NBA Playoffs 2025: Conclusions First Ronda, West Conference
The first round of the NBA playoffs has already started; Here is the highlight of each series of the West Conference.
The Playoffs of the NBA 2024-25 are already underway, and our NBA experts have you covered for each match on the road to the finals.
Throughout the season, the classification of the West Conference was constantly changing, and Saturday’s games hinted at what they promise to be exciting clashes in the first round. The Denver Nuggets, head of series No. 4, traced to overcome the clippers, standard head No. 5, and take game 1, thanks to some heroic playing plays by Russell Westbrook in the last minutes. In the last minutes, the Minnesota Timberwolves, head of series No. 6, pounced on the Los Angeles Lakers, head of series No. 3, when Anthony Edwards surpassed LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
Sunday’s clashes began with the favorite to the MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, head of series No. 1, receiving Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies, head of series Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and the Golden State Warriors, head of series No. 7.
This is the highlight of the results.
Game 1: Thunder 131, Grizzlies 80
What we learned:
This was not a couple fight. The Grizzlies have their hands full against the Thunder, a team that comes from establishing the best points differential record in a regular season, regardless of circumstances. But only 36 hours later from the end of the play-in and with trips in between? Good luck, Grizzlies! The suffocating defense of Oklahoma City crushed Memphis, promoting a 17-0 advantage in counterattack points in the first half.
The game was terminated in the middle of the second quarter, despite the fact that the favorite to be the MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, had a slow start (2 out of 10 in field shots in the first half) and ended with its least number of points (15) in a game this season. It is true that it was replaced for the rest of the game just under five minutes from the end of the third quarter.
Game 2: Grizzlies in Thunder (Tuesday, 7:30 pm et, TNT)
What to see:
If the Grizzlies fail to generate a transition offensive, they will soon make a fast break towards Cancun. The defense of Oklahoma City, ranked first, is simply too strong to have to exhaust each possession on the half court. The Thunder rotated two excellent perimeter defenders (Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace) against Ja Morant and has two others (Jalen Williams and Alex Carus Co-Pilars. If the Grizzlies cannot run, their possibilities of victory are practically null.
– Tim Macmahon
Game 1: Warriors in Rockets (Sunday April 20, 9:30 pm et, TNT)
Something to take into account the rocks:
When the action slows down and each possession matters, can Houston consistently generate sufficient medium court offensive to overcome some tanned Warriors in battle during a complete series for better seven games? It is an enigma that the rock coach, Ime Umoka, had already raised at the close of the regular season, enhancing his physical identity while working to solve problems in attack. The last time Uudoka faced Golden State in the playoffs, was the coach in Boston and saw Stephen Curry averaged 31.2 points against his Celtics in the NBA finals of 2022. Fortunately for the rockets, they could count on the ideal defender for curry in the emerging star Ame Thompson, who neutralized Curry when the teams On April 6, limiting it to 1 of 10 in field shots. Can Thompson assume such an important responsibility in the first postseason series of his career? – Michael C. Wright
Something to take into account of the Warriors:
Warriors will have to find a way to free Curry from Houston’s physical defenders, such as Thompson and Dillon Brooks. But that is where Jimmy Butler III enters. Not only will he have to help Curry with the scorer load, but also to carry the crucial minutes without curry. And then, Draymond Green, of 1.98 meters (6 feet 6 inches), will have to find a way to contain Alperen Sengun, 2.00 meters (6 11 -inch feet), inside, especially in the rebounds, despite its height disadvantage. – Ohm Youngmisuk
Game 1: Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95
What we learned:
The organization of the Lakers prepared for game 1 distributing a promotional video with its postseason motto: “unleashes joy.” The video, in the words of the Lakers, intended to give the output gun to its “Playoffs 2025” campaign. The expectation to go far in the playoffs was understandable, considering the good performance of Los Angeles after signing Luka Doncic and ensuring to be the third sown in the west.
And as started on Saturday, with Doncic personally exceeding Minnesota with 14 points while Los Angeles got 20-12 early in the first quarter, the story seemed to go as planned. But no one in the Los Angeles marketing department foresaw that the Wolves, who lost against Doncic at the conference finals last year, would become the protagonists.
“We know that not many people are choosing us,” said Minnesota coach Chris Finch, before the game. “I think our boys have accepted that a bit.”
After the brilliant initial performance of Doncic, the Wolves took control in the second and third quarter, getting an advantage of up to 27 points, dominating the rebounds (44-38) and opening the defense of the Lakers with extra passes to the open shooters (with a record of the franchise in postseason when scoring 21 of 42 in triples). The previous series focused on Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves on the one hand, and Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle on the other. However, Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid de Minnesota combined for 48 points with 19 of 25 in field shots, completely surpassing the Los Angeles role players and putting the Wolves in command.
Game 2: Timberwolves in Lakers (Tuesday, 10 pm et, TNT)
What to see:
The head pivot of the Lakers, Jaxson Hayes, played only eight minutes, and coach Jj Redick opted for Jarred Vanderbilt in 5 and used his activity (and some of his extracurricular efforts to get under the skin of the players of the Wolves) to try to make a dent in the monstrous deficit, approaching 12. Redick will have to make a decision on if you want to give a decision to give you Second opportunity (that starting group had a 10-3 mark in the regular season) or make its first chess movement of the series starting with a small team, giving the disadvantage of size.
– Dave mcmenamin
Game 1: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110 (TE)
What we learned:
Denver endures the blows well, literally. Nikola Jokic received a blow to the face of a morned forearm of Derrick Jones Jr., received a technical foul to discuss the non -decision and, in some way, managed to get Nuggets to trace a 15 -point disadvantage to win this match in the extension. Russell Westbrook was incredible in offensive rebounds, putbacks and even a triple key in the final stretch. It was his first triple of the advantage in the last 30 seconds of the last quarter or the extension in his career in some playoffs. Jamal Murray recovered from a bad first half to end two crucial triples in the last quarter, and Aaron Gordon scored six of the 14 nuggets points in extra time to seal the victory.
The clippers will ask what would have happened if James Harden would not have had fault problems during most of the game. He was brilliant for the team, but the Nuggets survived with determination and could have recovered their arrogance of champions after a last tumultuous week of the regular season.
Game 2: Clippers in nuggets (Monday, 10 pm et, TNT)
What to see:
Both teams seemed exhausted at the end of this fight and only have one day to recover before game 2 on Monday. The clippers would probably have earned this easily if they had been safer with the ball. They allowed 29 points of 20 losses on Saturday. The only clippers that should receive credit for maintaining the ball are probably the associated chief coach Jeff Van Gundy and coach Jasen Powell, who joined to win a wrestling fight with Jokic at the end of the last quarter. On Denver’s side, Nuggets will need more from Michael Porter Jr. to have an opportunity in this series. He scored the first Denver points of the game and was not a factor for the rest of the way, ending with only three points in 26 minutes.
– Ramona Shelburne
