What. A. Night.
Luka Dončić’s emotional return to Dallas brought 45 points of Luka magic — and a Lakers Playoff berth.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
April 10, 2025
Tonight’s Guide: What we learned on Wednesday & what’s at stake tonight
Lakers Clinch In Luka’s Return: Dončić drops 45 points in 1st game back in Dallas
Wild West: Barnes’ buzzer-beater & Nuggets win shake up race for final 3 spots
East Roundup: Bulls get key win over Heat in Play-In race, Magic clinch 7th place
TNT Preview: Pacers-Celtics in top-4 East clash, Grizzlies-Wolves in key West battle
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Last night’s scores & what to watch today…
Tonight’s TNT doubleheader features two games with Playoff implications. In the East, the Pacers host the Cavs (7 ET), looking for their 6th straight win as they try to lock up home-court with a top-4 finish.
In the West, the Grizzlies host the Timberwolves (9:30 ET) with both teams locked in a five-team race for the final three top-6 Playoff spots.
1. WHAT WE LEARNED LAST NIGHT & WHAT’S AT STAKE TONIGHT
Four days to go and there’s still much to be decided over the final 35 games of the regular season.
Here’s what we learned from last night’s 10-game slate:
- Lakers Clinch Playoff Berth: That means three of the six Playoff spots in the West are taken and three are still up for grabs
- West 4-8 Race Sizzling: Five teams – (4) Denver, (5) LA Clippers, (6) Memphis, (7) Golden State and (8) Minnesota – are separated by 1.5 games in a race for those three remaining Playoff spots
- Magic Lock Up 7th Seed: Orlando will host the East 7 vs. 8 game in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament on Tuesday
- 20-Team Postseason Field Set: With Phoenix’s loss to OKC, the Mavericks clinched a Play-In spot in the West to complete the 20 teams that will play beyond Sunday
- West 9-10 Matchup Set: The Kings and Mavs will compete in the West 9 vs. 10 game in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament on Wednesday. Which team will host that game is still to be decided. A Kings win or Mavs loss clinches 9th for Sacramento
What’s at stake during tonight’s five-game slate:
- Knicks at Pistons (7 ET): The Knicks clinch the 3 seed with a win and remain 3rd with a loss. The Pistons remain 6th with win and are locked into 6th with a loss
- Cavs at Pacers (7 ET, TNT): The Pacers clinch a top-4 spot with a win. A Pacers loss means Indy can finish no higher than 4th
- Hawks at Nets (7:30 ET): The Hawks remain 8th with a win (moving 1 game up on CHI) or a loss (hold tiebreaker with CHI)
- Pelicans at Bucks (8 ET): The Bucks remain 5th with a win or loss. A Bucks loss or Pacers win means Milwaukee can finish no higher than 5th
- Timberwolves at Grizzlies (9:30 ET, TNT): The Grizzlies remain 6th with a win and drop to 7th with a loss. The Wolves remain 8th with a win or loss
- 3-Team Tiebreakers: A MEM win forces a tiebreaker with LAC and DEN, resulting in (4) Clippers, (5) Nuggets and (6) Grizzlies. A MEM loss forces a tiebreaker with GSW and MIN, resulting in (6) Warriors, (7) Grizzlies and (8) Wolves
2. LAKERS CLINCH IN LUKA’S RETURN, OKC EARNS NO. 1 OVERALL SEED
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
As the video tribute played during pregame introductions, the emotion of the moment brought tears to Luka Dončić’s eyes.
After spending the first 6.5 seasons of his NBA career in Dallas, this was his first game as a visitor inside American Airlines Center.
In his return, Luka delivered a brilliant performance – 45 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 7 3s – to help the Lakers clinch a Playoff berth.
Lakers 112, Mavericks 97: Luka had it going from the opening tip, scoring 14 in the 1st quarter and 31 with six 3s by halftime. But the Mavs kept the game close, trailing by just three at the break.
The Lakers built a 13-point lead in the 3rd, before the Mavs used a 22-7 run to take an 87-85 lead with 9 minutes to play. That’s when LeBron James took over – scoring 13 of his 27 points in the 4th to help the Lakers put the game away. | Recap
In the closing minutes, Luka hit three straight Lakers’ buckets to give him 45 points – matching his season-high – before exiting to a standing ovation from the Dallas crowd.
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
- “So many emotions,” Luka said postgame on playing in Dallas for the first time with the Lakers before being showered with more cheers as he walked off
- AD’s First Game vs. L.A.: After embracing his former teammates before opening tip, Anthony Davis posted 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in his first game against the Lakers
- Halftime Heroics: Luka joined Kobe Bryant and LeBron as the only Lakers with at least 30 points and five 3s in a half
- The Sixth: Luka’s final statline – 45 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast, 4 stl, 7 3pm – has only been matched by five players in the 3-point era: Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and LeBron
- LeBron Moves Up: Appearing in his 1,561st career game, LeBron passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for 2nd all-time in games played, trailing only Robert Parish (1,611)
- Postseason Race (LAL ☑️): The Lakers clinched a Playoff berth with the win, guaranteed them a top-6 finish in the West. They need one win to clinch the 3rd seed with two games to play
- Postseason Race (DAL ☑️): Despite the loss, the Mavs clinched a Play-In berth due to Phoenix’s loss. The Mavs remain 1 game back of the 9th-place Kings for home court in the 9 vs. 10 game
Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images
Thunder 125, Suns 112: Playing without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC leaned on its other All-Star as Jalen Williams (33 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast) led the Thunder past the Suns to clinch the best record in the NBA. | Recap
- 2nd Half Takeover: Down 5 at the break, the Thunder won the 3rd quarter 43-26 to seize control and never looked back
- Postseason Race (OKC ☑️): The Thunder clinched home-court advantage throughout the NBA Playoffs
- Postseason Race (PHX ❌): The Suns are eliminated from postseason contention with the loss
3. WEST SHAKE UP: NUGGETS & GRIZZLIES RISE, CLIPPERS & WARRIORS DROP
Glenn James, Bart Young, Juan Ocampo, David Jensen, Noah Graham & Dustin Satloff/NBAE via Getty Images
How the West 3-8 race started & ended post-Wednesday’s action:
- Lakers: 3rd (0 GB, 48-31) ↔️ 3rd (49-31, 0 GB) – Win over DAL
- Clippers: 4th (1 GB, 47-32) ⬇️ 5th (48-32, 1 GB) – Win over HOU
- Nuggets: 5th (1 GB, 47-32) ⬆️ 4th (48-32, 1 GB) – Win over SAC
- Warriors: 6th (1 GB, 47-32) ⬇️ 7th (47-33, 2 GB) – Loss to SAS
- Grizzlies: 7th (1 GB, 47-32) ⬆️ 6th (47-32, 1.5 GB) – Did not play
- Wolves: 8th (2 GB, 46-33) ↔️ 8th (46-33, 2.5 GB) – Did not play
Let’s dive into how it all happened.
Spurs 114, Warriors 111: Harrison Barnes – who played his first four seasons with Golden State and won a title in 2015 – nailed a game-winning 3 at the buzzer as the Spurs rallied past the Warriors behind a dominant 38-23 4th quarter. | Recap
- Four-Time Winner: Wednesday marked Barnes’ 4th career game-winning buzzer-beater and 1st with the Spurs
- Mr. 300: Steph Curry (30 pts, 5 3pm) surpassed 300 3-pointers in a season for the 6th time in his career – no other player has more than one such season
- 3s Company: Curry (302) joined Detroit’s Malik Beasley and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards (305 apiece), marking the first time in NBA history three players have hit 300+ triples in a season
- Postseason Race (GSW ⬇️): The Warriors drop to 7th in the West with the loss, 1 game back of the 4th-place Nuggets and 5th-place Clippers, 0.5 games back of 6th-place Grizzlies, while 0.5 games up on the 8th-place Wolves
Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images
Clippers 134, Rockets 117: The LA trio of James Harden (35 pts, 10 ast, 5 3pm), Kawhi Leonard (22 pts, 10 reb) and Ivica Zubac (20 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast, 1st career triple-double) carried the Clippers past the shorthanded Rockets for their 6th straight win. | Recap
- Postseason Race (LAC ⬇️): Despite the win, the Clippers fell to 5th in the West, losing the tiebreaker to the 4th-place Nuggets. LA is 1 game back of the 3rd-place Lakers and 0.5 games up on the 6th-place Grizzlies
Nuggets 124, Kings 116: Nikola Jokić (20 pts, 12 reb, 11 ast) posted his 32nd triple-double of the season and was one of four Nuggets to score 20+ points – with Christian Braun (25), Aaron Gordon (21) and Michael Porter Jr. (21) – as Denver snapped its four-game skid in interim coach David Adelman’s debut. | Recap
- Postseason Race (DEN ⬆️): The Nuggets rise to 4th in the West with the win, via tiebreaker (superior conference record) over the 5th-place Clippers. Denver is 1 game back of the 3rd-place Lakers and 0.5 games up on the 6th-place Grizzlies
- Postseason Race (SAC ↔️): The Kings remain 9th in the West with the loss, leading the 10th-place Mavs by 1 game. The Kings clinch 9th with a win or Mavs loss over the final two games
4. ROUNDUP: BULLS GET KEY PLAY-IN WIN, MAGIC CLINCH 7TH & MORE
Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
Bulls 119, Heat 111: Behind Josh Giddey’s 7th triple-double of the season (28 pts, 16 reb, 11 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk), the Bulls won a pivotal matchup with the Heat in the East Play-In race. Kevin Huerter (22 pts, 7 ast, 4 3pm) and Nikola Vučević (20 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast) combined for 42 in the win. | Recap
- Short List: Giddey joined Michael Jordan (2x) and Scottie Pippen (3x) as the only Bulls to tally at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in a season
- Postseason Race (CHI ↔️): The Bulls remain 9th in the East with the win, 1 game up on the 10th-place Heat and 0.5 games back of the 8th-place Hawks
- Postseason Race (MIA ↔️): The Heat remain 10th in the East with the loss, 1 game back of the 9th-place Bulls
Magic 96, Celtics 76: Franz Wagner scored 23 points, Paolo Banchero added 15, and the Magic won their 4th straight game, holding the shorthanded Celtics to their lowest point total since 2021. | Recap
- Dominant Defense: The Magic held an opponent under 100 points for the 21st time this season – most in the NBA
- Postseason Race (ORL ☑️): The Magic clinched the Southeast Division with the win and locked up 7th in the East Play-In
Jeff Dowtin Jr., Jonathan Mogbo, Kyle Filipowski
Vaughn Ridley, Melissa Majchrzak & Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images
Raptors 126, Hornets 96: Jonathan Mogbo (17 pts, 10 reb, 11 ast) posted the first triple-double by a rookie this season to lead the Raptors past the Hornets, who got a combined 54 points from Nick Smith Jr. and Jusuf Nurkić. | Recap
Sixers 122, Wizards 103: Jeff Dowtin Jr. (30) and Lonnie Walker IV (24) combined for 54 points as the Sixers pulled away in the 4th quarter to defeat Tristan Vukcevic (24 pts) and the Wizards. | Recap
Jazz 133, Blazers 126 (OT): In a back-and-forth game that saw 17 lead changes and eight ties, Kyle Filipowski (30 pts, 18 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk) had the best game of his young career to lead the Jazz past Shaedon Sharpe (37 pts, 6 3pm) and the Blazers. | Recap
5. TONIGHT ON TNT: PIVOTAL WEST MATCHUP, TOP 4 EAST TEAMS CLASH
Justin Ford/Getty Images
The stakes remain high for both the Timberwolves and Grizzlies with a matchup on tap for tonight (9:30 ET). Memphis sits in the 6th and final Playoff spot in the West, a game ahead of 8th-place Minnesota.
Their situations mirror each other. Neither squad will finish lower than 8th, but are part of a five-team race – separated by just 1.5 games – for three Playoff spots as each team is trying to avoid the Play-In.
As postseason fates hang in the balance, Memphis and its 2nd-best 121.7 ppg will attempt a season sweep of Minnesota as offensive firepower clashes again with defensive tenacity.
The Engine: Ja Morant’s 23.0 ppg and 7.3 apg have been integral to Memphis’ fast-paced attack, and since returning March 29 from a six-game absence, he’s improved to 28.4 ppg through five outings while shooting 40.5% from 3.
The Timberwolves, though, have handled big-time scorers well in 2024-25, and lost both previous meetings with the Grizzlies by just two points.
- Magic 6: Minnesota’s ability to quiet noisy offenses shines through in their 109.4 Opp ppg, 24.9 Opp apg and 110.8 DefRtg – all of which rank 6th in the league
- Atop Ant’s Hill: When the group does need to outscore opponents, it looks to Anthony Edwards, whose 27.4 ppg trails only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32.7), Giannis Antetokounmpo (30.4) and Nikola Jokić (29.8)
- Grizz On The Move: Memphis’ NBA-leading pace forces opposing defenders to get back and react quickly to changes in possession
Nick Cammett/Getty Images
Over in the East, the Cavaliers pay a visit to the Pacers for a matchup of top-four seeds (7 ET). Cleveland clinched the conference’s No. 1 seed Tuesday for the first time since 2016.
- Captain Clutch: Tyrese Haliburton owns a 5th-best plus/minus of +62 in clutch time, in large part thanks to his 4th-ranked 25 assists in such situations
- Clutch Crew: But the team he’ll go against tonight excels when the going gets tough. The Cavaliers’ 71.4% winning percentage throughout 35 clutch games is an NBA best
