonna give up something.â
The Lakers technically have a center in seven-footer Jaxson Hayes, but Redick clearly doesnât want to play him, evidenced by how Hayes has logged nine or fewer minutes in each of the three games of this series. The nine minutes Hayes played on Friday were particularly destructive, as he registered a plus/minus of minus-13.
The Lakers knew this could be a problem, which is why they had a deal in place to acquire center Mark Williams for the Charlotte Hornets before the trade deadline. But Williams underwent a physical examination, the Lakers were concerned with what they saw, and the trade was rescinded.
Perhaps general manager Rob Pelinka should have gambled on the 7-foot Williams, who was healthy for the remainder of the regular season. Or perhaps Pelinka should have lined up contingencies in case the trade for Williams didnât work out. Or perhaps he should have gathered more accurate information on the injury-prone Williams beforehand, which could have saved the Lakers time and afforded them the luxury of redirecting their efforts elsewhere. Or perhaps there was nothing he could have done, given the shortage of available big men.
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt and Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels fight for a loose ball during Game 3 of their playoff series Friday at the Target Center. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
None of that matters now. Whatâs done is done, and the season autopsy can wait until the summer. The Lakers have a series to win.
Figuring out how to do that is the job of Redick, who said he believed his team could overcome its size deficit.
âWeâve done it all year,â he said. âWhen weâve been at our best, weâve been able to be physical on the ball and not allow blow-bys and also have sort of a cover mentality, multiple effort and it was there at times tonight.â
âJust gotta do a better job of standing in front of the ball,â Finney-Smith said. âI feel like we were just giving up too many blow-bys, and it really ainât had nothing to do with our size. It was just on-base defense and rotations outside of when we gotta scramble. I feel like we didnât have the sense of urgency the whole game, and they did.â
Redick pointed to some of the other mistakes made by his team.
âI think we had two [plays] where we collected a rebound, we get backtapped, we give up a point,â he said. âThose things really, really accumulate, especially when youâre turning the ball over.â
Provided Doncic recovers from whatever made him vomit over and over in the hours leading up to the Game 3, the Lakers have two of the best players in the league in him and James. They have a dangerous No. 3 option in Austin Reaves. They have solid defenders in Finney-Smith and Jarred Vanderbilt. But they donât have a big man, and at this moment, what they donât have feels as important as what they do.
SAN FRANCISCO â The flight on which Quinten Post is among the pilots is revealing and enlightening. Itâs satisfying and frustrating, joyful and infuriating. His introduction to the world of Warriors basketball has been quite the ride, and he has embraced knowing that heâll influence how long it lasts this season.
He has progressed from a second-round pick in the NBA draft last June to a two-way contract in September to his NBA debut in December to becoming a fixture in Golden Stateâs rotation in January to making 14 starts as a rookie.
If thatâs not enough to substantiate his value, heâs now crucial to the teamâs attempt to make a deep NBA playoff run. Forgive Post if his head were spinning atop his 7-foot frame, but it seems solidly in place.
âYeah, itâs crazy,â Post tells NBC Sports Bay Area. âBiggest difference, I mean, I was in Santa Cruz, and now here. Back then I was just trying to prove anything. That I could fit or belong. And now thereâs a real responsibility on my shoulders. I have an impact on winning or losing. And that that comes with the pressure. The pressure is a blessing. That means that people are relying on you. Thatâs something special.
âItâs a super cool situation to be in. Itâs a whole different world, obviously, for me.â
Post was a non-factor in his playoff debut against the Rockets last Sunday in Houston. Played 12 minutes, went 0 of 3 from the field, with one rebound, one assist and two fouls in a 95-85 win in Game 1. He recovered Wednesday in Game 2, playing 25 minutes and totaling 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from distance.
The only Warrior to score more points in Game 2 was franchise icon Stephen Curry, who finished with 20. Yet Post laments his lack of impact elsewhere in a 109-94 loss. Specifically rebounding. The Warriors were outrebounded by 16 (52-36) in Game 1 and by 14 (47-33) in Game 2. He grabbed two in Game 2.
âI donât think anybody expects that weâre going to out-reach and out-rebound them,â Post says of the Rockets, who in the regular season led the league rebounding. âWe just have to limit that and play to our strengths, which is playing fast, limiting our turnovers and playing to our game plan. I donât think anybody was expecting us to outrebound them when weâre obviously a smaller team.
âBut when I come off the bench, thatâs something I need to get better at. I need to be a better rebounder. I need to become more physical, and with time that will definitely come. I can help us with it now, but I need to become better at rebounding. One thousand percent.â
Houstonâs rebounding is among the early pivotal themes in the series, and itâs particularly noticeable when Rockets coach Ime Udoka turns to a lineup with 6-foot-11, 265-pound Steven Adams playing alongside 6-foot-11, 235-pound Alperen ĹengĂźn. Towering over Warriors not named Post, they combined for 21 rebounds in Game 1 and 19 in Game 2.
âAnd then they have their big wings in there crashing,â Post says. âWe just play a smaller style of basketball. But I need to be better, and as a team we need to do better.â
The possession game likely will tilt the series. Houstonâs rebounding has been a major factor in it attempting 17 more field goals through the first two games. The Rocketsâ poor shooting in Game 1 rendered that irrelevant, but their recovery in Game 2 resulted in a 15-point win.
Post is correct in that itâs unrealistic for the Warriors to win that battle, but heâs also correct in saying he needs to be better at it. Same applies to Draymond Green, who has 11 rebounds in two games â the same total as Stephen Curry â and Moses Moody, who has two. The availability of Jimmy Butler III, who pulled seven rebounds in Game 1, is in question for Game 3.
The Warriors are emphasizing the need to match Houstonâs physicality. Itâs visible and consistent. All rookies realize the playoffs are a different game; Post is seeing that itâs even more pronounced among big men.
âItâs very physical, so I do see differences,â he says. âAnd theyâve got a good crowd there in Houston. But I know that weâll have a good, maybe better, crowd here in Chase. So you just feel the intensity. They play a very physical game, too. They probably bumped up the physicality in Game 2, with the mentality that the ref canât call everything.
âLooking back at that game, I didnât even realize some of the things that were going on the court. Shoving, pushing, pulling. Thatâs kind of what happened. And now we just have to respond in Game 3.â
Post, 25, was exposed to basketball while growing up in the Netherlands, idolizing Dirk Nowitzki, who was born and raised in neighboring Germany. Post is in the rotation because, at 44.9 percent, he was the teamâs most accurate 3-point shooter. He stretches the floor, a key component of the offense built around Curry.
Post could not have known last spring that he would be in the NBA playoffs with such future Hall of Famers as Curry, Green and Butler. Or that he would have a significant role.
Moreover, the Warriors could not have known they would need him as much as they do.
Apr 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts after making a shoot against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half during game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
It was tied 103-103 with 4:37 left in Game 3, but the Lakers had two of the best clutch players the league has ever seen on the floor in LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
The Timberwolves had Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid and that was all they needed.
Minnesota closed the game on a 13-1 run behind their clutch trio to get the win.
ANT & MCDANIELS HIT CLUTCH BUCKETS TO ICE THE WIN FOR THE TIMBERWOLVES
Minnesota took a 2-1 series lead in front of a raucous crowd in Minnesota Friday night. Game 4 is Sunday in Minnesota.
Edwards is expected to be the engine for the Timberwolves and he lived up to that, scoring or assisting on nine straight points in the clutch. He finished with 29 points, scoring or assisting on 48 points.
McDaniels is the bellwether so far in this series. He had 25 points and nine rebounds while playing elite defense in Game 1 (a Minnesota win), and on Friday night he scored 30.
The other move critical move in the clutch was Minnesota coach Chris Finch subbing out Rudy Gobert for Naz Reid. This wasnât about Gobertâs defense (the Lakers were 6-of-13 shooting with him as the primary defender on the night) but more about the offense. Having Gobert on the floor gave a place for J.J. Redick to hide a defender and someone to help off of when Edwards drove the lane. With Reid out there, that hiding space went away, and Reid hit a clutch 3-pointer as well. More importantly, the Timberwolves' defense didnât suffer. It was a real risk by Finch, the lineup he closed the game with (Edwards, McDaniels, Reid, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo) had a -8.9 net rating in the regular season, but the playoffs are all about matchups, and it worked against the Lakers.
Doncic was clearly slowed, playing through a stomach issue that had him vomiting much of the day and had him on the verge of missing the game, but he still finished with 17 points and eight assists.
LeBron picked up the slack with an impressive 38-point outing.
"He was incredible. He did everything he could in his power to try to will them to a win,â Edwards said of LeBron.
âHe was shooting it from Yucatan. For sure, he was shooting it crazy... I'm not gonna lie, it was fun to be competing against him today for sure."
Expect an even more energized LeBron on Sunday in what becomes an almost must-win game for Los Angeles, it canât go down 3-1 and come out of this series.
However, that was a confidence-boosting, âwe got thisâ kind of win for Minnesota. It believes it is the best team in this series, the deeper and better squad. The one that went to the conference finals a year ago. And those Timberwolves are going to believe Game 4 belongs to them.
Apr 25, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) drives around Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) during the second quarter of game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Mike Watters-Imagn Images
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) â Franz Wagner scored 32 points, Paolo Banchero added 29 and the Orlando Magic beat Boston 95-93 on Friday night to cut the Celtics' lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference first-round series.
Jayson Tatum had 36 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics in his return to the starting lineup after missing Game 2 with a bruised wrist.
The defending NBA champions were 33-8 on the road this season but are now 0-3 in Orlando in 2024-25. The Magic host Game 4 on Sunday.
The Celtics, who set several NBA records for 3-point shooting during the regular season, shot 9 for 27 in Game 3 and went 17 minutes between 3-pointers in the second half. The game included 43 fouls, a flagrant foul and 35 turnovers, 21 by the Celtics against the physical Magic defense.
âI feel like it suits our team, our playing style,â said Wagner, who had eight assists and seven rebounds. âWeâve played like that all year, and I feel like whoever plays more aggressive is going to win in this series.â
The flagrant foul was called on Orlando's Cole Anthony after a play in which Boston's Jaylen Brown dislocated his left index finger.
âMaybe a fight will break out (in Game 4),â said Brown, who finished with 19 points and five fouls. âIf you want to fight, we can do that and see who goes to the second round.â
The Celtics believe the Magic are already getting plenty of shots in.
âSome fouls they call and some they donât, and thatâs how itâs going to be,â said Kristaps Porzingis, who had seven points and four fouls. âWe have to accept the reality and also, we can use that. It goes both ways. Itâs really a big difference from the regular season.â
Boston rallied after scoring just 11 points in the third quarter to tie it 91 on Derrick White's layup with 2:31 to play. Wagner answered with a layup, and after a miss by Tatum, followed with another basket for a 95-91 lead with 1:26 to play.
White scored, and after Wagner missed a 3-pointer, the Celtics got the ball and inbounded with 0.3 seconds left but White's pass toward the basket was tapped away as time expired.
The Celtics played without Jrue Holiday, who has a strained right hamstring.
Tatum, who was listed as doubtful late Friday afternoon, scored 21 points in the first half, leading the Celtics to a 10-point lead.
Tatum's 3-pointer early in the second half stretched their lead to 11, but the Celtics missed 17 of their next 19 shots and did not hit another 3-point shot until Al Horford connected with 6:20 left in the fourth quarter.
Wagner and Banchero combined for nine points on a 14-0 run that pulled the Magic ahead and they led 86-74 after the third quarter.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 25: Gary Trent Jr. #5 of the Milwaukee Bucks makes a three point shot in the second half over Ben Sheppard #26 of the Indiana Pacers during game three of the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs at Fiserv Forum on April 25, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Getty Images
MILWAUKEE (AP) â Gary Trent Jr. got hot from deep, Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated in the paint and together they gave the Milwaukee Bucks new life in their first-round playoff series.
Trent tied a franchise playoff record with nine 3-pointers and scored 37 points, Antetokounmpo also had 37 and the Bucks used a big second half to beat Indiana 117-101 on Friday night and cut the Pacers' series lead to 2-1.
âMy mindset was just to come in and get a win," said Trent, who got a rare start and had his highest playoff scoring output.
Trent also was assigned to cover Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was held in check for most of the game.
âI was trying to be all over him to start the game," Trent said. "Let him know youâre there and try to take him out of his game.â
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Trent's aggressiveness earned him a start.
âThere were two reasons. The offensive part because heâs really aggressive and the defensive part because of his hands," Rivers said. âWe wanted somebody aggressive to attack Haliburton. I thought he did that."
The Pacers led 57-47 at halftime, but Trent hit three 3-pointers early in the third to pull the Bucks even at 62. The Bucks grabbed a 72-69 lead on Antetokounmpoâs three-point play and led 86-75 at the end of the quarter.
The lead grew to as many as 20 in the fourth and Trent finished 9 for 12 behind the arc to tie Hall of Famer Ray Allen's mark for most 3-pointers in a postseason game. The Bucks outscored the Pacers 70-44 in the second half.
Antetokounmpo added 12 rebounds for Milwaukee, which hosts Game 4 on Sunday. A.J. Green scored 12 points and Bobby Portis had 10 for the Bucks, who took on the Pacers for the 18th time in the past two seasons.
âWe have to stay humble,â Antetokounmpo said. âIt's just one game.â
Indiana had won five of the last six playoff games between the teams and ousted the Bucks from the playoffs in the opening round last season.
âWe were bad on both sides of the ball,â Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. âThey were great, we were bad.â
Pascal Siakam had 28 points and Aaron Nesmith scored 18 for the Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 14 points and 10 assists.
After trailing throughout Game 2, the Bucks grabbed an early lead. Antetokounmpo and Trent combined to score Milwaukeeâs first 21 points. No other Bucks player scored until Green sank a 3-pointer with 2:28 left in the opening quarter.
Milwaukee shot 4 for 23 from 3-point range over the first two quarters but was 11 for 18 after halftime.
Bucks star guard Damian Lillard was held to seven points on 2-of-12 shooting. He made just 1-of-8 3-pointers.
Lakers forward LeBron James struggles to shoot over Minnesota defenders during the Lakers' 116-104 loss in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs on Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
After a midseason loss to the Clippers, JJ Redick and LeBron James sounded a bit of an alarm, both coach and leader saying the Lakers didnât have the luxury to just be pretty good.
But in a single phone call, when the Dallas Mavericks agreed to a blockbuster trade, the Lakers got the ultimate margin mover in Luka Doncic.
Friday night in Minneapolis, that cushion came crashing in, Doncic far from himself because of an illness that had him working out on the court an hour before the game.
With Doncic off, the mistakes took on more weight. The free throws that rattled out? Bruising. The offensive rebounds given up? Crushing. The lapses in attention that led to turnovers? Back-breaking.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic can't block a late three-pointer by Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards in Game 3 on Friday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers werenât good enough, losing 116-104 to the Timberwolves in a Game 3 they had chances to win before Minnesota slammed the door to take a 2-1 first-round playoff series lead.
âIn the postseason, obviously you're not gonna play a perfect game,â James said. âBut the more that you make mistakes on top of mistakes on top of mistakes, things that can be controlled, then it's not gonna give you an opportunity to be in the best possible chance to win.â
The Lakers committed 19 turnovers. They allowed nine offensive rebounds. Minnesota took 13 more shots and scored 10 more points in transition.
âReally hard to win a basketball game in that scenario,â Redick said of the possession disparity.
Doncic, a monster in the first quarter of the first two games of the series, looked badly uncomfortable, starting one for six from the field.
After he checked out for the first time, he put on his warmup jacket and pulled the hood onto his head. He wasnât able to make it out of the locker room at halftime and missed the first 50 seconds of the third quarter, checking back in with a shirt under his uniform.
Lakers star LeBron James splits the Minnesota defense to score on a layup in the first half of Game 3. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
He scored 17 points on six-for-16 shooting but never could create the kinds of advantages that have given the Lakers room to maneuver.
âHe was fighting, trying to be there for us,â Dorian Finney-Smith said. âI didn't think he was going to come out second half.â
James, though, was sublime. Still stimulated by the chance to silence a road playoff crowd, he played with his most energy all series. He pointed over at the bench after he scored on a midrange jumper when the Lakers executed a play called for him early. He held his three-point celebration in the fourth quarter when he shot the Lakers back into the game. He flew for rebounds and moved his feet on defense in a 38-point, 41-minute game. It was the most points scored in a playoff game by a player over 40.
âHe's moving better,â Redick said. âHe seems like he's getting healthier by the day.â
Austin Reaves, who struggled shooting in Game 2, hit big shots, keeping the Lakers in it despite the mistakes rapidly mounting and making things tougher. He finished with 20 points.
The most fatal wounds were caused by the turnovers. They ranged from multiple 24-second violations to lost rebounds to a ball squirting through Jamesâ hands. One even came when Minnesota Rudy Gobert, Doncicâs favorite target, poked the ball loose leading to a Jaden McDaniels layup.
Twenty-four of McDaniels' 30 points came in the paint.
âHe had 30 and he was aggressive from the start to the finish,â James said. âCan't remember the last time he took over 20 shots.â
While the mistakes the Lakers made were brutal, the things they couldnât control hurt too. Their lack of rim protection got badly exploited by McDaniels, who consistently went over their defense.
Jaxson Hayes, the Lakers' starting center, played less than nine minutes, the Lakers being out-scored by 13 when he played.
The combination of the shrunken margins put the Lakers' season a step closer to conclusion, the team now needing to steal a win Sunday in the shortest turnaround in the series.
Despite being sick, Doncic still played 40 minutes. Reaves played 41. Theyâll need to recapture their energy from Game 2 on light rest to avoid facing elimination in Game 5.
âWe got control the controllables,â James said. âAnd I don't think we did that tonight obviously. Nineteen turnovers on the road is not gonna be a good ingredient for winning. Giving up (28) points off those turnovers â they had 20-plus points in transition as well. We gotta control the controllables and if we do, we give ourselves chance to win.â
