What A Night! Tuesday delivered a first-time-ever game from Steph Curry and a 2OT classic in Denver that saw the Wolves overcome Nikola Jokić’s 61-point triple-double.
Ready For More? Tonight, the Cavs & Knicks meet in a clash of top 3 teams (7 ET, ESPN), the Thunder go for their 11th straight win as they face the resurgent Pistons (9:30 ET, ESPN).
Meanwhile, the Celtics seek a 10th straight win as they gear up for their title defense (7:30 ET, LP).
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
April 2, 2025
Historic Night: A pair of former MVPs drop 50+ on same night for the 1st time ever
Instant Classics: Curry’s Memphis masterpiece, Wolves rally in 2OT despite Jokić’s 61
Roundup: Bucks win Giannis-Booker duel, Magic leap Hawks & more from Tuesday
ESPN Doubleheader: Cavs-Knicks in a top-3 clash in the East, OKC goes for 64 wins
League Pass Spotlight: Celtics seek their 10th straight win as title defense nears
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Last night’s scores & what to watch today…
With tonight’s ESPN doubleheader & 9-game slate loaded with postseason implications, check out the Playoff Picture here.
1. CURRY, JOKIC DELIVER HISTORIC & THRILLING NIGHT
Jeff Haynes & Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images
On the first night of April hoops, a pair of former Kia MVPs delivered historic performances in games that had the aura of Playoff basketball.
And those performances came in games with major postseason stakes.
- The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies to leap Memphis for 5th place in the West
- The Nuggets fell in a 2OT classic to the Wolves that lifted Minnesota into a tie with Memphis for 6th place
Entering Tuesday, there had been 90 games this season in which a player posted at least 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 5 3s.
- Steph put up those numbers in the 1st quarter alone
Entering Tuesday, there had been only 2 games this season in which a player posted at least 32 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 8 3s.
- Steph put up those numbers in the 1st half
By the end of the 3rd quarter, Steph was in a class of his own. His 45 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals and 11 3s entering the final frame had never been reached in any game in NBA history.
- And he wasn’t done. Steph added seven more points and another 3 in the 4th to post his second 50+ point game of the season
Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
Rewriting The Record Books: The all-time leader in 3-pointers made continues to push his scoring and shooting marks to new heights.
- Top 25: Steph passed Jerry West (25,192) to move into the top 25 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list
- 50 & 10: Steph posted his 10th career game with at least 50 points and 10 3s. The next closest player? Klay Thompson with three
- 10 Triples: Steph posted his 27th career game with at least 10 3s – that’s more than 25% of the 105 such games in NBA history
- Passing MJ: Steph posted his 8th career game with at least 50 points on 50% FG, 60% 3P shooting splits, breaking a tie with Michael Jordan for the most ever
- 🗣️ Warriors Coach Steve Kerr On Curry’s Night: “The conditioning, the skill, the audacity, the belief… He’s still got it.”
Jokić is also no stranger to putting up numbers never seen in NBA history. Take his 30/21/22 game against the Suns on Mar. 7 as an example.
On Tuesday, Jokić joined Luka Doncic and James Harden as the only players in NBA history to record a 60+ point triple-double.
- Harden: 60 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists on Jan. 30, 2018
- Dončić: 60 points, 21 rebounds, 10 assists on Dec. 27, 2022
- Jokić: 61 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists last night
The reigning Kia MVP played a career-high 53 minutes – never leaving the court in the 2nd half or overtime sessions – to try to get Denver’s first win over Minnesota since Game 5 of their First Round series last May.
- Career-High 61 Points: Jokić entered Tuesday with three 50+ point games in his career between the regular season (2) and Playoffs (1) before breaking 60 for the 1st time
- Elite Company: Jokić joined Wilt (3x), Michael Jordan & Elgin Baylor as the only players to score 60+ points in 50+ minutes played
2. INSTANT CLASSICS: CURRY LIGHTS UP MEMPHIS, WOLVES WIN 2OT THRILLER
Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images
The last time Steph Curry played at FedExForum in Memphis on Dec. 19, he didn’t hit a single shot, finishing with two points on 0-for-7 shooting in 24 minutes in a 144-93 loss.
Tuesday night was a much different story.
With 5th place in the West on the line, Curry delivered a historic performance – 52 points, 12 3-pointers, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals – to keep the Warriors red hot.
Warriors 134, Grizzlies 125: Behind Steph’s 52 points, 27 from Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green’s 1st triple-double (13 pts, 10 reb, 12 ast) of the season, the Warriors overcame Ja Morant’s 36 points to leap Memphis in the standings and earn the head-to-head tiebreaker. | Recap
- While the Steph show was rolling at a record pace through 3 quarters, there was still a game to be won as the Warriors and Grizzlies entered the 4th tied at 103
- Butler scored 10, Curry added seven and the Warriors closed the game on an 18-5 run that included clutch buckets from Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody to seal the win
- Steph-Jimmy Partnership: The Warriors improved to 18-2 in the 20 games Curry and Butler have played together
- ⬆️ Golden State: The Warriors climb to 5th in the West with the win, 0.5 games up on the 6th-place Grizzlies and 2 games back of the 4th-place Lakers
- ⬇️ Memphis: The Grizzlies drop to 6th in the West with their 4th straight loss, 0.5 games back of the 5th-place Warriors and tied with the 7th-place Wolves, but own the head-to-head tiebreaker
Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
Timberwolves 140, Nuggets 139 (2OT): Minnesota overcame a 16-point deficit, a slow start from Anthony Edwards and a 61-point triple-double from Nikola Jokić to rally past the Nuggets in a 2OT thriller, sweeping the season series and inching closer to the top 6 in the Playoff chase. | Recap
- The Wild Finish: The final 10 seconds saw Nickeil Alexander-Walker rebound a Denver miss, the Wolves push the ball down court only to find NAW in the corner for a 3-point attempt that drew a foul to set up the game-winning free throws
- Better Late Than Never: Edwards entered the 4th quarter with just 10 points, before erupting for 24 in the 4th quarter and two OTs
- Wolfpack: Alexander-Walker & Julius Randle both finished with 26 points as six Wolves finished with 10+ points and four had 7+ dimes
- Back & Forth: With 21 lead changes and 13 ties, this game delivered the competition and energy of a Playoff game
- 🗣️ Edwards Postgame: “That might’ve been the best game of my life that I’ve been a part of. … Nikola Jokić… he might be the best basketball player I’ve ever seen.”
- ↔️ Minnesota: The Wolves remain 7th in the West with the win, losing the tiebreaker to the 6th-place Grizzlies, moving 0.5 games up on the 8th-place Clippers
- ↔️ Denver: The Nuggets remain 3rd in the West with the loss, 0.5 games up on the 4th-place Lakers and 2 games behind the 2nd-place Rockets
3. ROUNDUP: BUCKS WIN GIANNIS-BOOK DUEL, MAGIC LEAP HAWKS & MORE
Bucks 133, Suns 123: Giannis Antetokounmpo (37 pts, 11 ast) led the Bucks past Devin Booker (39 pts, 11 ast) and the Suns to snap a four-game skid. The Bucks shot a franchise-record 68.9% – the 9th-highest in NBA history and best since 1998-99. | Recap
Magic 116, Spurs 105: Orlando got 24 points apiece from Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 23 points and seven 3s – his final two coming back-to-back to ice the game in the closing minutes. | Recap
Blazers 127, Hawks 113: Deni Avdija (32 pts, 15 reb, 10 ast) posted his 2nd triple-double of the season and combined with Shaedon Sharpe (33 pts, 10 reb) for 65 points to lead the Blazers past the Hawks to stay in striking distance of the Play-In field. | Recap
Knicks 105, Sixers 91: With Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns out, the Knicks got a game-high 27 points from OG Anunoby, a double-double from Mitchell Robinson (14 pts, 14 reb) and a season-high 20 points with six 3s from Landry Shamet in the win. | Recap
Bulls 137, Raptors 118: After being named East Player of the Month for March, Coby White opened April by leading the Bulls with 28 points and six dimes. Talen Horton-Tucker (27) and Nikola Vučević (22) combined to add 49 as Chicago clinched a Play-In spot. | Recap
Postseason Race Updates: Pacers and Bulls clinch, Magic move up.
- ☑️ Indiana: The Pacers clinched a Playoff berth with the Hawks loss
- 🔒 Chicago: The Bulls clinched a Play-In berth with their win, locking them into a 7th-10th place finish in the East
- ⬆️ Orlando, ⬇️ Atlanta: The combo of Orlando’s win and Atlanta’s loss sees the Magic (37-40) leap the Hawks (36-39) for 7th in the East, with the teams separated by just .001 in win percentage
4. TONIGHT ON ESPN: TOP 3 EAST MATCHUP, OKC AIMS FOR 11TH STRAIGHT
Nathaniel S. Butler & Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
Knicks at Cavaliers: Two of the top three teams in the East clash tonight (7 ET), headlined by versatile All-Star bigs – Karl-Anthony Towns and Evan Mobley – who have elevated their teams with their unique talents.
New York is 5.4 points better with KAT on the floor (+5.2 on, -0.2 off). However, Towns did not play Tuesday as a game-time decision (knee); his status for tonight’s game will be announced later today.
KAT ranks tied for 4th among centers in 3s (138) and 9th in the NBA in 3-point percentage (42.5)
Towns ranks 2nd among centers in points on drives (7.3 ppg) on 7.8 drives per game
Mobley, who earned his first NBA All-Star bid this season, has been a catalyst for Cleveland on both ends of the court – averaging a career-best 18.6 ppg while continuing to be a defensive anchor.
Mobley ranks 5th in blocks (1.6 bpg) and 9th in rim protection (min. 300 shots defended), holding opponents to 57.1% shooting at the basket
One of the league’s most versatile defenders, Mobley splits his defensive matchup time across all positions: guards (27.1%), forwards (45.7%) and centers (27.2%)
Tonight’s ESPN doubleheader begins in Cleveland and ends in OKC as the two conference leaders play host.
While the Cavs seek their 61st win to match their 2nd highest win total in team history, the Thunder are looking to add to theirs with a 64th win.
Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images
Rarefied air.
That’s one way to describe the Thunder’s season as the team continues to make history night in and night out.
The list of the Thunder’s accomplishments this season runs like a CVS receipt and they can add more to their resume after tonight when they host the Pistons (9:30 ET, ESPN).
- Going for their 50th double-digit victory, tying the 1971-72 Lakers for most in a single season
- Like Mike: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could tie Michael Jordan with 69 consecutive 20+ point games, 4th most in a single season
- Thunder Strikes East: OKC can complete this season going 29-1 vs. the East, extending the NBA record for best record vs. the opposing conference since the current realignment in 1970-71
- Meanwhile, the Pistons currently sit 5th in the East and are vying for their first Playoff appearance since the 2018-19 season.
5. ON LEAGUE PASS: WIN STREAKS COLLIDE WHEN CELTICS HOST HEAT
As the Playoffs approach, it’s fitting that old rivals, the Celtics and Heat, are meeting at the peak of their seasons – bringing 9- and 5-game win streaks into tonight’s game (7:30 ET) to lead a seven-game slate on League Pass.
Boston has been dominant as of late, seeking their 10th straight win overall and 7th straight in the rivalry, a run that dates back to Oct. 2022.
- Three’s Company: Boston can join the Cavs (3x) and Thunder (2x) as teams to reach 10 straight wins this season
- It would be the 1st time since 2022-23 that the NBA would see three teams having 10+ win streaks in the same season
The Heat are on their longest win streak of the season and longest since winning five straight in Feb. 2024.
- No Limit Herro: Miami’s All-Star, Tyler Herro, is leading his squad with 28.4 pts on 62.2/50 shooting splits, the only player in the NBA with those numbers since March 23
- Catching Fire: Behind Miami’s 2nd best defensive rating during this streak, the Heat have had a margin of victory of 20.4, their highest in a five-game span in 20 years (+21.8, Mar. 2005)
