NBA Starting 5, April 27: Aaron Gordon’s buzzer-beating dunk, Thunder sweep Grizzlies & Sunday’s playoff showcase
THE LINEUP 🏀
April 27, 2025 | What’s inside today’s edition?
Gordon’s Game-Winner: AG ties series with a dunk unlike any in the play-by-play era
Steph Finds Stroke: After slow start, Curry leads Butler-less Dubs to 2-1 lead
OKC Advances, Cavs Up 3-0: Thunder punch 1st semis ticket on SGA’s 38
ABC Doubleheader: Lakers out to tie it up vs. Wolves, Knicks set to battle in Detroit
TNT Doubleheader: Can Orlando & Milwaukee leave home tied 2-2 in their respective series?
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Last night’s scores & what to watch today…
Four more games await today, with each one of the series at 2-1. Knicks-Pistons (NY leads) tips off an ABC doubleheader at 1 ET, followed by Lakers-Wolves (MIN leads) at 3:30 ET.
The night belongs to TNT, with Celtics-Magic (BOS leads) at 7 ET, and Pacers-Bucks (IND leads) in the nightcap at 9:30 ET.
1. GORDON’S GAME-WINNING SLAM HOLDS OFF NEAR-HISTORIC CLIPPERS COMEBACK
Over the last 10 minutes of Game 4, history started unfolding in LA.
Down 22, the host Clippers started cutting into the Nuggets’ lead. Little by little. Then faster and faster.
With each bucket, the Intuit Dome crowd got louder.
And after an Ivica Zubac tip-in with 8 seconds left tied it up, the Clippers inched closer to the possibility of a 3-1 series lead.
Until one of the greatest Playoff finishes ever tied the series at 2-2.
Nuggets 101, Clippers 99: Aaron Gordon grabbed a Nikola Jokić miss and slammed it in as time expired – with the ball leaving his fingertips a fraction of a second before the light turned red – to send the series back to Denver tied, after LA had rallied back from 22 down in the 4th. | Recap | Final 4 Mins
- How Close Was It? Gordon’s dunk was halfway through the rim as milliseconds ticked by, leaving his fingers just in time. Watch the slo-mo
- Get Me Closer: Get all the angles … Go inside the arena … See AG call it during the review … Watch the Nuggets bench lose it … Hear from Joker & Gordon
- That Had To Be A First. Yup. It’s the first Playoff game-winning dunk at the buzzer of the play-by-play era (1997-98)
- Anything Close? Deandre Ayton’s game-winning dunk with 0.7 left in 2021 is the only other one in a game’s final 5 seconds in the PxP era
- Almost History: Had the Clippers won, their comeback would have been the 2nd biggest 4th Q Playoff comeback of the play-by-play era
- “This is gonna be bad” — what Jokić said he thought when he saw his shot go long
Joker’s Complete Game: Jokić, a finalist for his 4th Kia MVP Award, may have missed his final shot (though it ended up as a perfect oop to AG) – but he had pretty much everything else working, on the way to a 36-pt, 21-reb, 8-ast night.
- One Of Four: Jokic joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2x), Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor as the only players with 35+ pts, 20+ reb & 8+ ast in a Playoff game
- Just Before: After the Clippers had taken their first lead, at 97-96 with 1:11 left, Joker tied it back up with a FT then pulled off this fadeaway – with ridiculous footwork – to go back up 99-97
A 4th For The Ages: The Nuggets became just the second team of the play-by-play era to win after giving up a 22-point 4th quarter lead, after a furious Clipper rally fell just short.
- A chippy, close game at half saw the Nuggets build a big lead in the 3rd, going up 87-65 on a Joker turnaround with 11:12 left
- From 10:33 until Zubac’s putback, the Clippers shot 14-for-21 and electrified the arena, putting together a 34-12 run
- Kawhi Leonard (10 of his 24 pts) and Norman Powell (9 of his 22) led the way, with James Harden dishing out 4 of his team-high 11 assists
- Said Powell: “This is going to be a dogfight every single game.”
Tied, A Mile High: Heading into Game 5 (Tues, 10 ET on TNT), this series has already seen three of its first four games decided by three points or less – the first time that’s happened over the past 10 years
2. STEPH FINDS STROKE, DUBS DOWN ROCKETS WITHOUT BUTLER
With 6 minutes left in the 2nd quarter of Game 3 – and Jimmy Butler III sitting out – the Warriors had put up all of 22 points.
Said Steph Curry: “You’re looking up like, ‘how we gonna score?”
The answer, as it has been so many times before, was Curry.
Warriors 104, Rockets 93: The shorthanded Warriors outscored the Rockets 82-58 from that point on, going up 2-1 in the series thanks to Curry’s game-high 36 pts (+ 9 ast & 7 reb) and a defense that held Houston to just 39.5% shooting. | Recap
- Closing Time: After a slow start, Steph put up 21 of his 36 in the second half (along with 7 ast), firing at 58% from the field – and 57% from 3
- Locked In: Fourth in the league in Playoffs scoring this year (29.0), he ranks third in True Shooting % among players with 25+ PPG
- No Slowing Down: Saturday made Steph (37 years, 44 days) the oldest player in NBA history with 30+ pts, 5+ reb, 5+ ast & 5+ 3PM in a postseason game, passing LeBron (34y, 284d) in 2020
- Top 10: Curry also passed Tony Parker (4,045) for 10th on the all-time Playoff scoring list
- 1 of 5: Doing so made Steph one of just 5 players currently in the Top 10 of Playoff points & Top 20 in Playoff assists, joining LeBron James, Jerry West, Michael Jordan & Kobe Bryant
Rallying Together: Playing without Butler III, who’d helped the Dubs to a 23-7 regular season record in games he played, the Warriors played some of their best defense of the season.
- No Easy Buckets: Houston was held under 40% shooting for just the second time since All-Star, as Fred VanVleet led the Rockets with 17 pts
- Late Clamps: Golden State held Houston to just nine points in the final 5:47, building a late lead thanks to 11 from Gary Payton II and 9 from Curry in the 4th
- Golden State also held a 42-28 advantage in bench points, led by Buddy Hield’s 17
- With the win, Steve Kerr moves past Larry Brown into 6th all-time in Playoff wins
Game 4: Monday, 10 ET on TNT
3. THUNDER MOVE ON, CAVS GO UP 3-0
With a trip to the Western Conference Semis in sight, the Oklahoma City Thunder were not to be denied Saturday night.
Thunder 117, Grizzlies 115: With the Thunder up 3-0 in the series, the teams traded leads 15 times in the first 3 quarters, before OKC went up 12 in the 4th. But the Grizzlies rallied to cut it to three with 35.3 seconds remaining.
Then, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander happened. He iced the game with a signature smooth stepback jumper, completing a Playoff career-high 38 point-performance and sealing the Oklahoma City win. | Recap
- Thunder Legends: SGA (38 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST) joins Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as the only Thunder players to put up 35 / 5 / 5 in a playoff game
- A New Duo: SGA and Jalen Williams each went for 20+ PTS in each of the last three games
The Grizzlies battled in defeat, despite playing without star point guard Ja Morant.
- A New Legacy: Scotty Pippen Jr. (30 PTS, 11 REB, 4 AST) set Playoff-career highs in points and rebounds
- Grit and Grind: Desmond Bane (23 PTS) passed Mike Conley for the franchise’s all-time playoff three-pointer record
- A Colossal Effort: Zach Edey (8 PTS, 8 REB, 7 BLK) set the all-time rookie record for blocks in a playoff game
The Thunder will face the winner of the series between the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.
In grabbing their first No. 1 seed in 15 years, the Cleveland Cavaliers produced one of history’s top offensive regular seasons.
In Game 3 against Miami, they showed once again how dangerous they can be.
Cavaliers 124, Heat 87: Cleveland used an 18-0 first-quarter run to race out to an early advantage, then never looked back, rolling to a 3-0 series lead. | Recap
Jarrett Allen (22 PTS, 10 REB) led the Cavs, who were without point guard Darius Garland, in scoring. Six Cavaliers scored in double-figures — including DeAndre Hunter 21 pts & three treys.
- Two Score: The Cavaliers led by as many as 40 in the game
- On Fire: The Cavs have scored 120+ points in each of their Playoff games — the longest such streak in franchise history
- Floor General: Ty Jerome’s 11 assists off the bench were the most in franchise history. He had zero turnovers
- An Inside Presence: The Cavaliers doubled the Heat in points in the paint 60-30, led by Allen and Evan Mobley (19 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST)
A Tough Day: This becomes the biggest playoff loss in Heat franchise history, surpassing the Spurs’ 113-77 win in Game 3 of the 2013 NBA Finals
4. ABC DOUBLEHEADER: 3-SEEDS OUT TO SEND SERIES BACK HOME ON HIGH NOTE
Heading into Sunday’s ABC doubleheader (Knicks-Pistons at 1 ET, Lakers-Wolves at 3:30), the two 3-seeds in action — New York & L.A. — are both staring down pressure.
Each for different reasons.
LeBron James and Luka Dončić are looking at an uphill battle to get the Lakers into the second round, as Anthony Edwards and Timberwolves head into today’s Game 4 up 2-1.
- Since 1983-84, a 6-seed has won 20 of 82 playoff series against a 3-seed in the first round (best of five and best of seven)
- Since the First Round went to a Best-of-7 format in 2002-03, the 3-seed has trailed 2-1 against the 6-seed 13 times in 44 series. The 3-seed has come back to win the series five times
Both of the Lakers’ superstars can put the Lake Show on their back, though — they’re known for raising their games when it matters most.
- Rising To The Occasion: LeBron James is averaging 29.6 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 8.2 APG, 1.9 STL and 1.0 BLK in 65 career Playoff games with his team trailing in the series – all above his career averages.
- Luka Being Luka: Dončić has put up 32.1 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 7.9 APG and 1.9 STL in 18 playoff games with his team behind
- A Chance To Move On: LeBron’s teams are 7-4 when trailing 2-1, while Luka’s are 1-1
They face a surging Edwards and rising star Jaden McDaniels, who have led the Timberwolves throughout the series.
- AntMan Elevates: In addition to scoring or assisting on every point in the Wolves’ Game 3-closing 13-1 run, Edwards is just 1 of 4 players with 25+ PPG, 7+ RPG & 5+ APG in these Playoffs
- The Timberwolves have won both games where Edwards has dropped eight-plus assists in the series
- Edwards had more than eight assists in five of his first 27 postseason games – before having two of his last three
McDaniels has also stepped up for the Timberwolves in this series, guarding Luka and scoring with knifing drives in the clutch.
- Going To The Rack: McDaniels had 30 points in Game 3 — tying his playoff and career-high. Other than a three, every bucket was scored in the paint
- Keeping The Team Together: Jaden is the only player to feature in all of the Timberwolves top three five-man lineups by Net Rating so far this series (min. 10 MIN); Edwards is in two
“I’ve got two words for you,” Edwards said to the media after Game 3. “Jaden McDaniels.”
The Knicks, meanwhile, are facing near-constant pressure from a Detroit team that completed one of history’s great turnarounds this year.
To head back to New York up 3-1 vs. 2-2, they’ll likely face more of the same Sunday.
However, the Knicks have Jalen Brunson, who has been a lights-out closer in a series where all three games have been decided by dramatic fourth quarters.
Brunson had 12 points in the fourth quarter of Game 3 on 4-6 shooting, showing up in the big moment after winning the NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award on Wednesday.
- Always Delivering: Brunson’s scored 12+ points in the final quarter during each game this series. The rest of the NBA put up has four such games this playoffs
- When It Matters: Brunson’s leading the NBA in 4th-quarter scoring in the Playoffs, with 12.7 PPG – no other player is in double-figures
- Coming Up Clutch: He’s averaging 7.0 clutch points per game in the Playoffs –- up from his season average of 5.6, which led the league
Cade Cunningham’s been tireless for Detroit, though. He’s played 41.3 minutes per game this series, averaging 26.0 PPG and 8.7 AST – 11th and 4th in the Association during the Playoffs.
In Game 2, he dropped 13 second half points to counteract Brunson and grab the Pistons’ first playoff win since 2008.
Which star will step up Sunday?
5. TNT DOUBLEHEADER: CAN BUCKS & MAGIC TIE IT UP?
In a season that’s seen injury after injury hit the Orlando Magic, two rising stars – Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner – have shouldered more and more of the load.
Not to mention the Magic’s postseason hopes.
And in Friday’s Game 3, the pair turned out one of their best performances ever as a duo, combining for 61 points to cut the Celtics’ First Round series lead to 2-1 heading into today’s Game 4 (7 ET, TNT).
Wagner and Banchero have been a steady theme this postseason, ranking second and third in usage rate in the NBA Playoffs, respectively, and together accounting for 70.1% of the Magic possessions.
Leading The Spell: They both scored 25+ PPG in the last two games, becoming the first Orlando duo to put up 25+ in consecutive Playoff games since Shaquille O’Neal & Penny Hardaway in 1995
- A Focused Attack: Wendell Carter Jr. is third on the Magic in scoring this playoffs with 10.0 PPG
Another steady beat for the Magic this season? Their defense, second in the NBA in defensive rating. And Orlando had it going in Game 3, holding the NBA’s top 3-point shooting team to just nine treys.
- Stifling Shooters: Boston was held to that few triples on just three occasions in the regular season – twice by Orlando
- Historic Range: The Celtics set the single-season three-pointer record this year with 1,457
Jayson Tatum figures to once again be a presence in Game 4. Despite being listed as doubtful, he had 36 points in Game 3.
- The Best Of The Best: That passed John Havlicek for second in all-time 30+ point playoff games for the Celtics.
- Rare Bird: Larry Bird is first, with 43
The Milwaukee Bucks, down 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers once again, have a chance to avenge last year’s Game 4 loss on Saturday.
Last year, Giannis was out injured. This year, the Greek Freak is playing some of the best ball of his career.
Giannis Antetokoumpo, a finalist for Kia MVP and the league’s second leading scorer, currently leads the postseason in PPG – with the third-most offensive rebounds. In Game 4 (9:30 ET, TNT), who will rise up to power the Bucks with him?
- Buck Royalty: Gary Trent Jr. (37 PTS, 9 3PM) played the role of hero in Game 3, tying Ray Allen for the franchise record for threes in a Playoff game
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- “Incredible game by Gary, not just offensively, but defensively,” Antetokounmpo said afterwards. “He set the tone.”
- Bobby! Bobby!: Bobby Portis leads the Bucks in plus-minus with +6.3, but is shooting just 31.6 percent from three – well below his season average of 36.5. A return to form could elevate Milwaukee
- Dame Time: Damian Lillard is still rounding into form after returning from deep vein thrombosis. But he’s a Top 75 player of all-time with a 25.6 PPG average in 67 career playoff games, as well as an all-time clutch performer
- Green Light: AJ Green is second on the Bucks with 3.0 three-pointers made per game in 21 MPG
- A Championship Core: Championship veterans Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton are ready to lend a hand as Milwaukee tries to get the series back to level
Pascal Siakam has been doing his part to lead the Pacers. He’s leading the team with 25.7 PPG during the series, and ranks above Curry (and just behind Giannis) in TS% among players with 25 Playoff PPG.
- Dropping Dimes: Tyrese Haliburton is leading the playoffs in assists with 11.3 per game – Nikola Jokić (10.8 APG) is the only other player in double figures
Repping It Out: Haliburton set a then-playoff career high with 24 PTS in that Game 4. He’s since broken that mark four times: his record stands at 35 PTS
