The 2024–25 NBA regular season came to a thrilling conclusion Sunday, with the final game determining crucial Western Conference playoff seedings. The Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets all clinched their postseason spots, while the Golden State Warriors were pushed into the play-in tournament after a high-stakes loss.
Clippers Outlast Warriors in OT Thriller
The Clippers sealed the No. 5 seed with a dramatic 124–119 overtime win over the Golden State Warriors in the final regular season game. James Harden led the charge with 39 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds, powering the Clippers to their eighth consecutive victory and a 50–32 record. The result dropped the Warriors to the No. 7 spot, setting them up for a do-or-die play-in matchup.
“We’re a good team and we’re excited to show the world,” Harden said in a post-game interview with ESPN. His dominant performance prevented a major seeding flip — had Golden State won, L.A. would have fallen to the play-in.
The Clippers will now face the No. 4 seed Denver Nuggets in the first round. Denver, also 50–32, earned home-court advantage via tiebreaker after beating Houston 126–111. The win was a stabilizing moment following a chaotic week that saw the Nuggets part ways with head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth.
Timberwolves Avoid Play-In With Edwards’ Heroics
The Timberwolves locked in the No. 6 seed with a 116–105 victory over the Utah Jazz. Anthony Edwards scored 43 points, stressing the importance of avoiding the play-in tournament.
“We don’t want to play in the play-in. We want that whole week to get fully prepared,” said Edwards, who led by example on the floor. Minnesota will now face the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the opening round.
The Lakers, Nuggets, and Clippers all finished with identical 50–32 records, but L.A. held the head-to-head tiebreaker to claim the No. 3 seed — their best seeding since 2012.
Full Western Conference First Round Matchups
- (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD (Winner of play-in between 8 and winner of 9/10)
- (2) Houston Rockets vs. TBD (Winner of play-in between 7 and 8)
- (3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
- (4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers
Western Conference Play-In Matchups
- (7) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies – Tuesday, April 15
Winner becomes the No. 7 seed and faces the Rockets; loser plays again for the No. 8 spot. - (9) Sacramento Kings vs. (10) Dallas Mavericks – Wednesday, April 16
Winner plays the loser of Warriors vs. Grizzlies for the final playoff spot.
Sacramento will host the Mavericks. The winner must defeat the loser of Warriors-Grizzlies to secure a series against the No. 1 Thunder.
Eastern Conference Locked In
Unlike the West, the East saw no final-day chaos. The playoff field was already set before Sunday’s games.
- (1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. TBD
- (2) Boston Celtics vs. TBD
- (3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons
- (4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks
Eastern Conference Play-In Matchups
- (7) Orlando Magic vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks – Tuesday, April 15
Winner advances to face the Celtics. Loser plays again. - (9) Chicago Bulls vs. (10) Miami Heat – Wednesday, April 16
Winner faces the Magic-Hawks loser for the final playoff berth.
Looking Ahead
The Play-In Tournament runs from April 15–18. The first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs begins Saturday, April 19. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for June 5, with a possible Game 7 on June 22.
With playoff seedings now set and stars like James Harden and Anthony Edwards in peak form, the postseason promises high drama. And with powerhouse matchups already locked in — including Lakers vs. Timberwolves and Nuggets vs. Clippers — the road to the Finals starts with fireworks.
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