When you end an 11-game winning streak to lead your team to a statement win.
Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green and the Rockets protected home court to win the battle of 1 vs. 2 in the West.
Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
April 5, 2025
Tough Play Out West: Rockets snap OKC’s streak, Lakers climb in the Playoff picture
In The Dance: Pistons clinch first Playoff berth since 2018-19, Pacers keep pace as the East’s four seed
Fighting For A Spot: Clippers & Kings distance themselves in the West’s Play-In logjam
Approaching History: Cavs win their 62nd game, Bulls stay hot, winning 11 of their last 15
League Pass: Playoff bound Pistons take on Grizzlies as part of a five-game slate
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Last night’s scores & what to watch today…
5-Game Saturday: A full day of hoops packed with postseason race implications. Don’t miss the Pistons hosting the Grizzlies on NBA TV (7 ET), while League Pass has Knicks-Hawks (3 ET), Wolves-76ers (7 ET), Bucks-Heat (8 ET) & Mavs-Clippers (10:30 ET).
Postseason Countdown: We’re just 10 days away from the start of the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament. Check out all the key dates as the Playoffs draw near.
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) tips off its 5th season at noon with a matchup between Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria) and Stade Malien (Mali) in Rabat, Morocco. Dive into the key players and storylines to watch ahead of the Kalahari Conference opener.
1. ROCKETS MAKE STATEMENT, LAKERS CLIMB, WARRIORS LURKING
Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images
The Rockets have been playing their best basketball as of late, and with the league’s hottest team coming to town, the task was tough.
Houston responded, winning their 14th of their last 16 games to end the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 11-game winning streak.
Rockets 125, Thunder 111: SGA’s 20-point streak rolled on, but it wasn’t enough to give the Thunder a 12th straight win as the Rockets prevailed. Houston’s resounding win over the West’s best was led by Jalen Green (34 pts) and Alperen Sengun (31 pts). | Recap
- Rockets Rolling: They are just the fifth team to beat the Thunder twice this season and held Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (22 pts) to his lowest point total since Feb. 21
- Moving Past MJ: Scoring 22 Friday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded his 70th straight game with 20+ points passing Michael Jordan (69 in 1990-91) for the 4th longest streak in a single season in NBA history
- Only Oscar Robertson (76 in 1963-64) and Wilt (80 twice – 1961-62 and 1963-64) have scored 20+ points in 70 or more games in a single season
- Postseason Race (HOU ↔️): Houston’s win put them in great shape to zero in on the 2nd seed in the West, as they lead the Lakers by 3.5 games with four to play
Warriors 118, Nuggets 104: The Warriors continue to shine with Jimmy Butler III in the lineup, picking up the win against the Denver Nuggets. Steph Curry’s 36 pts and 7 3pm were enough to hold off the defending KIA MVP Nikola Jokić (33 pts, 12 reb, 9 ast). | Recap
- In The Zone: The last three games have been kind to Curry – with point totals of 52, 37 and now 36. Steph had everything working to give the Warriors their fifth straight win
- Dynamic Duo: The addition of Butler has continued to do wonders with Golden State. Jimmy moved to 21-4 in his first 25 games as a Warrior, and with him and Steph in the lineup, the team is 20-2
- The Follow-Up: In his first game since his 61-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist masterpiece, Nikola Jokić put up another typical Joker game, leading his team in points, rebounds and assists in the loss
- Postseason Race (DEN ⬇️): The Nuggets entered the day as No. 3 in the West but the loss + Lakers win now has them at No. 4
- Postseason Race (GSW ↔️ ): Golden State picked up a huge win in the playoff race to move within half a game of the 4th-seeded Nuggets with five games to play
Lakers 124, Pelicans 108: The Lakers’ big three of LeBron James (27 pts), Luka Dončić (35 pts) and Austin Reaves (30 pts) provided the offense for the Lakers to take down the Pelicans, and rise in the West. | Recap
- Class Of His Own: Reaves’ breakout season reached a new high on Friday, as he became the first Laker in franchise history to record 15+ 3pm over a two-game span
- Postseason Race (LAL ⬆️): The Lakers jumped to the 3 seed in the West with their win + a loss by the Nuggets with just a game separating them from the 3rd to 5th seed
2. PISTONS CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT
The Pistons’ historic season reached a new high as they clinched a Playoff spot, while the Pacers stayed hot and kept pace in the East race.
Pistons 117, Raptors 105: A year after having the worst record in the NBA, Detroit reached another milestone in its comeback 2024-25 campaign, officially clinching a spot in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Jalen Duren stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks in the victory. | Recap
- All-Time Turnaround: With the Pistons picking up their 43rd victory, they have more than tripled their total of 14 from last season. With 5 games to go, they sit tied for seventh in increased wins from season to season in NBA history with a chance to climb even higher
- Coach Bickerstaff On Locking Up Top 6 Spot: “It’s a big deal for the group… it’s a credit to the organization, it’s a credit to each one of those guys in the locker room.”
- Go Deeper: Head to section 5 for more on Detroit’s climb this season
- Postseason Race (DET ☑️): The Pistons are officially back in the NBA Playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season, as the current five seed in the East
- Postseason Race (ORL 🔒): With the Pistons win, the Magic are now locked in the East Play-In with a guaranteed finish between 7th and 10th place
Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images
Pacers 140, Jazz 112: The Pacers won their 3rd in a row behind another masterful Tyrese Haliburton effort (17 pts, 11 ast, 0 to’s) to pick up the victory over the Utah Jazz. | Recap
- Protector Of The Basketball: For the second straight game, Tyrese Haliburton dropped 15+ points, and 10+ assists while committing 0 turnovers. It’s the fourth time he’s done this in his career, already the most in NBA history
- Postseason Race (IND ↔️): The Pacers improved to 46-31 to keep a three-game distance between them and the Bucks for the four seed
3. WEST PLAYOFF RACE GETS TIGHTER
Clippers 114, Mavericks 91: The Clippers won their third straight game behind a balanced attack with six different players scoring in double digits. Ivica Zubac recorded his 10th straight double-double (14 pts, 13 reb) to hold off Naji Marshall (22 pts) and the Mavericks. | Recap
- Postseason Race (LAC ⬆️): With the Timberwolves and Grizzlies off, the Clippers picked up half a game on each team in the contested battle for a top-six spot. The Clippers currently sit in a three-way tie for sixth, with the Timberwolves holding the tiebreaker
- Postseason Race (DAL ↔️): The Mavericks’ lead on the 9th seed diminished to just a half-game over the Sacramento Kings
Kings 125, Hornets 102: A 19-point lead at the break for the Kings was enough to hold off the Hornets, as Zach LaVine (25 pts, 10 reb) and Domantas Sabonis (24 pts, 11 reb, 7 ast) led the way for the Kings in their push to the Play-In. | Recap
- Postseason Race (SAC ↔️): The Kings snapped their three-game losing streak at the perfect time, as they opened up their lead on the 10th spot in the West to two games, coupled with the Suns loss
Celtics 123, Suns 103: Jaylen Brown starred for the Celtics on a historic night for Boston, pouring in 31 points to help the East’s No. 2 team hold off Devin Booker (37 pts) and the Phoenix Suns. | Recap
- Making History: With their 8th 3PM, the Celtics recorded their 1,364th of the season, passing the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors (1,363) for the most 3PM by a team in a single season in NBA history
- One Of A Kind: The Celtics’ leader in 3-pointers this season made history of his own, as Derrick White became the first player in NBA history to record 250+ 3PM and 75+ BLKs in a single season
- Postseason Race (BOS ↔️): Firmly in position to be the East’s two seed, the Celtics are gearing up to attempt to be the NBA’s first back-to-back champion since the 2017-18 Warriors
- Postseason Race (PHX ↔️): The Kings’ victory, combined with the Suns’ loss, grew Phoenix’s deficit to two games for the 10th and final Play-In spot with five games to play
4. ROUNDUP: CAVS PICK UP NO. 62, BULLS WIN AGAIN
The Cavaliers keep on marching, while the Bulls continue to look impressive over the last month.
Cavaliers 114, Spurs 113: The Spurs played the Cavs down to the wire but ultimately fell just short. Evan Mobley’s 25 pts, 12 reb, 5 ast proved to be enough to give the Cavs their 62nd win of the season. | Recap
- Chasing History: The Cavs’ 62nd win gives Cleveland their second-most victories in a campaign in franchise history. With five games left, they need to win all five to break their franchise record of 66 (2008-09)
- Postseason Race (CLE ↔️): With the Celtics’ win over Phoenix, the Cavs were unable to clinch the first seed in the East but can do so with a win or Celtics loss in any of their next five games
Bulls 118, Trail Blazers 113: The Bulls stayed hot with their 11th win in their last 15 games, picking up a victory over the Blazers. Coby White and Nikola Vučević’s 31 points apiece were key to holding off Deni Avdija (37 pts) and Portland. | Recap
- All Over The Glass: Vučević tallied his 200th double-double as a member of the Bulls, tying Scottie Pippen for the 2nd most in franchise history, trailing only Artis Gilmore (288)
- Uncharted Territory: Josh Giddey became the first player in Bulls franchise history to record 15+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 10+ assists in multiple regular season games, with his 19 rebounds marking a career-high
- Postseason Race (CHI ↔️): Already locked into the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, the Bulls are fighting for seeding as they sit tied in record with No. 10 Miami (CHI holds tiebreaker) with five games to play
- Postseason Race (POR ↔️): With the loss, the Trail Blazers sit 3.5 games back of the 10th spot with just four games remaining
5. PLAYOFF-BOUND PISTONS HOST GRIZZLIES TO LEAD 5-GAME SATURDAY
Cole Burston/Getty Images
Last night, the Detroit Pistons punched their first ticket to the NBA Playoffs in six years.
It marks the culmination of one of the greatest season-to-season turnarounds in NBA history.
- Win Improvement: Detroit’s 29-win improvement is tied for the 7th largest in NBA history. And with five games still to play, the Pistons can climb as high as 5th on that list
- Tonight: The Pistons host the Grizzlies (7 ET, NBA TV) seeking their 44th win – a mark they have only reached once (2015-16) in the past 17 seasons
How did they do it? The rise of Cade Cunningham from promising talent to bonafide star, a harmonious blend of young talent and savvy veterans added in the offseason, as well as a new head coach instilling grit and a defensive focus long synonymous with Detroit basketball.
- The Leap: Cunningham has showcased a versatile offensive repertoire – ranking 3rd in scoring as the ball handler in pick-and-roll (10.3 ppg), 2nd among guards in paint points (12.5 ppg) and 5th among guards in post-up points (62)
- The Vets: Malik Beasley (16.3 ppg, 3.9 3pg), Tobias Harris (13.8 ppg) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (11.1 ppg) bring a combined 41.2 ppg and 140 games of Playoff experience
- The Message: In J.B. Bickerstaff’s first season in Detroit, the Pistons’ defense has risen from 25th last season to 9th in the NBA
- Bickerstaff On His Squad: “This group has a grit to it. They’ve got a mental and physical toughness and a togetherness … they don’t wanna disappoint each other, they don’t let each other down.”
The Pistons enter tonight 5th in the East and will face a Grizzlies team ranked 8th in the West and coming off a thrilling victory on Thursday thanks to Ja Morant’s game-winner.
- Here Comes Ja: Since the All-Star break, Morant is averaging 27.5 points (8th in NBA), with nearly half of those points coming in the paint (13.3 ppg, 8th overall, 1st among guards), while still dropping 7.1 dimes (12th in NBA)
Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images
A four-game slate on League Pass rounds out Saturday hoops.
- Knicks at Hawks (3 ET): Jalen Brunson has been upgraded to questionable as he looks to return for his first game since March 6
- Wolves at 76ers (7 ET): Anthony Edwards and the Wolves go for their 5th straight win as they seek a top 6 finish
- Bucks at Heat (8 ET): How does Giannis follow up his historic 35-17-20 game from Thursday? Can the Heat get their 7th win in their last eight games?
- Mavs at Clippers (10:30 ET): After LA took round one on Friday, the Clippers and Mavs run it back tonight
