March 13 Recap: OKC Secures Playoff Berth, Bridges Nails Buzzer Beater

A Bridges bullseye at the buzzer?

That warrants a double “BANG” from Mike Breen.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION

March 13, 2025

Thunderous Statement: Shai makes history, while OKC’s defense stifles Boston late

West Win Streaks: Wolves’ Mile-High howl, Memphis moves to No. 2, Houston heats up

Roundup: Bridges calls game in OT thriller, Fox & Trae take over, plus key Play-In dubs

Steph Eyes 4K: Two 3s shy of 4,000 on his career, Steph aims to make history vs. the Kings

Interconference Clash: Who will bounce back – Luka & the Lakers, or Giannis & the Bucks?

BUT FIRST … ⏰

More elite action…

TNT Doubleheader: Tonight, Giannis and the Bucks face Luka and the Lakers in a battle between No. 4 seeds (7:30 ET). Then, the NorCal rivalry resumes as the Warriors host the Kings, with Steph Curry on the precipice of history (10 ET).

1. THUNDERSTRUCK: SHAI SHINES AS OKC PUTS CLAMPS ON BOSTON FOR PLAYOFF BID

One team is on pace to break the NBA record for 3s in a season while seeking its second straight championship.

The other boasts the league’s top defense, in pursuit of its first title in nearly a half-century.

On Wednesday, they clashed at TD Garden – where the West-leading Thunder stormed in and stamped another statement win.

Thunder 118, Celtics 112: The C’s took 63 3s – including a play-by-play record 36 in the 1st half – but OKC forced them into a season-high 43 misses from deep.

At the other end, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took over, dropping 34 points and 7 dimes on 11-of-20 shooting to power the Thunder past the defending champs on their home floor. | Recap

Clamped: The C’s went 15-of-36 (41.7%) from deep in the 1st half to enter the break down 3. But the Thunder held them to 5-of-27 (18.5%) from beyond the arc in the 2nd to seize controlClinched: Entering the 4th tied at 88, OKC outscored Boston 30-24 in the final frame to secure the win – clinching a Playoff spot while claiming the season series 2-0Storm Surge: With All-Star Jalen Williams out, SGA & Chet Holmgren (23 pts, 15 reb) combined for 57, leading seven Thunder in double figures to overcome a big night from Jayson Tatum (33 pts, 8 reb, 8 ast)“We have a bunch of guys who are All-Stars in their role,” said SGA postgame. “That’s our motto, that’s our mentality – next man up.”

The Shai Way: In a heavyweight bout that featured 10 ties and 10 lead changes, it was the Kia MVP Ladder leader who was the deciding factor, dissecting Boston’s top-five defense by beating doubles, finding the one more and knocking down shot after shot – while joining elite company.

60 Straight: With the performance, SGA becomes just the seventh player in NBA history to record 60 straight 20+ point games in a single seasonThe List? Wilt (2x), Oscar, MJ, Kareem, Kobe, KD and ShaiA Class Above: For perspective, the next active longest 20+ point streaks are held by Jalen Brunson and Ja Morant, with nine10K: SGA also eclipsed 10,000 career points amid the win, becoming the fastest player in OKC history to reach the milestone“That boy is good,” said Jaylen Brown on Shai. “Shifty, crafty around the basket, knows how to use his body well … definitely a guy that you watch and you study to be better if we end up playing him down the line.”

2. WILD WEST STREAKS: WOLVES, ROCKETS & GRIZZLIES STAY HOT

The last time the Wolves took the floor in Denver was Game 7 of the 2024 West Semifinals, where they staged a historic 20-point rally to end the Nuggets’ title defense.

This time, no comeback was necessary.

Wolves 115, Nuggets 95: Anthony Edwards (29 pts, 6 ast, 5 3s) and Julius Randle (25 pts) combined for 54 points, and the Wolves held Denver to its fourth-lowest scoring total of the season, extending their heater to a season-best six games with a wire-to-wire win. | Recap

Hungry Pack: Minnesota is 3-0 vs. Denver this season. In those wins, it’s held the Nuggets to 105.0 ppg while forcing 45 turnoversWinning Formula: Allowing 109.0 ppg this season, the Wolves are 23-6 when holding opponents to that mark or lower. They’ve also won 11 straight games with Julius Randle in the lineupPlayoff Pushin’: Minnesota is now percentage points behind Golden State for the 6th and final Playoff spot out WestNikola Jokić finished with 34 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, as he remains one triple-double shy of notching 30 on the season – a feat only achieved by Russell Westbrook (3x), Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain

Last season, the Rockets reeled off 11 straight wins in March.

Twelve months later, they’re heating up right on cue.

Rockets 111, Suns 104: With Jalen Green (29 pts) and Alperen Sengun (20 pts, 7 ast) leading the charge, the Rockets’ starting five combined for 93 points to pull away from Bradley Beal (25 pts) and the Suns, marking Houston’s fourth straight win. | Recap

Another Level: Owning the 3rd-best DefRtg in the NBA this season at 109.5, Houston has lowered that mark to an NBA-best 104.7 amid its four-game run

The Grizz? Also rolling.

Grizzlies 122, Jazz 115: Luke Kennard went 7-of-9 from deep en route to a season-high 30 points, while Ja Morant (28 pts, 7 ast) drilled a dagger 3 with 11 ticks left to ice the game, holding off a late Utah push for Memphis’ fourth win in a row. | Recap

Ja Stepping Up: Since Jaren Jackson Jr. went down on March 3 (ankle sprain), Morant is averaging 28.8 pts and 7.8 ast, including four straight 28+ point games during the win streakNew No. 2: With the win, Memphis jumped Denver (3) and Los Angeles (4) for 2nd out West, while the Rockets (5) moved a half-game back of L.A.

3. ROUNDUP: BRIDGES CALLS GAME, FOX & TRAE COOK AND MORE

42 lead changes. 14 ties. One shot to decide it all.

Knicks 114, Blazers 113 (OT): In an epic finish to an epic game, Deni Avdija (27 pts, 15 reb) converted a clutch and-1 to put the Blazers up two with 3.4 seconds left.

But that was too much time for Mikal Bridges, who turned the corner on a throw-and-go inbound with Josh Hart, pulled up from deep and splashed an off-balance 3 at the buzzer, giving the Knicks one thrilling win while earning two “Bangs!” from Mike Breen. | Recap

Electric Battle: No team held a lead greater than eight, and the 42 lead changes were the most in a single game this seasonBig-Time Buckets: Bridges finished with a game-high 33 points, including five in OT, capped by his first career game-winner at the buzzerHis Mindset Before The Shot? “Just win the game,” he said postgame

Clippers 119, Heat 104: Bogdan Bogdanović (30 pts, 10 reb), Ivica Zubac (26 pts, 14 reb) and James Harden (24 pts, 11 ast) all turned in big double-doubles, as the Clippers earned a near wire-to-wire win over Miami, despite Tyler Herro’s 31 points and 7 assists. | Recap

Spurs 126, Mavericks 116: In his highest-scoring game so far with the Spurs, De’Aaron Fox went off for 32 points, 9 rebounds and 11 dimes, fueling San Antonio past Dallas to halt a three-game slide. | Recap

Hawks 123, Hornets 110: Trae Young put on an offensive clinic (35 pts, 7 reb, 12 ast), marking his 13th 30+ point, 10+ assist game this season – the most in the NBA – leading Atlanta past Miles Bridges (31 pts, 11 reb, 5 ast) and Charlotte for its fourth straight win. | Recap

Great Barrier Thief: Dyson Daniels (10 pts, 4 stl, 2 blks) notched his 23rd game this season with 4+ steals. No other player has more than eightEast Play-In Update: With the win and Miami’s loss, Atlanta (7) moves two games up on Orlando (8), which holds a half-game lead on the Heat (9)

Raptors 118, 76ers 105: A.J. Lawson tallied 28 points, while Jared Rhoden and Orlando Robinson each scored a career-high 25 to lead the Raptors past Quentin Grimes (29 pts) and the shorthanded Sixers, marking Toronto’s fifth win in six games. | Recap

4. TONIGHT ON TNT: STEPH EYES 4,000 CAREER 3s vs. KINGS

Stephen Curry aims to become the first player in NBA history to reach 4,000 career made 3s when the Warriors host the Kings tonight on TNT (10 ET).

Steph is two 3s away from 4,000: He has made at least two 3s in 853 of his 1,012 games. That’s 84.3% of the games in his careerStephortless: Curry broke the all-time 3-point record on December 14, 2021, when he reached 2,974 to break the mark previously held by Ray AllenCurry has led the NBA in total 3s made in eight of his 16 seasons, including his record 402 triples in 2015-16, when he became the first unanimous Kia MVPParty Of 1: Steph stands alone at the top of the list, and it might be a while until another player joins him in the 4K club. The next closest is James Harden, who has 3,127 career made 3s

Draymond Green, who has been alongside Curry since 2012, has seen firsthand the mesmerizing theatrics he delivers night after night with his shooting.

“He’s literally putting on a show. It’s like you want to watch the Cirque du Soleil or something. It’s not your typical show you’re going to watch. It’s a whole bunch of different acrobatics that go into it.”

Let the numbers speak for themselves on how Steph got to 4,000.

Almost half: 47.9% of Curry’s career points have come on 3s, the second-highest percentage by any player with 15K+ career points — trailing only longtime Splash Bro Klay Thompson (48.8%)Career games with 5+ 3s: Curry (383), Harden (201), Damian Lillard (186), Thompson (186), Buddy Hield (156)Career games with 10+ 3s: Curry (26), Thompson (9), Lillard (6), J.R. Smith (3), Harden (3), Zach LaVine (3)Seasons with 300+ 3PM in NBA history: Curry (5), Thompson (1), Harden (1). Steph has more 300+ 3 seasons than every other player in NBA history combined

The Warriors are aiming for their sixth straight win and are 12-1 with Jimmy Butler in the lineup.

A victory tonight would give them space over the surging Wolves, who are currently riding a six-game win streak. Meanwhile, the Kings are looking to snap a two-game skid.

5. BUCKS HOST LAKERS ON TNT + LEAGUE PASS LINEUP

It wasn’t long ago that wins came in droves for Los Angeles and Milwaukee, going 20-4 and 8-1 up until their current two- and three-game skids, respectively.

With both squads searching for a spark, Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo will go head-to-head – their first meeting since the former exchanged his blue-and-silver threads for purple and gold.

Tonight in Milwaukee (7:30 ET, TNT), the Lake Show will rely on Dončić for a second game in a row without LeBron James, though Luka is questionable with ankle soreness.

Playoff Pushing: The Bucks are tied with the Pacers and Pistons for 4th in the East, while the Lakers are also in 4th, a half-game back of Memphis (2) and Denver (3) out WestCracks In The Wall: Defense was the calling card for Los Angeles with a league-best 107.2 DefRtg during February, but across its latest two losses, it ranks 19th in that metricThe Missing Piece? James, whose opponents shoot 3.2% worse when he operates as the closest defenderGroovin’: For the first time since Dec. 1 to 12, Dončić has tallied four games with 30+ points in six tries

The starters for Milwaukee are at full force, though, and each win makes a difference for a Bucks team vying for home-court advantage in the opening round of the Playoffs.

Recent Reward: Prior to their current rough patch, the Bucks averaged a 3rd-best 129.3 points per game across four consecutive winsThe Trial Continues: Rediscovering that offensive firepower will be key as they enter their third straight matchup in a seven-game stretch against top-six teams

Three of the last four battles between Milwaukee and Los Angeles have been decided by four points or fewer. Can the Lakers overcome absences en route to victory?

On League Pass, the Magic, Bulls and Pistons each jockey for Playoff position in the East with the regular season winding down.

Wizards at Pistons (7 ET)Nets at Bulls (8 ET)Magic at Pelicans (8 ET)