[West] 2025 Playoffs, First Round

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs. Memphis (8)
Game 1, April 20: Memphis at Oklahoma City (1 p.m. ET, ABC)
Game 2, April 22: Memphis at Oklahoma City (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
Game 3, April 24: Oklahoma City at Memphis (TBD, TNT)
Game 4, April 26: Oklahoma City at Memphis (3:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
Game 5, April 28 (if necessary): Memphis at Oklahoma City (TBD)
Game 6, May 1 (if necessary): Oklahoma City at Memphis (TBD)
Game 7, May 3 (if necessary): Memphis at Oklahoma City (TBD)

Houston Rockets (2) vs. Golden State Warriors (7)
Game 1, April 20: Golden State at Houston (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
Game 2, April 23: Golden State at Houston (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
Game 3, April 26: Houston at Golden State (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Game 4, April 28: Houston at Golden State (10 p.m. ET, TNT)
Game 5, April 30 (if necessary): Golden State at Houston (TBD)
Game 6, May 2 (if necessary): Houston at Golden State (TBD)
Game 7, May 4 (if necessary): Golden State at Houston (TBD)

Los Angeles Lakers (3) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (6)
Game 1, April 19: Timberwolves at Lakers (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Game 2, April 22: Timberwolves at Lakers (10 p.m. ET, TNT)
Game 3, April 25: Lakers at Timberwolves (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Game 4, April 27: Lakers at Timberwolves (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Game 5, April 30 (if necessary): Timberwolves at Lakers (TBD)
Game 6, May 2 (if necessary): Lakers at Timberwolves (TBD)
Game 7, May 4 (if necessary): Timberwolves at Lakers (TBD)

Denver Nuggets (4) vs. LA Clippers (5)
Game 1, April 19: Clippers at Nuggets (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Game 2, April 21: Clippers at Nuggets (10 p.m. ET, TNT)
Game 3, April 24: Nuggets at Clippers (TBD, NBA TV)
Game 4, April 26: Nuggets at Clippers (6 p.m. ET, TNT)
Game 5, April 29 (if necessary): Clippers at Nuggets (TBD)
Game 6, May 1 (if necessary): Nuggets at Clippers (TBD)
Game 7, May 3 (if necessary): Clippers at Nuggets (TBD)

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Also looking most forward to the 4/5 in the west, but for different reasons: you've got two teams that could legitimately win the championship, and one of them is going to lose to the other one in the first round!

 

[serbiangoat]

Houston hotheads vs Draymond and playoff Jimmy could be some solid late 90s Degeneration X cheap shots, Draymond would obviously play the role of Chyna (rip) as the enforcer with the ability to deliver well timed strikes to painful parts of the body.

 

[kingsboi]

Brooks vs Dray will be entertainment in itself. Wolves have a chance to knock the Lakers out, if the refs allow them to play defense

 

[QWERTYLICIOUS]

I'm hoping for one...Any guesses as to which one I speak of???

 

[Tetsujin]

Nuggets doing about as well as you could hope a team with a rookie coach who just got promoted a week ago would.

 

[Kingz19]

Clippers in 6
Dubs in 6
Thunder in 4
Wolves in 7

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Fourth quarter screaming, "Why the **** Batum in?"

 

[Tetsujin]

Joker with a spectacular flop that the refs didn’t acknowledge. Gets T’d up instead. lmfao

 

[Tetsujin]

Healthy(ish) Postseason Kawhi really the great postseason player not named Michael Jordan

 

[SacTownKid]

Things are going so bad for Simmons in LA that maybe, just maybe he could be a why not give it a shot wanted him before, Vivek finally gets his man kind of thing. Part of the MLE for 2 years perhaps. Problem is what the heck is he at this point?

 

[Tetsujin]

Bob Meyers has not pronounced Adelman correctly once tonight.

 

[Tetsujin]

Nicolas Batum with some wild shot making tonight

 

[Tetsujin]

(If we aren’t going to keep Doug and are hellbent on winning next year anyways, Jeff Van Gundy might not be the worst choice)

 

[Tetsujin]

It’s worked okay for them thus far tonight but the Clippers gotta do a better job of getting Kawhi the ball.

 

[Tetsujin]

lol Russ follows up a great play with a patently terrible drive that misses everything and forces Braun to put the Beard at the line because Russ was laying on the floor.

 

[Tetsujin]

This small-ass Clippers lineup makes the Kings Domas/Keegan/DDR/Monk/Fox lineups from early in the season look massive in comparison.

 

[Tetsujin]

lol Joker and JVG almost got in a fight

 

[SacTownKid]

Sometimes Kawhis slow personality translates to his game. He had the entire weakside stacked and he just stood there with the ball, haha.

 

[Tetsujin]

Sometimes Kawhis slow personality translates to his game. He had the entire weakside stacked and he just stood there with the ball, haha.

It is apparently possible to be too cool under pressure. Man just casually held the ball out there for Murray to tap it.

 

[Tetsujin]

Lmao

 

[Tetsujin]

Russ follows up his clutch three by not digging down on help and giving Harden a lane to the basket. Really is feast or famine for the man.

 

[SacTownKid]

Sure did feel like that was too early, but Harden saw Jokic at the rim and saw money.

 

[Tetsujin]

LMFAO RUSS COOKED

 

[Joshyjosh31]

Sure did feel like that was too early, but Harden saw Jokic at the rim and saw money.

na I hate when players wait and only get one shot going early he got a good look and they could’ve got an offensive rebound. Just play defense

 

[Tetsujin]

Sure did feel like that was too early, but Harden saw Jokic at the rim and saw money.

Sure looked like a Kings clutch defensive possession there.

 

[SacTownKid]

Jokic had Westbrook wide open and didn't pass to him until the defense could get there. Lack of trust? haha.

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1913718281871200539

 

[Padrino]

Things are going so bad for Simmons in LA that maybe, just maybe he could be a why not give it a shot wanted him before, Vivek finally gets his man kind of thing. Part of the MLE for 2 years perhaps. Problem is what the heck is he at this point?

I said it once he hit the waiver wire, but Simmons would be a compelling potential fit with this roster.

LaVine/Monk
Ellis/Monk
Simmons
Murray
Sabonis

I honestly don't know if Simmons has anything worthwhile left to offer an NBA franchise, but theoretically, this goes a long way toward solving the problem of defense, length, AND playmaking in the starting unit. You can flex Monk and Ellis in and out of the starting lineup depending on if you need more scoring or more defense. It's interesting, if nothing else.

 

[Kingz19]

Say what you will about Russ but the guy still has the best motor in the NBA.

even as an older player who made all his money. Everything is 100mph at all times.