NBA Playoffs 2025: Western Conference matchups set as Nuggets secure No. 4 seed, Clippers beat Warriors in OT
Only three of the ten seeds were locked up heading into Sunday. The rest of the field's seeding was determined on Sunday's Decision Day, as a few teams got key wins to secure non-play-in spots.
Here's how things shook out in the West after a busy final day of regular-season play.
Advertisement
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14)
The Thunder fell just short of a 70-win season this year, but a 115-100 win against the New Orlean Pelicans on Sunday gives OKC another boost heading into the postseason. The Thunder's first-round opponent will determined by the two play-in games — with the team hopefully capping off one of the best regular seasons in years with a strong postseason run.
2. Houston Rockets (52-30)
It wasn't the best end to the regular season for the Rockets, who lost 126-111 to the Denver Nuggets. But Houston had locked up the second seed prior to Sunday, meaning that the loss did not matter for the postseason. The Rockets will now face the No. 7 seed, the winner of the two play-in games, in the first round of the playoffs.
Advertisement
3. Los Angeles Lakers (50-32)
After already capturing the third seed, the Lakers put forward a young starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Portland Trailblazers. That Bronny James-led lineup didn't have much of a chance against Portland, with the Trailblazers beating the Lakers 109-81 — not that it mattered for the postseason. L.A. will now face off against the No. 6-seeded Timberwolves.
4. Denver Nuggets (50-32)
Despite the turmoil happening in Denver right now, the Nuggets were able to lock up a big win over the Rockets on Sunday to secure the No. 4 seed. Denver will now have home court advantage to face the No. 5-seeded Clippers — a definite boost for the team's playoff run.
Advertisement
5. Los Angeles Clippers (50-32)
The most consequential matchup of the day was Clippers-Warriors, with the team teams facing off for a chance to avoid the play-in tournament. This game came down to the wire, with the two teams trading leads in the final minutes of the game before heading to overtime.
In the end the Clippers came out on top, earning a 124-119 win after pulling away in overtime. With the win, L.A. escapes the play-in tournament, and will travel to face the Nuggets in the first round.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33)
With the 4-7 seeds so tight, the Timberwolves needed a win in order to avoid the play-in tournament. On Sunday, they got it, beating the Utah Jazz 116-105 to secure the No. 6 seed and get some momentum going into the postseason. Minnesota will now face the Lakers, the No. 3 seed, in the first round.
7. Golden State Warriors (48-34)
After the overtime loss to the Clippers, the Warriors will have to settle for a play-in matchup against Memphis, the No. 8 seed — but will host that matchup at home.
Advertisement
8. Memphis Grizzlies (48-34)
A huge victory on Sunday puts the Grizzlies into solid position heading into the playoffs. Although Memphis fell short of securing home-court advantage, the 132-97 win over the Dallas Mavericks still builds some momentum. The Grizzlies will travel to play the Warriors for the first play-in matchup this week.
9. Sacramento Kings (40-42)
The Kings pulled off the 109-98 win over the Phoenix Suns to capture the No. 9 seed and home-court advantage for the play-in tournament. Sacramento will host Dallas, the final seed, in the play-in round after beating the team in all three meetings this season.
Advertisement
10. Dallas Mavericks (39-43)
The Mavericks' regular season came to an end with a 35-point loss to the Grizzlies. Dallas locks up the final play-in seed off a losing record, but a chance to keep things going in the postseason.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
"He's done a lot of things that probably angered other players" - Matt Barnes reveals some NBA players have hatred for Curry
"He's done a lot of things that probably angered other players" - Matt Barnes reveals some NBA players have hatred for Curry originally appeared on Basketball Network. Stephen Curry never walked into the league demanding attention. Steph didn't have the build of a franchise savior or the personality of a dominant alpha. He was skinny. He smiled a lot. He shot jumpers. And for a while, that was all people saw. They figured Curry would have a decent career, maybe hit a few big shots, sell some tickets, and go home. Nobody saw what was coming. But somewhere between the early ankle injuries and the parades down Market Street, he rewrote the blueprint. What Curry did wasn't loud, angry or packaged in the usual swagger. It just kept showing up, every night, right in people's faces. "I think, he came in, he's the golden boy," Matt Barnes, a 14-year NBA veteran, said, explaining why some in the NBA grew to resent the Warriors guard. "He came in and destroyed record books, won championships, beat LeBron [James] — he's done a lot of things that probably angered other players and other fans. That's why I don't think he gets the respect he deserves." The golden boy Barnes played with Kobe Bryant. He guarded Kevin Durant and threw elbows in the old Western Conference when it was still gritty and bruising. If anyone understands how resentment brews in NBA circles, it's him. And Matt was speaking from a place of knowing what players say behind the curtain. Curry didn't climb the league's hierarchy the traditional way, dominate the combine, or get handed the keys as a rookie. Steph had to break through gradually by changing the game as he went. Suddenly, coaches were telling kids to shoot 3-pointers on the break. Suddenly, seven-footers were stuck chasing him out to the perimeter. Teams started building rosters around the space he created. The league had never seen anything like it. By the time everyone realized how far ahead of the curve he was, it was too late. The Warriors were already rolling. Curry was already MVP, and the foundation of basketball, as people knew it, had already started to people see, and what they can't stand There's something about Curry that still doesn't sit right with many people, and it's rarely about his game. Steph's skill set is impossible to argue with. The shooting numbers are absurd and the hardware speaks loudly. However, it's the image that rubs some players the wrong way. "He's obviously the greatest shooter to ever play the game, and I can see people being bitter from that," Barnes said. "Not to mention the whole light-skinned thing, and people have problems with that. Like I said, he's a perfect example of what the NBA needs to be represented as, and people don't like that either. Most of the time when people are so good or something's so perfect, people don't like that, and that's exactly what you get with Steph." That part is hard to quantify, but it's real. Curry came in with a clean image. Family man, college sweetheart and son of a former pro, Steph looked polished before he ever won anything, which perhaps bothered people. He didn't fit the underdog narrative the league loves to market, but he also wasn't built like the superstars who came before him. There was no sense of threat, or physical intimidation, or that chip-on-the-shoulder meanness. And then Curry started winning everything. SC broke 3-point records in his sleep and hit daggers from 35 feet and jogged back on defense before the ball dropped. He embarrassed defenses and didn't need to say a word while doing it. Steph took the heart out of playoff teams just by moving without the ball. For players who had spent their whole careers chasing respect through force, watching someone dance his way to dominance like that didn't sit well. Barnes brought up skin tone because he knows it plays a role in how players are perceived. There's always been a cultural undercurrent in the league regarding style and identity. The way Curry presents himself — quiet, corporate-friendly, camera-ready — is what the league pushes forward. And that's maybe what some players push back against. But Curry has heard it all: the slights and the subtle digs from players who never found a way to stop him. He doesn't fire back, nor does he chase validation. Steph just keeps doing what he does. Jealousy's a quiet thing in the NBA. You don't hear it as much as you feel it. But when a former player says it out loud, you can bet he is not story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
In 2025 offseason grades, ESPN ranks Houston among NBA's two best
'No team did more to improve its chances at the 2026 title than the Rockets,' ESPN's Kevin Pelton says in his 2025 NBA offseason grades. Between the additions of established veterans including Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Clint Capela, the NBA's 2025 offseason has been a good one for fans of the Houston Rockets. For a team that was already starting from a relatively high perch at No. 2 in last season's Western Conference standings (with a 52-30 record), there's a case to be made that Houston has elevated itself into the top tier of 2025-26 championship contenders. And it seems that others around the league agree. In ESPN's offseason grades, Houston is one of only two teams to receive an 'A' grade, joining the Atlanta Hawks. Regarding the Rockets, ESPN's Kevin Pelton writes: No team did more to improve its chances at the 2026 title than the Rockets, who added two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant without sacrificing depth in the process. Give Houston credit for pouncing at a reasonable trade for Durant, then using a team-friendly contract for Fred VanVleet (two years, $50 million) to access the non-taxpayer midlevel exception. That allowed the Rockets to add proven 3-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith to help replace departed Dillon Brooks. Houston is the only Western Conference team to earn Pelton's 'A' grade. More: In signing with Rockets, Dorian Finney-Smith sees 'great team' with a chance to be special
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Newcastle United's Future Success Rests On Convincing Benjamin Sesko
LEIPZIG, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 28: Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig celebrates scoring his team's second ... More goal during the Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and FC Augsburg at Red Bull Arena on September 28, 2024 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by) Alexander Isak's prospective move from Newcastle United to Liverpool has developed into the transfer saga of the summer, yet for all the noise and bluster, nothing has actually happened as of yet. Newcastle has always maintained the Sweden striker is not for sale, and Liverpool, for all its obvious intent, hasn't made an official bid. Whatever happens, everybody must be happy to proceed, meaning Eddie Howe's team are in need of a replacement, with RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko the prime target. Isak has made it clear he wants to join the Premier League champions, without going public with that desire. He has been conspicuous in his absence throughout Newcastle's pre-season action, with the suggestion of a thigh injury not holding particularly strong. Since he was left out of the squad at Celtic on July 19, Howe's message on his future has softened significantly. At first he was confident he would stay beyond the closure of the window in early September; after Isak failed to board the flight for the tour of Asia and it emerged he wanted to leave on July 24, Howe said he was 'hopeful' when speaking in Singapore. On Tuesday, with Newcastle in South Korea, Howe admitted Isak's future was 'not in his full control'. Newcastle's stance has not changed, with chairman and Governor of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, reportedly flying into North East England to take full control of the situation this week. But with Liverpool said to be preparing a British record bid for Isak after the sale of forward Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich, and Isak himself now fully keen to go, it may be that the topic of conversation will be agreeing to the £150m ($200m) minimum price Newcastle has always said it would take to deal. As of yet, there is no suggestion that will happen. Howe has made it clear that, whatever happens, the outcome must suit Newcastle first and foremost. While the narrative around Isak has certainly got away from the club, its position of strength remains strong. The player has three years on his contract with no buyout clause; even though he may feel some of the promises over the direction of the Saudi-led project haven't been kept, signing over his peak years without a release clause has left him in a tough spot. That is why his agent has suggested drastic action that will likely alter his legendary status on Tyneside - secured by scoring the winning goal in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool in March - forever. Although the risks of keeping an unhappy player are clear, after Callum Wilson departed at the end of last season, Newcastle is already in need of a striker. Young William Osula has led the line in Isak's absence so far but is clearly not ready. Losing Isak without a suitable replacement would be no better than forcing him to stay against his will; at least that would offer the possibility of reintegration for one more season. LEIPZIG, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 26: Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig scores his team's first goal from the ... More penalty spot during the DFB Cup quarterfinal match between RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg at Red Bull Arena on February 26, 2025 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by) Replacements have been sought, and Sesko is the most obvious fit. Like Isak when he signed for Newcastle in August 2022, the Slovenian is predicted to become a world class superstar, but needs a platform in which to shine. His 13 goals in the Bundesliga last season is a decent, but hardly spectacular return. But in a world where Isak leaves for a huge profit, Sesko, who has only just turned 22, would represent an excellent contingency plan, provided Newcastle strengthened in defence, midfield and at goalkeeper too. Southampton's Aaron Ramsdale is a target in the latter position. Interest in Sesko should get Newcastle supporters excited, despite what it would mean for Isak. The problem is, after missing out on so many top targets this summer already, the Leipzig hitman feels like a tough player to convince. It is said there is an 'gentleman's agreement' between him and the German club; if a project he deems 'special' enough presents itself, he can leave for around £75m ($100m) this summer. Sesko was reportedly far from committal around Arsenal's interest before the club signed Viktor Gyokeres, and given Newcastle's worrying lack numbers in the boardroom and clear direction, is the vision as easy to sell as it was to Isak three years ago, despite the offer of Champions League football? Manchester United's presence in the race is also concerning supporters, too, given a common theme of failure this summer has been players choosing clubs that can offer better wages and more historical success. Despite not playing in European competition at all this season, Bryan Mbeumo already opted to move to Old Trafford instead of heading to Tyneside. This week has been earmarked as crucial in the Isak saga with Sesko right at the heart of it too. Other targets such as Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa and Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson are also being considered, but a deal for Sesko is further along. He is set to choose his next step in the coming days, without having given any hints over what he wants to do, which isn't settling Newcastle nerves. Until Sesko, or anyone else, is in place at St James' Park, Isak cannot be allowed to leave Newcastle. There are plenty of people counting on that deal, but it is a tough one to secure. If he does sign, it suggests the direction of the club can still be upward; if not, with so little time until the transfer window shuts, it could be a long season.
