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Poll: Who Will Win Tuesday’s Play-In Games?

April 15th, 2025 at 8:24am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies were tied for second place in the West as recently as March 14, while the Warriors held a top-five spot in the conference for the entire first week of April. However, neither Memphis nor Golden State was able to lock up a guaranteed playoff spot in the final days of the regular season.

The two teams will face one another on Tuesday in the No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in game for the Western Conference, with the winner earning the right to enter the playoffs as the seventh seed and match up with Houston in round one.

Although the Warriors and Grizzlies finished the season with matching 48-34 records, the two clubs were headed in opposite directions down the stretch.

Hours after finalizing a trade for Jimmy Butler on February 6, Golden State fell to 25-26 on the season and held the No. 10 seed in the West only by a tiebreaker. But the Warriors won Butler’s debut two days later and never fell below .500 again, finishing the season on a 23-8 run. During that stretch, Golden State had the NBA’s third-best winning percentage (.742), eight-best offensive rating (118.2) and top defensive rating (109.0).

The Warriors aren’t entering the postseason as one of the title favorites, having stumbled a little as of late — they would have clinched a playoff berth already if they hadn’t lost three of their last five games, including a disappointing defeat to the lottery-bound Spurs last Wednesday. But they’ve certainly looked better than the Grizzlies, whose season has been trending downward in recent months.

On the day of the trade deadline, the Grizzlies had a 35-16 record. But two days later, on the same day the Warriors won Butler’s debut, Memphis lost to Oklahoma City to kick off an uninspiring stretch that saw the team finish the season by going just 13-18. Lottery teams like Portland and Toronto had better records during that stretch than the Grizzlies, who ranked in the bottom half of the league in both offensive rating (115.6) and defensive rating (116.0) from Feb. 8 onward.

Oh, and Memphis also made a head coaching change during that time, replacing Taylor Jenkins with assistant Tuomas Iisalo on March 28. The Grizzlies have a 4-5 record since that change.

The Grizzlies have plenty of talent on their roster and Warriors stars Stephen Curry (thumb) and Butler (thigh) are dealing with nagging ailments, so the result of Tuesday’s Western Conference play-in game is hardly a foregone conclusion. Still, after accounting for the Warriors’ 3-1 record vs. Memphis this season and the fact that they’ll be hosting Tuesday’s play-in game in San Francisco, it’s not hard to understand why Golden State is considered a good bet to advance — BetOnline.ag has the Warriors listed as seven-point favorites.

Over in the East, it’s a battle of the year’s top Southeast teams on Tuesday, as the No. 7 Magic (41-41) host the No. 8 Hawks (40-42). The winner will claim the seventh seed and face Boston in the first round of the playoffs.

It has been an odd season in Orlando, where the Magic looked like one of the conference’s top teams in early going despite losing Paolo Banchero and then Franz Wagner to oblique tears that sidelined them for extended periods. But the Magic’s injury issues – which also ended Jalen Suggs‘ and Moritz Wagner‘s seasons early – eventually caught up with them, resulting in a 12-26 midseason swoon from December to March that cost the team a chance at a top-six seed.

Orlando finished the year strong, winning nine of its last 12 games, and performed very well defensively on the season as a whole, registering the league’s second-best defensive rating (109.1). But even with Banchero and Wagner on the court, the Magic struggled to score — their 108.9 offensive rating ranked 27th in the NBA, ahead of only Brooklyn, Charlotte, and Washington.

The Hawks, meanwhile, appeared to be in trouble when rising star forward Jalen Johnson went down in January with a season-ending shoulder injury. They were 22-22 as of Johnson’s last game and promptly fell several games below .500 without him before trading away second-leading scorer De’Andre Hunter at the trade deadline shortly thereafter.

But instead of continuing to slide down the standings and ending up in the lottery, Atlanta got a second wind, led by Trae Young, Onyeka Okongwu, Dyson Daniels, and Zaccharie Risacher, along with deadline additions like Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and Terance Mann.

As good as Daniels has been defensively this season, the Hawks’ overall team defense has lagged behind — it was their offense that propelled them to a spot in the No. 7 vs. 8 play-in game. From March 6 onward, Atlanta went 12-8 and posted the second-best offensive rating in the Eastern Conference (120.4).

Tuesday’s matchup, in which the Magic are listed as five-point favorites, per BetOnline, could come down to how much headway the Hawks’ offensive weapons can make against one of the NBA’s best defensive units in Orlando.

We want to know what you think. Which two teams will claim playoff spots on Tuesday and which ones will have to try again on Friday to punch their tickets into round one?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts and predictions.

Postseason Seeding Set For Western Conference

April 13th, 2025 at 5:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The seedings for the Western Conference playoffs came down to the very last game — the Clippers‘ 124-119 overtime victory over the Warriors on Sunday afternoon. That outcome assured L.A. of a playoff spot and pushed Golden State into the play-in tournament.

The red-hot Clippers, winners of eight straight, nailed down the No. 5 seed. The Timberwolves, who won their last three games, grabbed the last automatic berth into the first round, joining the Nuggets, who secured the No. 4 seed with their win over Houston on Sunday.

Here’s how the top 10 teams in the West finished the regular season, as the NBA confirms (via Twitter):

Oklahoma City Thunder
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
Denver Nuggets
Los Angeles Clippers
Minnesota Timberwolves
Golden State Warriors
Memphis Grizzlies
Sacramento Kings
Dallas Mavericks

The play-in tournament in the Western Conference will feature the Warriors hosting the Grizzlies on Tuesday and the Kings hosting the Mavericks on Wednesday. The Golden State/Memphis winner will claim the No. 7 spot in the playoffs and face the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. The loser of that game will host the Sacramento/Dallas survivor on Friday for the No. 8 spot and the right to face the top-seeded Thunder in round one.

The Lakers will have home court advantage in the first round and face the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. The Nuggets will also have home court advantage in their first-round series against the Clippers.

The seedings for the Eastern Conference playoffs were decided prior to Sunday’s action and can be found here.

Postseason Seeding Set For Eastern Conference

April 11th, 2025 at 11:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Wins by the Orlando, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Chicago on Friday night have locked in the playoff seeds for all six Eastern Conference playoff teams, along with the four play-in clubs.

Here’s how the top 10 teams in the East will finish the regular season, as the NBA confirms (via Twitter):

Cleveland Cavaliers
Boston Celtics
New York Knicks
Indiana Pacers
Milwaukee Bucks
Detroit Pistons
Orlando Magic
Atlanta Hawks
Chicago Bulls
Miami Heat

The play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference will feature the Magic hosting the Hawks on Tuesday and the Bulls hosting the Heat on Wednesday. The Orlando/Atlanta winner will claim the No. 7 spot in the playoffs and face the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The loser of that game will host the Chicago/Miami winner on Friday for the No. 8 spot and the right to face the Cavaliers in round one.

The Knicks will match up with the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, while the Pacers and Bucks will meet in round one for a second consecutive year, with Indiana claiming home court advantage this time around.

We got a little more clarity on the Western Conference playoff picture by the end of Friday night, with the Lakers clinching the No. 3 seed by beating Houston and the Grizzlies now locked into the play-in tournament as a result of their loss to Denver. However, there are still several playoff berths and seeds up in the air, with the Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors, and Timberwolves vying for the final three spots in the West’s top six.

Postseason Scenarios To Watch Friday

April 11th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

With only two regular season games remaining on each team’s schedule, 15 of the 20 seeds entering the 2025 postseason are still up for grabs, the NBA noted today (Twitter link).

All 30 teams will be playing on Friday and again on Sunday. Friday’s slate has several matchups with important postseason implications.

Here’s a quick rundown of the the most important scenarios in play tonight, per the league (Twitter link):

The Nuggets will clinch a top-six seed and thus a guaranteed playoff spot with a win AND a loss by either the Clippers, Warriors or Timberwolves.
The Clippers will clinch a playoff spot with a win AND a loss by either Denver, Golden State or Minnesota.
The Warriors will secure a playoff berth with a win AND losses by both Memphis and Minnesota.
The Grizzlies will be locked into the play-in tournament with a loss AND a Warriors win.
The Timberwolves will be locked into the play-in tournament with a loss AND wins by Denver, Golden State and the Clippers.
The Lakers will clinch the Pacific Division with a win OR a Clippers loss.

Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells Expected To Miss Rest Of Season

April 11th, 2025 at 3:18pm CST by Rory Maher

The Grizzlies have issued a medical update on Jaylen Wells, announcing (via Twitter) that the 21-year-old is “likely” to miss the rest of the 2024/25 season after sustaining a fractured right wrist on Tuesday in Charlotte.

According to the Grizzlies, Wells also suffered a concussion and facial laceration after being fouled on a fast-break dunk in the second quarter (YouTube link). He landed with all of his weight on his head and wrist and was carried off the court on a stretcher.

The good news is that Wells is expected to make a full recovery, per the team. He was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday and attended Thursday’s shootaround.

Wells was one of the season’s top rookies after being selected 39th overall in last year’s draft. The 6’7″ wing appeared in 79 games for Memphis, including 74 starts, averaging 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists on .425/.352/.822 shooting in 25.9 minutes per contest. He was also frequently tasked with defending the opposing team’s best perimeter scorer.

With Wells out, Vince Williams Jr. got the starting nod during Thursday’s loss to Minnesota. Scotty Pippen Jr. also had an uptick in playing time.

Memphis currently 47-33, the No. 7 seed in the West.

And-Ones: Howard, Rookies, Stanley, Europe

April 10th, 2025 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Officially announced last weekend as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2025 class, longtime NBA star Dwight Howard has decided to play one more season of professional basketball in the BIG3, as first reported by Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

The BIG3 – the 3-on-3 league created by Ice Cube – officially issued a press release on Wednesday confirming that Howard has signed on to play for the Los Angeles Riot this summer.

Howard will team up with former NBA guard Jordan Crawford and former USC standout Elijah Stewart under head coach Nick Young. While Howard played for the Wizards like Crawford and the Lakers like Young, he didn’t overlap with either player during their stints in Washington and Los Angeles.

“I’m excited to join Ice Cube and the BIG3 – especially right after being inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame,” Howard said in a statement. “Words can’t describe how grateful I am for these opportunities. I can’t wait to join the L.A. Riot and try to bring another championship to the city of LA. But, the ultimate goal I have is to help the league go global.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

In the final 2024/25 installment of his rookie rankings, Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com (Insider link) places Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher atop his list, writing that the French forward is delivering on his top-pick status. Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Grizzlies center Zach Edey, Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan, and Bulls forward Matas Buzelis round out the top five in Woo’s rankings, in that order.
Former Pacers and Pistons guard Cassius Stanley has signed with ESSM Le Portel for the rest of the season, the French club announced in a press release (hat tip to Sportando). Stanley, who was in the NBA from 2020-22, was playing in the G League for the Valley Suns this season.
In the wake of EuroLeague shareholders meeting this week to discuss the future of the league and the NBA’s potential foray into European basketball, the EuroLeague Players Association issued a statement calling for “united efforts” to grow the game on the continent, as BasketNews.com relays. “Despite significant progress, it must be acknowledged that there is still much work to be done to unravel the true potential of European club basketball,” the statement reads, in part. “That potential is lost when the relevant leagues, clubs and governing bodies do not work harmoniously, but seemingly against each other, without consideration for the perspective of players and fans who are the lifeblood of any competition.”

Injury Notes: Ivey, Ingram, Wells, T. Jones

April 10th, 2025 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Jaden Ivey continues to progress in his recovery from the broken left fibula he suffered on New Year’s Day, according to the Pistons, who announced on Thursday (via Twitter) that the third-year guard has been cleared for basketball activities.

Ivey is entering the initial phase of his reconditioning program and will continue to progress in his on-court work, the team stated, adding that he’ll be reevaluated in two weeks.

While Ivey obviously won’t make it back during the regular season, it’s worth noting that the Pistons have yet to formally rule him out for the postseason. Detroit has clinched a playoff spot and will be in the midst of the conference quarterfinals in two weeks.

Of course, there’s still no guarantee that Ivey will be able to return and contribute in the playoffs, but the longer the Pistons can stay alive, the better the odds are that he’ll have a chance to play again this spring.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Raptors forward Brandon Ingram has been shut down for the rest of the 2024/25 season after receiving a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his injured left ankle this week, head coach Darko Rajakovic told reporters on Wednesday (story via Ian Harrison of The Associated Press). Ingram, acquired from New Orleans at the trade deadline, has yet to make his Raptors debut, having been out with his ankle injury since early December. “It’s what he needs,” Rajakovic said of the injection, adding that Ingram is expected to be good to go for training camp in the fall. “He’s been recovering really well.”
After being discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells was in attendance at the team’s shootaround on Thursday, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Wells, who fractured his wrist and sustained a facial laceration as a result of the hard fall he took in Tuesday’s game, won’t be able to return to action anytime soon, but was “in decent spirits” on Thursday, according to Grizzlies wing Vince Williams.
Bulls point guard Tre Jones, who sprained his left foot last month, still doesn’t appear close to returning to action. According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link), Jones was still wearing a walking boot as of Wednesday night. While the team hasn’t provided an official update recently, it seems increasingly unlikely that the veteran guard will have a chance to return this season unless the Bulls advance beyond the play-in tournament.

Hornets Notes: Simpson, Wells, Salaün, Flagg, G. Williams

April 9th, 2025 at 12:06pm CST by Rory Maher

Hornets guard KJ Simpson took to social media (Twitter links) to profusely apologize to Jaylen Wells, who was taken off the court on a stretcher and sustained a broken right wrist after being fouled by Simpson while he was in the air going up for a dunk (YouTube link). Simpson was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul upon review.

“My prayers are with @jaylen_wells, I know we already spoke and are good friends bro but again I just wanted to express not only to J but to his family as well how deeply sorry I am,” Simpson wrote. “I would never purposely do that to anyone. I’m just extremely sorry.

“Especially with the talent J is. I know he’s gonna be special and just from the many times our paths have crossed I’m blessed to know he’s an even better person with an amazing story. I just wanted to again say sorry to J and his family I can’t say it enough.”

The Grizzlies wing accepted Simpson’s apologies, replying (via Twitter), “Much love brother. Thank you.”

Here’s more on the Hornets:

No. 6 overall pick Tidjane Salaün is wrapping up his first season with Charlotte. While the 19-year-old has struggled with efficiency during his rookie campaign, he has looked much more comfortable — and been more productive — since the start of March, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The French forward says he wants to improve in multiple areas in the offseason. “I would like to continue to develop some winning habits,” Salaün said. “Get faster on defense, keep blocking out the player and on offense, play my game, try to develop my ball-handling, some good passes and keep the game simple. And be the most efficient. That’s it.”
Winning the draft lottery would give the Hornets the opportunity to select consensus top prospect Cooper Flagg, who just finished his freshman season at Duke. In a column for The Charlotte Observer, Scott Fowler explains why he thinks landing with the Hornets could be a good thing for Flagg, whose family lived in North Carolina while he was attending college. Instead of going to a team with a track record of success, Flagg could become an icon in the area if he’s able to help turn the Hornets into a winner, Fowler notes. Charlotte has the NBA’s longest postseason drought, last making the playoffs in 2016.
2024/25 has been a disappointing season for the Hornets, with injuries once again being a major issue. Forward Grant Williams, who tore the ACL in his right knee in November, says he’s making good progress in his recovery, according to Boone. “I’m feeling great, positive,” Williams told Boone. “That’s really the one word that I’ve tried to stay consistent with throughout this whole process. … The team, they are not rushing me. They are just focused on making sure I get better every single day and taking it one day at a time. I’m trying my best just to stay focused on the moment, and attacking every single little thing with the right mentality and come back stronger than I was before.”

Southwest Notes: Exum, Paul, Edey, Reeves

April 8th, 2025 at 9:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dante Exum could make a surprise early return from his left hand surgery. The Mavericks guard has been upgraded to questionable for their game against the Lakers on Wednesday, Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Exum was expected to miss the remainder of the season after fracturing his left hand in mid-March.

Anthony Davis (adductor strain) is listed as probable to play in Wednesday’s game.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Chris Paul isn’t sure if he’ll continue to play beyond this season. Paul, who will be a free agent again this summer, said he’s enjoyed his time in San Antonio, he told Mike Monroe of The Athletic. “You never know where your career, your journey, is going to take you,” said Paul, who is averaging 8.8 points and 7.6 assists per game with the Spurs. “I would never have imagined I would be here in San Antonio and have my career end with never coming here.”
Lottery pick Zach Edey has been on a nice run as the season winds down. The Grizzlies‘ rookie center has averaged 16.7 rebounds in three April outings. He had a double-double against the Lakers late last month. Edey doesn’t mind doing the dirty work. “That’s always been my favorite type of game,” he told Michael Wallace of Grind City Media. “These are games when refs let you play, let you bang, and it gets physical. That’s always been the kind of game I thrive in.”
Rookie Antonio Reeves led the Pelicans with 23 points in a loss to Milwaukee on Sunday. The second-round pick out of Kentucky is averaging 13.7 points over the last six games. He’s signed to a three-year, $5.41MM deal.

Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells Diagnosed With Broken Wrist After Fall

April 8th, 2025 at 8:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

8:42 pm: Wells has a broken right wrist, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. The Grizzlies rookie is able to move his extremities and will continue to receive medical care.

8:19 pm: Grizzlies rookie forward Jaylen Wells was taken off the court on a stretcher on Tuesday after a hard fall while getting fouled on a dunk late in the first half at Charlotte, according to ESPN.

Wells was fouled from behind on Hornets guard KJ Simpson and landed face first on the court. Upon an official review, Simpson was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul, resulting in an automatic ejection.

Fred Wells, Jaylen’s father, posted on Twitter that “Jaylen is awake and alert. Wanted 2 know the score! Swollen wrist. Face, jaw and back pain. About to get X-ray and CT.”

Wells, drafted with the No. 39 pick, has been one of the league’s most accomplished rookies this season. He quickly emerged as a starter, averaging 10.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in just over 26.1 minutes while appearing in every game. He’s also one of the Grizzlies’ top perimeter defenders.

If Wells has to miss some time, it could seriously hamper Memphis in the postseason. The Grizzlies are currently tied with three other teams with a 46-32 record and are trying to avoid the play-in tournament. It’s been a tumultuous time as of late for the team, which recently fired head coach Taylor Jenkins.

Vince Williams Jr. figures to absorb a majority of Wells’ minutes if he’s sidelined, with John Konchar also getting a bump in playing time.