Giannis finishes the alley-oop to cap off a 34-3 run as the Bucks pull off their largest 4th-quarter comeback in franchise history.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
April 9, 2025
Tonight’s Guide: Everything we know and what’s on the line during tonight’s 10 games
ESPN Doubleheader: Luka & Lakers visit AD & Dallas, Kings host Jokić & Nuggets
The Answer: OKC avenges Sunday’s loss to Lakers, Bucks pull off record comeback
West Gets Tighter: 3rd-7th place separated by 1 game, 8th place just 1 game back
Cavs Clinch: Top two in the East set with Cleveland No. 1 and Boston No. 2
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Last night’s scores & what to watch today…
Tonight’s ESPN doubleheader begins in Dallas (7:30 ET) as Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis face their former teams. Then, Zach LaVine and the Kings host Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets (10 ET).
1. WHAT WE KNOW & WHAT’S AT STAKE TONIGHT IN 1 MINUTE
Tuesday’s 10 games helped the Playoff picture come into slightly more focus – the top of the East and West are set, one West Play-In team is locked – but much is still to be determined over the next five days.
Here’s a look at what we know heading into tonight’s 10-game slate:
- 19 of 20 Postseason Teams Are In: The (10) Mavs and (11) Suns will determine the final SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament berth
- Top 2 In Both Conferences Set: The (1) Thunder and (2) Rockets lead the West, while the (1) Cavs and (2) Celtics lead the East
- West 3-8 Race Somehow Got Closer: Now only 1 game separates 3rd-7th place – (3) Lakers, (4) Clippers, (5) Nuggets, (6) Warriors and (7) Grizzlies – with the 8th-place Wolves 1 game back
- East 3-6 Teams Clinched: The (3) Knicks, (4) Pacers, (5) Bucks and (6) Pistons have secured guaranteed Playoff spots. The order is still to be determined, with NY finishing no lower than 4th and Detroit climbing no higher than 5th
- East Play-In Teams Locked: The (7) Magic, (8) Hawks, (9) Bulls and (10) Heat are locked in the Play-In. Again, the order is still to be determined, with 3 games separating 4 teams
- West Play-In Team Locked: The Kings are the only team to clinch a Play-In berth in the West
Here’s what’s at stake in games with postseason implications:
- Celtics at Magic (7 ET): The Magic remain 7th in East with win or loss
- Lakers at Mavs (7:30 ET, ESPN): The Mavs clinch a Play-In berth with a win. The Lakers hold at 3rd with a win or loss
- Heat at Bulls (8 ET): Entering the game tied (Chicago holds tiebreaker), the Heat can jump the Bulls for 9th with a win. The Bulls remain 9th with a win
- Spurs at Warriors (10 ET): The Warriors can climb as high as 4th with a win and drop as low as 7th with a loss
- Thunder at Suns (10 ET): The Suns are eliminated from postseason contention with a loss
- Nuggets at Kings (10 ET, ESPN): The Kings clinch 9th in West with a win and Mavs loss. The Nuggets can climb as high as 4th with a win and drop as low as 7th with a loss
- Rockets at Clippers (10 ET): The Clippers remain 4th with a win and drop as low as 7th with a loss
2. ESPN: LUKA & AD FACE THEIR FORMER TEAMS IN DALLAS; KINGS HOST NUGGETS
Michael Owens & Michael Reaves/Getty Images
With five days remaining in the regular season, both the Lakers and Mavericks are looking to secure their postseason path.
- L.A. missed a chance to clinch a Playoff berth on Tuesday and are now in a six-team race – separated by 2 games – for four guaranteed Playoff spots. The Lakers still lead that six-team cluster by a game, so they control their own destiny
- The Mavericks can clinch a Play-In berth with a win tonight. Dallas needs one win or Phoenix loss over the final three games to clinch
Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
In addition to the postseason stakes, tonight marks Luka Dončić’s first game back in Dallas and Anthony Davis’ first game against his former team since February’s blockbuster trade.
- During his 6.5 seasons in Dallas, Luka was a five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA First Team selection, Kia Rookie of the Year and led the Mavs to the 2024 Finals
- Since he’s been in L.A., Luka has averaged 27.1 pts, 8.1 reb and 7.6 ast, joining Oscar Robertson as the only players to average at least 27/7/7 in their first 25 games with a franchise
Sam Hodde/Getty Images
- During his 5.5 seasons in Los Angeles, Davis earned four All-Star honors, two All-NBA and All-Defensive team selections while helping the Lakers capture the 2020 NBA championship and the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023
- Since AD returned from injury in Dallas, the Mavs have been hot – winning four of six games, including three against postseason-bound teams – to put themselves in position to reach the Play-In
Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images
Nuggets at Kings (10 ET, ESPN): After winning the final three games of a six-game road trip, the Kings return home to close out the season, beginning with tonight’s game against the Nuggets, who are looking to snap a four-game skid amid a change in leadership.
- In A Crowd: Denver’s four straight losses have dropped the Nuggets into a four-team tie (at 47-32) in the middle of a six-team race for four Playoff spots
- Big Matchup: The matchup between Nikola Jokić (1st in triple-doubles, T-2nd in double-doubles) and Domantas Sabonis (1st in double-doubles, T-2nd in triple-doubles) pits two of the game’s most versatile bigs against one another
- Coming In Hot: Zach LaVine has put up 80 points and 15 3s over his last two games – marks he’s posted over a two-game span only one other time (2021) in his career. The Kings are 4-0 when LaVine scores 35+ since his Feb. 5 debut
3. OKC AVENGES LOSS TO L.A., BUCKS STUN WOLVES WITH 24-POINT COMEBACK
Zach Beeker & Joshua Gateley/NBAE via Getty Images
Thunder 136, Lakers 120: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (42 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast, 5 3pm) dropped his league-leading 13th 40-piece of the season to help the Thunder avenge their loss to the Lakers from Sunday. | Recap
- Legendary Scoring: SGA extended his 20+ point game streak to 72 games, tying Michael Jordan & Kevin Durant for the 4th longest streak in NBA history, trailing only Wilt (126, 92) & Oscar (79)
- Finishing Strong: Trailing by 1 entering the 4th quarter, OKC won the final frame, 39-22, to pull away behind 19 combined points from SGA and Jalen Williams
- Making History: With its 51st double-digit win of the season, OKC passed the 1971-72 Lakers for the most such wins in a season
- Standouts: Williams added 26 points in the win for OKC, while LeBron James and Austin Reaves combined for 52 for the Lakers, who lost Luka Dončić in the 3rd quarter with his 2nd technical foul
- Postseason Race (LAL ↔️): The Lakers remain 3rd in the West with the loss, leading by 1 game over the 4th-place Clippers, 5th-place Nuggets, 6th-place Warriors and 7th-place Grizzlies
- Postseason Race (HOU ☑️): The Rockets clinch 2nd in the West with the Lakers’ loss
Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images
Bucks 110, Timberwolves 103: Powered by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 3rd straight triple-double (23 pts, 13 reb, 10 ast) and a dominant 40-13 4th quarter – including a 34-3 run that turned a 24-point deficit into a 7-point lead – the Bucks pulled off their largest 4th quarter comeback in franchise history for their 5th straight win. | Recap
- Bench Bucks: In addition to Giannis tying the longest triple-double streak of his career, Milwaukee got 21 points, five assists and five steals from Kevin Porter Jr. and 18 points and 10 boards from Bobby Portis in his first game since Feb. 12
- Franchise Scorer: Ant Edwards (2,081 total points) broke Karl-Anthony Towns’ franchise record for points in a season. He also became the 3rd youngest player (23 years, 246 days) to reach 9,000 career points, trailing only LeBron and Kevin Durant
- Postseason Race (MIL ↔️): The Bucks remain 5th in the East with the win, moving 2 games up on the 6th-place Pistons and 3 games back of the 4th-place Pacers
- Postseason Race (MIN ⬇️): The Wolves drop to 8th in the West with the loss, 1 game back of the 4th-place Clippers, 5th-place Nuggets, 6th-place Warriors and 7th-place Grizzlies
4. THE WEST PLAYOFF RACE SOMEHOW GOT TIGHTER
Juan Ocampo & Garrett Ellwood & Barry Gossage & Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images
How The West 3-8 Race Started & Ended On Tuesday:
- Lakers: 3rd (0 GB, 48-30) ↔️ 3rd (0 GB, 48-31) – Loss to OKC
- Nuggets: 4th (1.5 GB, 47-32) ⬇️ 5th (1 GB, 47-32) – Did not play
- Clippers: 5th (2 GB, 46-32) ⬆️ 4th (1 GB, 47-32) – Win over SAS
- Warriors: 6th (2 GB, 46-32) ↔️ 6th (1 GB, 47-32) – Win over PHX
- Wolves: 7th (2 GB, 46-32) ⬇️ 8th (2 GB, 46-33) – Loss to MIL
- Grizzlies: 8th (2 GB, 46-32) ⬆️ 7th (1 GB, 47-32) – Win over CHA
Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images
Clippers 122, Spurs 117: Ivica Zubac’s 4th 20/20 game of the season (24 pts, 20 reb), James Harden’s near triple-double (21 pts, 9 reb, 12 ast) and Norm Powell’s 25 points led the Clippers to their 5th straight win and 12th in their last 15 games. | Recap
- Postseason Race (LAC ⬆️): The Clippers jump from 5th to 4th in the West with the win – via a four-team tiebreaker with the Nuggets, Warriors and Grizzlies – 1 game back of the 3rd-place Lakers and 1 game up on the 8th-place Wolves
- The Tiebreaker: This four-way tie is broken by finding the better winning percentage in all games among the tied teams. In this case, the order goes: Clippers (8-2), Nuggets (5-4), Warriors (4-6), Grizzlies (2-7)
Warriors 133, Suns 95: Steph Curry (25 pts, 6 ast) and Brandin Podziemski (22 pts, 4 3pm) led seven Warriors in double figures as Golden State cruised to their 47th win – their highest total since their 2022 title run – while handing the Suns their 7th straight loss. | Recap
- Postseason Race (GSW ↔️): The Warriors remain 6th with the win via the four-team tiebreaker with the Clippers, Nuggets and Grizzlies
- Postseason Race (PHX ↔️): The Suns remain 11th in the West with the loss, 3 games back of the 10th-place Mavs for the final Play-In spot with 3 games to play (Suns hold head-to-head tiebreaker)
- Postseason Race (SAC ☑️): The Kings are locked in the Play-In with the Suns loss
Grizzlies 124, Hornets 100: Ja Morant (28 pts, 8 ast) led six Grizzlies in double figures – including Zach Edey, who posted a massive double-double (17 pts, 19 reb) – in a wire-to-wire win over the Hornets. | Recap
- Postseason Race (MEM ⬆️): The Grizzlies jump from 8th to 7th in the West with the win, via the four-team tiebreaker with the Clippers, Nuggets and Warriors
5. TOP TWO EAST SEEDS LOCKED AS CAVS, CELTICS WIN
Nick Cammett/Getty Images
Cavs 135, Bulls 113: Darius Garland (28 pts, 6 3pm) and Evan Mobley (21 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast) combined for 49 points as the Cavs clinched the top seed in the East with three games to play. | Recap
- Coaches Club: Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson (63) joined Flip Saunders (64, 2005-06 DET), Steve Kerr (67, 2014-15 GSW), Phil Jackson (67, 1999-00 LAL) and Bill Sharman (69, 1971-72 LAL) as the only coaches with 63+ wins in their 1st season with a new team
- Postseason Race (CLE ☑️): The Cavs clinch 1st in the East with the win
- Postseason Race (CHI ↔️): The Bulls remain 9th in the East with the loss, holding the tiebreaker over the 10th-place Heat
Nathaniel S. Butler & Elsa/NBAE via Getty Images
Down seven with 4:58 to play, the Knicks outscored the Celtics 14-4 to take a three-point lead on a Josh Hart layup with 11.9 seconds left. That was enough time for Jayson Tatum to get to his spot for a stepback 3 to force overtime, where the Celtics prevailed.
Celtics 119, Knicks 117 (OT): Kristaps Porziņģis (34 pts, 8 3pm) and Tatum (32 pts, 7 reb) combined for 66 points to help Boston earn their 12th win in the last 13 games and franchise-record 33rd road win. | Recap
- Knicks Duo: Karl-Anthony Towns (34 pts, 14 reb) joined Bob McAdoo and Patrick Ewing as the only Knicks with 20+ 30/10 games in a season, while Jalen Brunson had 27 points and 10 assist in his second game back
- The 180 Club: Boston’s Joe Mazzulla (180-63) joined Steve Kerr (207-39) and Phil Jackson (183-63) as the only coaches with 180+ wins in their first three seasons coaching
- Postseason Race (BOS ☑️): The Celtics clinch 2nd in the East with the Cavs’ win
- Postseason Race (NYK ↔️): The Knicks remain 3rd in the East with the loss, leading the 4th-place Pacers by 2 games
Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
Magic 119, Hawks 112: As the postseason draws near, Paolo Banchero (33 pts, 10 reb) and the Magic are heating up at the right time, beating the Hawks for their 3rd straight win and 7th in their last nine games. | Recap
- Magical Company: With his 20th straight game with 20+ points, Paolo joined Shaquille O’Neal and Tracy McGrady as the only players in Magic history with such a streak
- Postseason Race (ORL ↔️): The Magic remain 7th in the East with the win, taking a 2-game lead on the 8th-place Hawks
- Postseason Race (ATL ↔️): The Hawks remain 8th in the East with the loss, with their lead dropping to 1 game ahead of the 9th-place Bulls and 10th-place Heat
Pacers 104, Wizards 98: Behind a combined 46 points from Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers made a pair of double-digit comebacks – down 16 in the 1st quarter, down 12 in the 3rd – to rally past Alex Sarr (20 pts, 12 reb, 6 ast, 3 blk) and the Wizards. | Recap
- Postseason Race (IND ↔️): The Pacers remain 4th in the East with the win, 2 games back of the 3rd-place Knicks and 3 games up on the 5th-place Bucks
Nets 119, Pelicans 114: Trendon Watford (22 pts, 5 ast) led seven Nets in double figures to defeat the Pelicans, who were led by Antonio Reeves and Karlo Matković with 17 points apiece. | Recap
