2024-25 NBA Playoffs: What’s Happening in the Western Conference
The 2024-25 NBA playoffs are heating up, and our NBA experts are following every game as teams battle to reach the Finals.
Monday Night Action – Game 2: Nuggets vs Clippers
The Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers are set for Game 2 of their series tonight (10 p.m. ET). Denver lead the series 1-0 after a dramatic overtime win on Saturday.
In Game 1, the Clippers gave away 29 points from 20 turnovers, which proved costly. Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. scored the team’s first basket but added just two more points in the rest of the game. He’ll need to improve for the Nuggets to have a better chance going forward.
Despite being hit in the face and arguing with referees, Nikola Jokic helped Denver come back from 15 points down. Russell Westbrook played a key role with big rebounds and his first ever go-ahead three-pointer in the final seconds of a playoff game. Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon also stepped up late to secure the win.
The Clippers struggled with James Harden in foul trouble for most of the game. They’ll be hoping for a cleaner performance in Game 2.
Thunder Dominate Grizzlies in Record Win
Oklahoma City Thunder crushed the Memphis Grizzlies 131-80 in Game 1 — one of the biggest wins in NBA playoff history. The Grizzlies, who had just played a play-in game 36 hours earlier, looked tired and were overwhelmed by OKC’s fast-paced defence.
Even though Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a quiet game by his standards, scoring only 15 points, the Thunder didn’t need him to do much. They led comfortably by half-time and coasted to the win.
Game 2 is on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET. If the Grizzlies can’t find a way to run and score quickly, they could be heading out of the playoffs early. Oklahoma City’s defence is too strong to allow easy points in half-court play.
Warriors Outlast Rockets in Low-Scoring Game
Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets 95-85 in Game 1. The Rockets didn’t score 50 points until late in the third quarter and ended with their lowest score of the season.
Golden State’s experienced stars like Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III showed their class. Butler finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. On defence, the Warriors allowed Alperen Sengun to score but limited other Rockets players.
Despite trailing by as many as 23 points, Houston fought back with 22 offensive rebounds and second-chance points. But Butler made two clutch shots late on to seal the win for the Warriors.
Game 2 is on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET. If the Rockets can’t run the floor and get quick points, they’ll find it tough against Golden State’s playoff-tested team.
Timberwolves Shock Lakers in Game 1
The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 117-95 in Game 1, despite the Lakers entering the playoffs with high hopes after trading for Luka Doncic.
Doncic started strong, scoring 14 early points, but the Timberwolves took control by halftime. They dominated rebounds, moved the ball well, and hit a team playoff record 21 three-pointers.
While the spotlight was on LeBron James, Doncic, and Anthony Edwards, it was Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid who made the difference — combining for 48 points on nearly perfect shooting.
Game 2 is on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET. Lakers coach JJ Redick may need to make changes, especially in the starting lineup. Big man Jaxson Hayes played just eight minutes, with Redick using a smaller, quicker line-up to try to close the gap.
