As the calendar flipped to the month of April, the OKC Thunder and defending champion Boston Celtics looked every bit as dominant as before.
Meanwhile, the jockeying for playoff position heats up the West with just 6.5 games separating the West’s no. 2-8 spots.
THUNDER POCKET WIN NO. 63; CELTICS STILL RUN RAMPANT ON ROAD
- OKC Thunder (63-12) def. Chicago Bulls (33-42), 145-117: Isaiah Joe and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander pounced on the Bulls with 58 points combined, spearheading the Thunder’s second 10-game winning run of the season.
- Ea(s)t, Sleep, Dominate, Repeat: With the win, the Thunder have clinched the best single-season record by a West team vs. the East in league history at 27-1 and OKC could match the 1995-96 Seattle Supersonics’ 64-win total if they manage to beat the Detroit Pistons next.
10 STRAIGHT THUNDER WINS ??
— NBA (@NBA) April 1, 2025
A dominant 1st half helps OKC defeat Chicago and capture their 2nd 10-game winning streak of the season!
- Boston Celtics (56-19) def. Memphis Grizzlies (44-31), 117-103: Jayson Tatum and the defending champion Celtics completed their first-ever undefeated road trip of six games and more in franchise history after taming the Grizzlies.
[ALSO READ: Champion Celtics subdue skidding Grizzlies to match road win franchise record]
- Charlotte Hornets (19-56) def. Utah Jazz (16-60), 110-96: Miles Bridges fell two assists shy of a triple-double after racking up 26 points, 10 rebounds, and eight dimes that helped the Hornets snap a five-game skid.
- Brooklyn Nets (25-51) def. Dallas Mavericks (37-39), 113-109: D'Angelo Russell posted an 18-point, 11-assist double-double to pace the Net’s first win in Dallas in four years.
HALIBURTON TAKEOVER IN FULL DISPLAY; LAKERS CLOSE GAP IN WEST NO. 3 RACE
- Indiana Pacers (44-31) def. Sacramento Kings (36-39), 111-109: Tyrese Haliburton took matters into his own hands, scoring 11 of his 18 points in the final five minutes that keyed a 16-point Pacers comeback to stun the Kings.
- LA Lakers (46-29) def. Houston Rockets (49-27), 104-98: Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith became the first pair of Lakers teammates to hit 6 threes or more each off the bench in the same game in a key home triumph against the West no. 2 Rockets.
[ALSO READ: Lakers deny Rockets’ playoff entry with big games from Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent]
- Wild, Wild West: With the Lakers’ win and the Grizzlies' defeat, the upper and lower half of the West’s standings got tighter with less than two weeks left before the regular season ends. Only 2.5 games separate the no. 2 Rockets and the fifth-ranked Lakers. Meanwhile, just one game set apart the no. 5-8 placed-teams.
NBA STANDINGS UPDATE ??
— NBA (@NBA) April 1, 2025
?? BOS wins 9 straight, OKC wins 10 straight
?? LAC wins 8 of last 10
?? LAL pulls 1 game within DEN for West #3
- LA Clippers (43-32) def. Orlando Magic (36-40), 96-87: Kawhi Leonard bannered three 20-point Clipper scorers in a low-scoring road win over the Magic, staying within striking distance of the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves in a tight West no. 6 race.
- Miami Heat (34-41) def. Washington Wizards (16-59), 120-94: Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro combined for 55 points that paced a 26-point Heat rout of the Wizards to extend their winning run to five games.
- Blowing Hot and Cold: After losing 10 straight contests, Miami responded by winning five straight games. They became just the third team in league history to string five consecutive wins or more after losing 10 or more since the 2021-22 Houston Rockets (lost 15 straight and then won seven in a row) and the 2017-18 Chicago Bulls (lost 10 straight before winning seven in a row).
