Find a Buddy to celebrate with … the postseason begins tonight!

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

April 15, 2025

Play-In Begins: 3 keys for Hawks-Magic & Grizzlies-Warriors, Play-In format & history

Warriors’ Path To Play-In: A fast start, a cool down, a blockbuster deal & strong finish

Grizzlies’ Path To Play-In: An offensive juggernaut, a midseason slump & bounce back

Magic’s Path To Play-In: A promising start, key injuries, a stout defense & returning stars

Hawks’ Path To Play-In: A top playmaker, a historic thief & a team that slayed giants

BUT FIRST … ⏰

The NBA postseason opens, the WNBA welcomes a new class, the NBA G League crowns a new champion

Play-In Begins: The postseason tips off tonight with the opening games of the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament on TNT. The Magic host the Hawks (7:30 ET) in the East before the Warriors host the Grizzlies (10 ET) in the West, with the No. 7 Playoff seeds at stake.

WNBA Draft: The Dallas Wings selected Paige Bueckers, fresh off a national title run with UConn, with the 1st pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, making her the 6th Husky to go No. 1 overall in league history.

NBA G League Champs Crowned: The Stockton Kings are your 2024-25 NBA G League Champions, winning the first title in franchise history.

1. THE SOFI NBA PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT TIPS OFF TONIGHT

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The 2024-25 postseason starts TONIGHT, as the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament tips off with the 7 vs. 8 game from each conference.

East: (8) Hawks at (7) Magic (7:30 ET, TNT): What are three things to watch in this matchup of Southeast Division rivals?

• Hot Streaks: The Magic enter the Play-In having won five of their last six games, while the Hawks have won three straight and four of their last five. Their only losses in those stretches? To each other
• Who Dictates Pace? These teams are near polar opposites in pace – Atlanta is the 3rd fastest (103.41), while Orlando plays the slowest (96.51) – a difference of nearly 7 possessions per 48 minutes
• Offense vs. Defense: Led by assist leader Trae Young, the Hawks were the 5th highest scoring team of the season (118.2 ppg), while the Magic allowed the fewest points (105.5 opp ppg) of any team

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West: (8) Grizzlies at (7) Warriors (10 ET, TNT): As these teams meet for the 3rd time in the last five postseasons, start with these three things to watch,

• Postseason History: In 2021, the Grizzlies ended the Warriors’ season in the first year of the current Play-In format to secure the No. 8 seed. A year later, the Warriors returned the favor when the teams met in the 2022 West Semis
• Star Guard Matchup: Ja Morant (27.6 ppg) and Steph Curry (26.7) ranked 8th and 9th in scoring, respectively, post All-Star. Steph led all players in 3s in that time (4.6 per game), while Ja ranked 3rd on points off drives (12.2 ppg)
• Defensive Anchors: Draymond Green (2016-17) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (2022-23) each have one Defensive Player of the Year award on their resume and are both candidates again this season

How The Play-In Works: Now that we’ve looked at tonight’s games, let’s break down what happens next and how the Play-In leads to the Playoffs.

• Game 1s: Tonight, the 7th-place team hosts the 8th-place team in each conference, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the Playoffs, while the loser moves on to Game 3
• Game 2s: Tomorrow, the 9th-place team hosts the 10th-place team in each conference, with the winner moving on to Game 3 and the loser eliminated
• Game 3s: Friday, the loser of Game 1 (7 vs. 8) hosts the winner of Game 2 (9 vs. 10) with the winner earning the No. 8 seed in the Playoffs and the loser eliminated

Play-In History: This is the 5th season with the current Play-In format. What have we learned from the previous four years?

• Every 7th-place team has advanced to the Playoffs so far – six times as the 7 seed by winning Game 1; twice as 8 seed by winning Game 3
• A 10th-place team has yet to advance to the Playoffs, with only two teams winning Game 2 to reach Game 3
• 8th-place teams have reached the Playoffs 62.5% of the time
• 9th-place teams have made it the other 37.5%

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Play-In Records: There have been three 40+ point performances in the history of the Play-In, including a pair from last season.

• Jayson Tatum: 50 points in Boston’s 118-100 win over Washington in 2021
• Coby White: 42 points in Chicago’s 131-116 win over Atlanta in 2024
• Zion Williamson: 40 points in NOLA’s’ 110-106 loss to the L.A. Lakers in 2024

2. PATH TO THE PLAY-IN: (7) WARRIORS

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The Warriors are back in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament for the 2nd straight season and 3rd time in the event’s history.

They are still seeking their first win in the competition.

• 2021: The 7th-place Warriors lost to the 8th-place Lakers in Game 1 and to the 9th-place Grizzlies in Game 3 to end their season
• 2024: The 10th-place Warriors lost to the 9th-place Kings in the win-or-go-home Game 2

The road back to the Play-In was a rollercoaster for Golden State, filled with ups and downs and a major midseason twist.

• Fast Start: The Warriors opened the season 12-3 with Curry (4.1 3pm on 45% shooting) and Buddy Hield (3.5 on 44.2%) on fire from deep and a return to the “Strength In Numbers” philosophy for coach Steve Kerr, with 12 players averaging 10+ minutes
• Cool Down: After averaging 119.1 (3rd in NBA) through 15 games, the Warriors’ offense struggled to close 2024, scoring just 104.8 ppg (29th) as Golden State went 4-13

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• Big Move: On Feb. 6 – with the team 10th in the West at 25-26 – the Warriors pulled off a blockbuster move, acquiring five-time All-Star Jimmy Butler III from the Heat, adding a veteran with plenty of Playoff pedigree to the roster
• Closing Run: Since Butler’s debut on Feb. 8, the Warriors posted the NBA’s 3rd-best record (23-8) down the stretch, as Butler meshed immediately with Steph, Draymond and the Warriors
• Thrilling Finale: Golden State’s postseason fate was decided in the final game of the regular season as the Warriors and Clippers needed overtime to decide which team headed to the Playoffs and which headed to the Play-In
• Despite 30+ point games from Steph and Jimmy, the Clippers prevailed in OT behind James Harden and Kawhi Leonard’s 72 combined points, sending the Warriors back to the Play-In

Mr. 300: Curry (311) surpassed 300 3-pointers made for the 6th time in his career. Only four other players have ever reached that benchmark – including Anthony Edwards (320) and Malik Beasley (319) this season – and no player has more than one such season.

Highs & Lows: Curry had his 2nd-highest scoring game of the season (52 points on April 1) and his lowest scoring game of the season (2 points on Dec. 19) against the Grizzlies.

3. PATH TO THE PLAY-IN: (8) GRIZZLIES

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The Grizzlies are making their 2nd appearance in the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament.

Unlike Golden State seeking its first Play-In win, Memphis has yet to lose in the competition.

• In 2021, the 9th-place Grizzlies survived a pair of win-or-go-home games – defeating the 10th-place Spurs in Game 2 and the 8th-place Warriors in Game 3 – to earn the 8 seed

After using the Play-In to reach the 2021 Playoffs – giving young star Ja Morant his first taste of the postseason – the Grizzlies will try to repeat that in 2025 to return to the Playoffs after a one-year absence.

• 2022-23: The young Grizzlies were healthy and hungry, earning the West’s 2 seed before falling to the veteran Lakers in the 1st Round
• 2023-24: A slew of injuries led to Memphis setting an NBA record by using 33 different players over the course of the season, including 23 different starters. They finished 27-55, missing the postseason
• 2024-25: With better health this season – their leading trio of Morant (32), Desmond Bane (13) and Jackson Jr. (8) combined to miss 53 games – the Grizzlies finished 8th in the West

Memphis used a high-octane offense – the Grizzlies’ 121.7 ppg ranked 2nd this season, but ranks 15th all-time – to return to the postseason.

• The Grizzlies led the NBA with 48 120+ point games this season – including two of the four games where teams surpassed 150 points
• Triple Threat: Memphis didn’t have a 24+ ppg scorer, but rather had three players average 19+ – Morant (23.2), JJJ (22.2) & Bane (19.2)

The Grizzlies entered All-Star in 2nd place in the West at 36-18, boasting the 5th-ranked offense (117.8) and 7th-ranked defense (110.9). But their production on both ends began to slide after the break.

• Coaching Change: On March 28, the Grizzlies relieved Taylor Jenkins as head coach. The Grizzlies were 8-11 post All-Star and had dipped to 16th on offense and 19th on defense in that time
• Final Stretch: With only nine games remaining in the season, the Grizzlies battled in a tightly-packed Western Conference to secure a spot in the postseason
• Memphis won four of its final six games – including a pair of 20+ point wins and another on a Morant buzzer-beater – to finish 8th in the conference

4. PATH TO THE PLAY-IN: (7) MAGIC

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A sunny disposition accompanied the Magic to open the 2024-25 season. They won 22 games in 2021-22, 34 in 2022-23 and 47 last campaign. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs offered the continuity of young talent entering the year.

• Expedition Everest: Orlando started off 15-7, winning 12 of 13 at one point after dropping five in a row, and held down the fort in 3rd place from Nov. 23 to Dec. 14

But injuries quickly dampened high hopes. Banchero tore his right oblique in just the fifth game of the season, and sat 34 games after averaging 29 ppg to open his 3rd year in the league.

• One-Two Punch: Less than five weeks after his exit, Wagner was knocked out of the lineup for 20 games with his own oblique injury
• Calling Card: Orlando built a staunch defense in their absence. During a 40-game stretch where either Banchero, Wagner or both were out of the lineup, the Magic ranked 4th in DefRtg, backed by a 2nd-best 6.3 blocks per game

The obstacles hadn’t ended. Moritz Wagner went down with a torn left ACL on Dec. 21 that ended his season, while Jalen Suggs was ruled out indefinitely on March 3 following knee surgery.

• Missing Variables: Mo Wagner was sidelined at a time where he ranked 2nd in the league for total points off the bench. Suggs’ work defending the perimeter and slowing premier scorers had him on pace for an All-Defensive Team selection
• Adapt & Survive: Despite lacking each of those four players for long periods of time, Orlando finished 2024-25 allowing 105.5 ppg, the least of any team

Banchero and Franz Wagner shared the court on Jan. 23 for the first time in nearly three months. Though it took the trials and tribulations of a 6-13 stretch in their return, the Magic finished on a 12-6 spree to close the season and earn a Play-In berth.

• Fantastic Finish: And what a final act it was for Banchero. He topped 30 points in nine of his last 14 outings, and has a career-high 25.9 ppg on the season to show for it
• Back To It: Franz Wagner, in his own right, got right back to work after returning from injury, blowing his previous career-best 19.7 ppg out of the water en route to 24.2

5. PATH TO THE PLAY-IN: (8) HAWKS

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The 2024-25 season could’ve gone several different directions for the Hawks. They finished somewhere between 36 and 43 wins in each of the preceding four seasons and without a Playoff series win in any of the last three, but made multiple roster revisions.

Dyson Daniels proved to be a golden addition. Atlanta acquired Daniels – the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft – from New Orleans as part of the Dejounte Murray deal last July, and a change of scenery did wonders.

• Unlocked: The 3rd-year guard out of Australia averaged a career-best 14.1 ppg and 3.0 spg, more than doubling each of those marks from 2023-24
• Ball Hawk: Daniels’ knack for harassing ball handlers showed from the get-go with 3+ steals in seven of his first 11 outings. In November, he became the first player since Michael Jordan (1989-90) to have 15+ points and 5+ steals in four consecutive contests

“The Great Barrier Thief” – as he was crowned by teammate Larry Nance Jr. – registered a game-winning block vs. the Kings on Nov. 19.

And on March 3, he set up Caris LeVert for a buzzer-beater with a steal-turned-assist against the Grizzlies, again flexing his defensive fortitude in the clutch.

• Just Keep Swiping: Daniels’ 229 steals and 55 blocks also made him the first in 30 years to crack 200 and 50 – last accomplished by Scottie Pippen

Trae Young complements Daniels’ defensive prowess in the backcourt. Via their partnership, Atlanta boasts this year’s final NBA stat leaders in steals (Daniels, 3.0 spg) and assists (Young, 11.6 apg).

• The Hub: Young’s 24.2 ppg are his lowest since his rookie year, but he remains the offensive focal point. He recorded the first ever 30+ pt, 20+ ast, 5+ 3pm game in a OT thriller vs. the Lakers on Dec. 6
• He also delivered this shot-of-the-year candidate back on Jan. 7…

Atlanta rode an up-and-down start to an NBA Cup semifinals run. Dating back to Nov. 27, the Hawks never fell lower than 9th place, ending on a 12-8 stretch to secure a shot at the Playoffs.

Don’t be fooled by seeding. The Hawks have brought it against the league’s best, having produced six wins combined against the East’s top three teams – the Cavaliers, Celtics and Knicks – tied for most in the league.