2025 NBA Playoffs results, highlights, recap for April 19 including Brunson, Knicks winning Game 1

Here’s everything you need to know from the opening night of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, where there were four games on the schedule.

DENVER 112, LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS 110 (OT)

The Clippers are going to regret letting this game slip away.

Los Angeles led by six with 5:40 left in Game 1, but were forced to overtime. Part of that was their own fault due to sloppy turnovers. Part of that was classic bad Clippers luck: With 24 seconds left in the game they dared Russell Westbrook to shoot a corner 3 — which is absolutely the right basketball play — and he knocked it down like a he was the third Curry brother.

James Harden answered, but the damage was done, and in overtime the Nuggets got the win (they never trailed in OT). Jokic was Jokic with 29 points and being one rebound short of triple-double.

Give interim coach David Adelman credit, with the game in the balance he benched Michael Porter Jr. to play the often-erratic Westbrook — the kind of move that got now-fired coach Michael Malone in trouble with now-fired GM Calvin Booth — and Westbrook made plays, including steal to force OT.

The big positive for the Clippers going forward is the play of Ivica Zubac, who made Jokic work for his points, while finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds of his own.

If the Clippers just took care of the ball — 20 turnovers in a 101-possession game, coughing the ball up on almost 20% of their possessions — they would have won this game. There are reasons for optimism in L.A.

However, in what promises to be a tight series, the Clippers will likely regret not securing that win.

Also, the best highlight out of this game is…

NEW YORK 123, DETROIT 112

The Knicks won this game thanks to a 21-0 fourth quarter run — and it’s not a coincidence that happened when Karl-Anthony Towns played his best stretch of defense in the game.

There were positives for Detroit. Even with Cade Cunningham not able to find his shot (21 points on 21 shot attempts) the Detroit offense looked comfortable much of the night. The Pistons targeted Jalen Brunson and KAT, and it worked.

However, Detroit’s lack of playoff experience ultimately proved to be the difference.

MINNESOTA 117, LOS ANGELES LAKERS 95

The Lakers did what every team says is their game plan against the Timberwolves — tilt the defense toward Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, keep them in check, and dare anyone else to beat you.

Anyone else did. Jaden McDaniels led the Timberwolves with 25 points, while Naz Reid hit six 3-pointers on his way to 23 off the bench. Ant did a fantastic job of moving the ball quickly, keeping the Lakers off balance, and then when he came back late, he hunted Luka Doncic and got good shots.

The Lakers were honest after the game, they were not ready for Minnesota’s physicality.

“Maybe it took us one playoff game to now get a feel for it and know what type of intensity, the type of physicality is going to be brought to the game,” LeBron James said.

More than that, the Lakers’ size and length advantage against most teams does not apply to the Timberwolves, and with that, the Lakers are going to need more from LeBron and Austin Reaves in the coming games (it can’t just be the Luka Doncic show, which we got in Game 1 to the tune of 37 points).

The Lakers should be — no, must be — desperate in Game 2 on Tuesday, they can’t go down 0-2 at home and expect to win this series.

INDIANA 117, MILWAUKEE 99

When the Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA Championship, it was largely due to Khris Middleton playing at an All-Star level on both ends of the court and serving as a fantastic secondary shot creator alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks missed anyone who could bring that presence in their 2025 playoff opener — Indiana loaded up on Antetokounmpo and were physical with him.

Nobody else in a Bucks uniform stepped up. Kyle Kuzma was 0-of-5 shooting and finished without a point, Bobby Portis and Ryan Rollins each shot 2-of-8, and Kevin Porter Jr. was 2-of-7.

Down 0-1, Milwaukee desperately needs Damian Lillard back, and he is expected to return in Game 2 or 3 from the deep vein thrombosis that sidelined him most of the final month of the season. The Bucks also found something late with Giannis and a lineup of bench shooters led by A.J. Green, expect more of that next game.

Milwaukee is going to need to look a lot better in Game 2, both to stay in this series and to quiet the Antetokounmpo rumors that would follow another loss.7

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