Apr 8, 2025; Oklahoma Metropolis, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77), ahead Jarred Vanderbilt (2), ahead LeBron James (23), and guard Austin Reaves (15) speak to an official throughout a day trip within the second half of a sport towards the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder at Paycom Middle. Necessary Credit score: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Pictures
NEW YORK– The NBA Playoffs tip off on Saturday after a dramatic 2024-25 season of twists and turns, with shock firings, a document workforce sale and the Luka Doncic commerce heard world wide.
READ: NBA: Playoff spot set, No. 3 Lakers await first spherical opponent
Doncic will probably be keen to point out his price within the post-season with the Los Angeles Lakers after he was unceremoniously shipped away by the Dallas Mavericks, the place the perennial MVP was the face of the franchise and led them to the Finals a 12 months prior.
“I needed to examine (if) it was April 1st. I didn’t actually consider it at first,” mentioned Doncic.
The Slovenian guard and 21-time All-Star LeBron James type a dynamic duo on the No. 3 seed Lakers, who face the Minnesota Timberwolves within the best-of-seven first spherical.
READ: NBA: Jimmy Butler decided to deliver Warriors one other championship
The Doncic saga matches proper in with a chaotic Western Convention, the place at the least one workforce will enter the playoffs with out the coach who began their season.
The Denver Nuggets delivered a shock by firing head coach Michael Malone days earlier than the tip of the common season, after that they had booked their seventh straight journey to the playoffs.
The fourth seeds will probably be led by interim coach David Adelman towards the Los Angeles Clippers, with Recreation 1 on Saturday, after one other blockbuster season from three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who turned the primary middle to common a triple-double.
Talking to reporters who had been making an attempt to make sense of the seemingly incomprehensible information, Vice-Chairman Josh Kroenke alluded to “worrisome” tendencies behind closed doorways and mentioned he had thought-about chopping ties for months.
“I used to be actually feeling like issues weren’t headed in the suitable course,” he mentioned.
JENKINS OUSTED
Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins seems on throughout the first half of an NBA basketball sport towards the Utah Jazz, Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Salt Lake Metropolis. (AP Photograph/Rob Grey)
It was not the one head-scratcher this season, after the Memphis Grizzlies late final month reduce free Taylor Jenkins, the winningest head coach within the franchise’s historical past, in the course of the playoff run.
The workforce had been fifth within the Western Convention regardless of a handful of late losses however ultimately had been relegated to the play-in match, the place they misplaced of their opener towards the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.
“The Grizzlies certain might have used the coach they only fired,” declared a Washington Submit headline.
They may have an opportunity at redemption after they face the Mavericks on Friday. The winners of that sport will play the 68-14 Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder within the first spherical.
Within the Japanese Convention, the Boston Celtics will hope for a uncommon title repeat after information broke late final month {that a} group led by personal fairness supervisor Invoice Chisholm had agreed to buy the workforce for a reported document $6.1 billion.
The deal, pending league approval, sees probably the most adorned workforce within the NBA change palms for the primary time in additional than 20 years.
The Celtics, who completed second within the Japanese Convention, play the Orlando Magic within the best-of-seven first spherical starting on Sunday.
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No. 1 seeds Cleveland Cavaliers tip off on Sunday as nicely, towards the winners of a play-in sport between the Miami Warmth and Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
