2025 NBA Playoffs: Western Conference round 1 snack bar

The NBA playoffs 2024-25 are in full swing, and our NBA insiders covered them for each game in March for the final.

On Wednesday, the Minnesota Timberwolves No. 6 rejected a surprise by removing the No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers in a win in game 5.

On Thursday, No. 5 La Clippers forced a game 7 with Neggets No. 4 Denver Nuggets in front of their homeland, behind 28 points by James Harden. You will compete on Saturday to see which team progresses to play No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder.

On Friday, No. 2 Houston Rockets also forced a game 7 against No. 7 Golden State Warriors. The winner of the Rockets Warriors series will take over the Timberwolves.

Since the West Playoffs continue, what is most important and what you should pay attention to in all four series is.

Jump to a series:
Thunder-Grizzlies | Rockets Greatator
Lakers-Temberwolves | Nuggets clipper

Further reporting:
Real estate farmer in East
Subjects and results | Offseason guides

Game 6: Rockets 115, Warriors 107

What we learned:

The veteran Houston Guard Fred Vanvleet converted a 3 pointer from the tip of the key with 6:49 to increase the Rockets by 12 points. A pillow that used their defense in game 6 in game 6. Houston forced the Warriors on Sunday in the Toyota Center with a 115-107 victory. All series Golden State dedicated significant defense resources to close the Jalen Green shootout, which ended with 12 points in 3-of-11 shooting, while he decided to use Vanvleet. The 31-year-old paid the Warriors and achieved 18 out of 27 in his last three competitions from the 3-point area. Vanvleet led 86: 84 and started the third quarter and triggered a 6-0 run in Houston by playing a four-point game only six seconds into the frame. For the first time, Vanvleet scored at least 25 points in three consecutive playoff games in his career, while Alperen Sengun brought 20 points and Amen Thompson in 14 points. Now the teams go to game 7 on Sunday, where Golden State has the advantage in experience. The Warriors players took part in a combined 19 -game -7 games compared to 10 such excursions for Houston's Vanvleet, Jeff Green, Steven Adams and Aaron Holiday.

– Michael C. Wright

Game 7: Warrior at Rockets (Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET, TNT)

What can be seen:

Golden State blown his 3: 1 pillow and now has to win a game 7 in an enemy Toyota Center atmosphere. The warrior's crime looked sluggish against Houston's defense. Golden State opened the fourth quarter 1: 15 and was exceeded at a point 20-5. The Warriors were exceeded in two Houston games of Houston and were unable to frees Stephen Curry from the defense of the Rockets if it is important. Now you have to win in a place where you have a difference on Wednesday in the third quarter of Game 5 with the starters on the championship's family tree. Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler III played in these do or games. Curry and Green played 7 in five games while Butler was in four. But how much did the big three of the warriors leave in the tank? Curry and Butler have registered for 42 minutes and Green played in game 6 for 37 minutes and will have one day off before game 7. Curry and Butler need offensive help, but where does it come from?

– Ohm Youngmisuk

Game 6: Clippers 111, Nuggets 105

What we learned:

Everything is different for the Clipperers when James has hard space up to run or in his self-proclaimed case-“the system”. Harden wore the main burden of criticism according to his loud 11 points on nine shots in game 6 on Tuesday. His former playoff misery for Easy Food for National Discourse. But before the game, Clipper's coach Tyronn Lue Harden's fights and the schedule that he created in the last two games, and said he had to make room for hardware better. This is exactly what he did in game 6 by ensuring that harden had the ball in his hands early on, and in the second half, when he exchanged Nicolas Batum in the starting line -up for Kris Dunn, who often left the Nuggets in defense to Harnen's drive to Doubleam or Blitzharn. It changed everything for hard and read offensive, which shot 51% to 51% on Thursday evening. With Batum on the square in the second half, La was even better 6-against-6 outputs from Batum.

Game 7: Clipper at Nuggets (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)

What can be seen:

What will the nuggets do to counter the Clipper's pull against Batum against Dunn? La essentially acted for defense, and it worked with Batum and the rest of the clipper, the Jamal Murray disabled. The nuggets will certainly adapt before game 7 to get Murray going again. He is too fast for Batum if he has space. The nuggets also have to kick for their 14 sales, which led to 23 points for LA. Denver exceeded it, scored more points in color and got more bank points than LA, lost the game, but lost because of sloppy games, missed layups and the inability to use the Matchup of Batum-Murray.

– Ramona Shelburne

Game 5: Timberwolves 103, Lakers 96

What we learned:

Lakers coach JJ Redick decided not to found a center, and Rudy Gobert and the Timberwolves have eaten the interior absolutely to take the series in five games.

After 14 points and 25 rebounds in the first four games, Gobert destroyed the Lakers with 27 points at 12-to-15 shooting and 24 rebounds in the clincher. In the last 20 seasons he became the fifth player who scored a 25-20 line in a closeout game and joined Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetocounmpo, Dirk Nowitzki and Shaquille O'Neal.

The Lakers played with Grit and converted Minnesotas protecting on a 7-against-47 night (14.9%) from 3 (including 0-by-11 for Anthony Edwards), which marks the worst 3-point shooting share in a playoff game in NBA history (at least 40 attempts).

Luka Doncic (back) and LeBron James (left knee) have registered for 40 minutes to give the Lakers a chance, but the bank production of the wolves, the LA 22-4, combined with the fighting point (56-40), proved too much.

Minnesota, who won 21 of his last 26 games from the last quarter of the regular season, will be a huge challenge for Golden State or Houston. And the Lakers, as if it were still obvious, go into the low season that urgently needs a big man who will trust a playoff game.

– Dave McMenamin

Game 4: Donner 117, Grizzlies 115

What we learned:

Overall, Oklahoma City in Oklahoma quickly worked the top seeds to sweep the grizzlies, which has not won a playoff series since 2022 and, after January, defeated a Western Conference team with a winning record. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander probably had its first efficient evaluation performance of the series in the final and ended with 38 points with 13 out of 24 shootings. With yes Morant Out, the grizzlies could not cope with the stubborn defense pressure of the thunder and celebrate 22 sales that Oklahoma City had converted into 32 points. Now the thunder will rest a little and wait for the winner of the Nuggets Clippers series.

– Tim Macmahon