Batman & Robin (& Buddy) celebrate Golden State’s Game 7 win in Houston to advance.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
May 5, 2025
Warriors Win In 7: Buddy’s 3s & Steph’s 4th quarter lead Warriors past Rockets in Game 7
The Vets Deliver: Steph, Draymond & Jimmy give their all and get it done on Sunday
Setting The Pace: Indy races past top-seeded Cavs in Game 1 on the road
Thunder-Nuggets: Dive into this 1-vs-4 matchup headlined by MVP finalists
Celtics-Knicks: Two teams with a deep history open their 17th Playoff clash
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Yesterday’s scores & what to watch today…
Tonight’s TNT doubleheader features a pair of Game 1s in the Conference Semifinals. The action begins in Boston with the Celtics hosting the Knicks (7 ET) in their 17th Playoff meeting. Then out West, the top-seeded Thunder host the Nuggets in OKC (9:30 ET).
The NBA Awards rollout continues tonight with the Coach of the Year announcement (6:30 ET, TNT). This week, the Basketball Executive of the Year (Tuesday, 12:30 ET) and Social Justice Champion (Wednesday, 11 AM ET) will be unveiled on the NBA App.
1. BUDDY’S HOT HAND, STEPH’S FIRE FOURTH LIFT WARRIORS TO GAME 7 WIN
It seems fitting that Buddy Hield wears No. 7 for the Golden State Warriors after Sunday night in Houston.
On the brightest stage of any game in his nine-year NBA career, Hield delivered a shooting display for the ages – matching the NBA Game 7 record with nine 3s – to help lead the Warriors into the second round.
Warriors 103, Rockets 89: Hield (Playoff career-high 33 pts) led the offense most of the night until Steph Curry got it going late (14 of his 22 points in the 4th) as the Warriors held off the Rockets in the 2nd half to reach the West Semis for the 9th time since 2013. | Recap
- Right On Time: After scoring a total of four points on 2-of-10 shooting (0-of-6 from 3) in Games 5 and 6 combined, Hield erupted for 33 points on 12-of-15 shooting (9-of-11 from 3) in Game 7
- Buddy & The Jet: Hield joins Jason Terry in 2011 as the only players to hit 9+ 3s on 80%+ shooting from 3 in a Playoff game
- “That’s what the game called for, and he answered it.” – Steph on Buddy’s Game 7 performance
Playing in front of a raucous crowd, the Warriors jumped out to a quick lead, forcing Houston to have to play from behind. The Rockets took their only lead at 19-17 in the 1st quarter before a Buddy 3 with 1:11 left put Golden State up for good.
- Everybody Leads: Draymond Green and Hield led the Warriors with 8 points apiece in the 1st quarter. Buddy led the 2nd himself with 14. Jimmy Butler III took the lead in the 3rd with 6, before Steph led the 4th with 14
- No Cruising: While the Warriors never trailed in the final three quarters, Houston cut the lead to three points on multiple occasions – the last coming off a Jabari Smith Jr. 3 with 2:43 left in the 3rd
- Closing The Door: After Houston cut the lead to single digits with under five minutes left, the Warriors used a 12-0 run to secure the win, capped off by back-to-back 3s from Curry and Hield and a Steph ‘night, night’
Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images
Houston’s breakout season – going from 11th to 2nd in the West – came to an end with the Game 7 loss. The young Rockets gained valuable experience as many made their Playoff debuts in the series.
- That includes Game 7 leaders Amen Thompson (24 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast) and Alperen Sengun (21 pts, 14 reb, 5 ast) – a pair of 22-year-olds that have put themselves among the game’s top rising stars
- Great Company: Sengun became the 5th player in NBA history to average 20+ pts, 10+ reb & 5+ ast in their first seven Playoff games, joining Nikola Jokić, Larry Bird, Connie Hawkins & Oscar Robertson
What’s Next: The Warriors advance to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Conference Semifinals, starting Tuesday (9:30 ET, TNT). Golden State won the season series 3-1, but all four games were played before the Warriors added Butler III.
2. WARRIORS VET TRIO COMES UP BIG IN GAME 7
Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images
The last time we saw Steph Curry in a Game 7, he dropped 50 points on the road to help the Warriors advance with ease.
Sunday night in Houston was a different story.
Curry had just eight points (3-10 FG, 2-7 3P) entering the 4th quarter as Golden State’s once 15-point lead had been cut to as little as three points in a buzzing Toyota Center.
- Steph turned it on in the final frame, scoring 14 of his 22 points in the 4th – hitting 5-of-6 shots, including two 3s – as the Warriors outscored the Rockets 33-27 to eliminate Houston and advance
- Even when his shot wasn’t falling, Steph was making winning plays all over the court – stuffing the stat sheet with 22 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk and 4 3pm – including this must-see over-the-head dime to Buddy in the corner for 3
- Only six players had previously hit those marks in a Playoff game since 1974 – LeBron (2x), Durant, Harden, Tatum, Lowry and Westbrook – but none came in a Game 7 until Steph
Golden State’s other two vets – Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler III – did the same, combining for 36 points, 14 boards, 12 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks and four 3s with their first Playoff run as teammates on the line. | Warriors Trio Highlights
- “It just blows me away. The competitive spirit and energy and love for the game, it’s beautiful to watch.” Warriors coach Steve Kerr on Curry, Butler III, & Green
- Leaving It All On The Court: Curry (46) and Butler III (45) led all players – from both teams – in minutes, while Draymond (40) matched Houston’s Sengun for 4th behind Fred VanVleet (44)
It took all three of the vets – and a blistering shooting performance from Buddy Hield – to get past Houston on Sunday. After the game, Steph looked at the bigger picture on how the addition of Butler III put the Warriors in position to reach the Conference Semifinals.
- “That’s why we’re here. We were 10th place at one point in February and finished the year with a sense of urgency, on a run to even get into the Play-In to give ourselves a chance.
- “For us to build chemistry on the fly, build trust on the fly and perform the way we did in a Game 7 like this, it means the world. So, mission accomplished, step one.”
Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images
The Warriors became the 7th No. 7 seed to defeat a No. 2 seed since the NBA went to a 16-team format in 1983-84. They’ll now face the No. 6 seed Timberwolves in the next round – only the 3rd time there’s ever been a No. 6 vs. No. 7 matchup in the NBA Playoffs.
- Been There..: One of those two 6-vs-7 games featured the 6-seed Warriors and 7-seed Lakers in the 2023 West Semis, which the Lakers won
- …Done That: The Warriors are the only Play-In team this season to advance to the second round, something Butler III is familiar with as he led the Heat on a run from the Play-In to the Finals in 2022
3. PACERS RACE PAST EAST NO. 1 SEED CAVS IN GAME 1
David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
“This may be the loudest arena I’ve ever been in,” said TNT announcer Spero Dedes, as the Cleveland crowd roared during Game 1 of the Pacers-Cavs series. “This is unbelievable – the volume in this place.”
Pacers 121, Cavaliers 112: But the Playoff-tested Pacers blocked out the noise to take control late, swiping home-court advantage. | Recap
- There were 10 lead changes in the final 16 minutes of the game, including a huge dunk by Donovan Mitchell, followed by an and-1 putback by Evan Mobley to give the Cavs an 85-84 lead as the crowd went ballistic in the 3rd quarter
- As the game seesawed back-and-forth, Max Strus put the Cavs back on top at 102-101 with a free throw with 7:05 to go in the fourth. But that would be the last time Cleveland was in front
Tyrese Haliburton (22 pts, 13 ast, 3 blk) assisted on three of the next four Pacer baskets, including two 3s from Andrew Nembhard (23 pts), as Indiana raced away with a game-ending 20-10 run.
- Haliburton Highlights: Haliburton totaled his third 20/10 game of his Playoff career – the most in Pacers history
- Rick Carlisle moved up the all-time Playoff coaching wins list, earning his 76th victory to pass Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame members Chuck Daly and Don Nelson
- “We’ve got to stay hungry,” said Carlisle after the game. “We know what we’re capable of. Game 2 will be exceptionally hard with them dropping Game 1, this building the way it is.”
Nembhard led six Pacers in double figures, knocking down five 3s.
- “Come Playoff time, he’s unbelievable,” Haliburton said of his backcourt partner. “His lock-in level is unbelievable, and I think he’s just doing a great job of letting the game come to him.”
- Taking Care Of The Rock: Haliburton and Nembhard – who are both in the top five of assist-to-turnover ratio in NBA history (min. 100 ast) – combined for 19 dimes to just one turnover in the win
Mitchell scored a game-high 33 to lead Cleveland, while Mobley added 20 points and 10 rebounds.
- Above His Airness: Mitchell has scored 30+ points in eight straight Game 1s – passing Michael Jordan for the longest such streak in NBA history
4. MVP CANDIDATES & DEEP SQUADS CLASH AS OKC HOSTS DENVER TONIGHT
Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Kia MVP candidates, generational talents, two of the defining players of the season.
Here they are, facing off in the Western Conference Semifinals as the Denver Nuggets meet the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
- Best Of The Best: SGA was the runner-up in the 2024 MVP voting, finishing behind Jokić, who won his third Kia Most Valuable Player award. SGA was No. 1 in the final Kia MVP Ladder for this season – Jokić was No. 2
- History In The Making: How big have their seasons been? This is the first time the NBA’s leading scorer (SGA) and a player averaging a triple-double (Jokić) will face off in the Playoffs
SGA and Jokić both lead deep, talented squads with something to prove in the series after they were knocked out in the second round last season.
- Shai averaged 32.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 7.3 apg, 1.2 spg and 2.3 bpg on 50.7% shooting versus the Mavericks in a six-game series
- Jokić put up 29.0 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 7.9 apg, 1.6 spg and 1.0 bpg on 51.7% shooting versus the Timberwolves over seven games
Martin McGrew/NBAE via Getty Images
The complementary stars will also be huge in this series – Jamal Murray, Jalen Williams and Michael Porter Jr.
- The Blue Arrow: Denver is 14-5 when Murray scores 30+ points in a Playoff game. They are 11-1 this season when he scores 30+, including Denver’s March 10 win over OKC, where he had 34
- A Chance On The Glass: Porter Jr. averaged 20 ppg and 9 rpg against OKC this season – his size and rebounding will be important in the series as Denver outrebounded OKC 203-189 in their four regular-season matchups
- J-Dub In Focus: Jalen Williams had 26 pts, 9 reb and 8 ast in OKC’s March 9 victory over Denver – but missed the 2nd half of OKC’s March 10 loss to Denver with an injury. He’ll be crucial in the series, holding a team-best +28 against the Nuggets this season
Can Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein slow down Jokić? The defensive battle in the paint will be key.
- The last time the Thunder saw the Joker, he dropped a 35-point, 18-board, 8-assist gem in OKC to earn the season series split
- This season, Jokić shot 38.7% from the field versus Holmgren (12-for-31) – his lowest percentage against any single player (min. 11 matchup minutes)
- However, Jokić shot 64% when defended by Hartenstein (16-for-25)
- The Nuggets led the league in points in the paint (58.5), while OKC allowed the fewest in the Association (42.5)
5. A NEW CHAPTER OF A HISTORIC RIVALRY BEGINS TONIGHT
It’s the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics – two storied franchises, ready to square off once again, with a new generation of stars.
This is the 17th time these two Eastern Conference rivals have faced off in the NBA Playoffs.
- It’s the second-most common matchup in Playoff history, trailing only Celtics-Sixers
- Last Playoff Matchup: These teams last met in the Playoffs in 2013. Boston’s Jrue Holiday & Al Horford and NY’s P.J. Tucker are the only players in this series that were in the NBA at that time
- Last East Semis Matchup: New York and Boston last played in the East Semis in 1984. Larry Bird put up 30.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg and 7.1 apg in the Celtics’ seven-game triumph
The Celtics went 4-0 against the Knicks in this regular season, averaging a 130.2 offensive rating – the highest allowed by New York.
Keep an eye on the wing battle in this series.
- New Knicks: New York acquired Mikal Bridges and re-signed OG Anunoby, who faced the Celtics in the East Semis with the Raptors in 2020, in the offseason
- JT At Work: Jayson Tatum averaged 33.5 ppg versus the Knicks this season – his best scoring average versus any team
- Matchups Matter: Tatum was 13-19 from the field versus Bridges, but just 4-16 against Anunoby
Elsa/Getty Images
The backcourt clash features New York All-Star Jalen Brunson against Boston’s All-Defensive Team guards – Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.
- Brunson Burner: Brunson – who averaged 26.8 ppg versus the Celtics this season – edges out Tatum (31.5 to 31.3 ppg) as the leading scorer remaining in the 2025 Playoffs
- The Chess Match: Brunson went 9-12 from the field when matched up against Payton Pritchard in the regular season, 6-13 against Jrue Holiday and 4-11 against Derrick White
Mitchell Robinson played in only one game against Boston – putting up 4 pts, 7 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl in 16 minutes on April 8. Could he impact the Celtics’ offense?
He’ll be matched up with former Knick Kristaps Porziņģis, who will also vie with Karl-Anthony Towns in a contest of world-class stretch bigs.
- Targeting From Deep: The Celtics shot 43.5% from 3 against the Knicks (84 for 193). The Knicks shot 35.2% from deep (45-for-128).
- Center & Fire: KAT, KP and Al Horford all rank in the top nine among centers in threes per game
