Western Conference playoffs: Nuggets even series with buzzer-beater
The 2024-25 NBA playoffs are in full swing, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game in the march to the Finals.
On Saturday, the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder became the first team to advance to the second round after defeating the No. 8 seed Memphis Grizzlies. The No. 4 seed Denver Nuggets evened the series with the No. 5 seed LA Clippers after an exciting Game 4 which ended with a game-winning buzzer beater from Aaron Gordon. The No. 7 seed Golden State Warriors will look to win their first game at home against the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets without Jimmy Butler III, who was ruled out of Saturday’s matchup after taking a hard fall in Game 2.
Friday, the No. 3 seed Los Angeles Lakers lost Game 3 on the road to the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves, but will have another chance at home on Sunday to tie the series.
As the West playoffs continue, here’s what matters most and what to watch for in all four series.
Jump to a series:
Thunder-Grizzlies | Rockets-Warriors
Lakers-Timberwolves | Nuggets-Clippers
More coverage:
East first-round takeaways
Schedules and results |
Offseason guides
Saturday’s game
Game 4: Thunder 117, Grizzlies 115
What we learned:
Overall top seed Oklahoma City made quick work of Memphis, sweeping the Grizzlies, who haven’t won a playoff series since 2022 and didn’t beat a Western Conference team with a winning record after January. Likely MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his first efficient scoring performance of the series in the finale, finishing with 38 points on 13-of-24 shooting. With Ja Morant out, the Grizzlies couldn’t handle the Thunder’s tenacious defensive pressure, committing 22 turnovers that Oklahoma City converted into 32 points. Now, the Thunder will get some rest and await the winner of the Nuggets-Clippers series.
— Tim MacMahon
Game 4: Nuggets 101, Clippers 99
What we learned:
Nikola Jokic is about the only player in the world who can post consecutive triple-doubles in a playoff game and have people saying the opposing team was doing a good job on him. Saturday, with Denver’s season hanging in the balance, he turned in his finest performance of the postseason — a 36-point, 21-rebound masterpiece — to carry his team to a win. The first half was close as Jokic was facilitating for others. But at halftime, he kicked it into another gear, scoring or assisting on 26 of the Nuggets’ 35 points in the third quarter to stake Denver to a 20-point lead. The Nuggets found their championship mettle in this game and threw it away in the fourth quarter, blowing the biggest lead in playoff franchise history. Denver escaped as Aaron Gordon miraculously caught an airball from Jokic and dunked it at the buzzer for the win. Wow.
Game 5: Clippers at Nuggets (Tuesday, 10 p.m. ET, TNT)
What to watch:
The Clippers weren’t known as a great 3-point shooting team this season. So when they shot lights out in Game 3 (18-of-39), their overconfidence from behind the arc sank them on Saturday in Game 4. LA hit just 10-of-30 from behind the arc and 33% overall. Some of that was because Denver played much better defense, aggressively double-teaming Kawhi Leonard and James Harden and forcing other players to beat them. In this game, the Clippers’ supporting cast couldn’t step up and Denver evened the series with two days off to heal up before Game 5 at home.
— Ramona Shelburne
Game 3: Rockets at Warriors (Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
What to watch:
All eyes will be on Butler and his status for Game 3. Butler took a scary fall when he grabbed a defensive rebound and crashed to the floor after Amen Thompson collided with him. Butler landed hard on his tailbone and left with 1:51 to go in the first quarter. The team ruled him out for the rest of the game because of a pelvis contusion in the second quarter, and will undergo an MRI on Thursday. Butler has two days off before Saturday’s Game 3 at Chase Center, but if he has to sit out any time, that would be a crushing blow for the Warriors, who entered Game 2 with a 25-8 record in the regular season, play-in and postseason since Butler made his Warriors’ debut on Feb. 8. Butler not only has rejuvenated Stephen Curry, he has been the driving force behind Golden State’s turnaround.
He has provided the team with a star on both ends of the court, a calming presence and a go-to guy during the crucial non-Curry minutes. The Warriors had the top-ranked defense since the Butler trade and he was in “Playoff Jimmy” form. Butler’s injury could change the complexion of the series. With Butler out in Game 2, Jonathan Kuminga made his series debut after being out of the rotation, and he might play an even bigger role depending on Butler’s status. Kuminga has had success against the Rockets, scoring 33 points against Houston on Dec. 5.
— Ohm Youngmisuk
Game 3: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 104
What we learned:
This was a close game until Minnesota finished with a 13-1 run. But when you look at how the Wolves dominated points in the paint 56-26, only had 11 turnovers to the Lakers’ 19 and nearly doubled on fast-break points (21-11), it’s a wonder that L.A. didn’t lose by more. With Luka Doncic struggling and dealing with stomach flu (17 points on 6-for-16 shooting, eight assists, seven rebounds and five turnovers), LeBron James carried the Lakers. He set a NBA playoff record for the most points by a player 40 or older, finishing with 38 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough. Minnesota got another brilliant effort from Jaden McDaniels (30 points, five rebounds, two steals), and Anthony Edwards made seemingly every play the Wolves needed in the fourth. He had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Game 4: Lakers at Timberwolves (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
What to watch:
The series schedule included three days between Games 1 and 2 and three days between Games 2 and 3, but Game 4 is a quick turnaround — a 2:30 p.m. local tip Sunday. L.A.’s energy should be fueled by the urgency of wanting to avoid a 3-1 deficit, but it does make you wonder what James, Doncic and Austin Reaves will have in the tank after they all played 40-plus minutes Friday.
— Dave McMenamin
