NBA playoffs 2025: Grizzlies lose Ja Morant, fall to Thunder in 2nd-biggest comeback in postseason history; Knicks regain home court

The NBA playoffs continued Thursday with three Game 3s, with only the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder claiming a 3-0 series lead. All it took was tying the second-biggest comeback in NBA playoff history.

Here are the results and key takeaways from Thursday’s games:

Things went from great to bad to worse for the Memphis Grizzlies — who lost star Ja Morant to a hip injury — on Thursday night in a heartbreaking loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who claimed a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round series after tying the second-biggest playoff comeback in NBA history.

With the Grizzlies up 67-40 with 3:15 remaining in the second quarter, Morant took a hard foul from Lu Dort and eventually exited the game. He was ruled out with what the team said was a hip injury.

Memphis led 77- 51 at the half, tying the franchise mark for most points in a playoff game and posting the second-largest halftime lead in team postseason history. The Grizzlies led by as many as 29 and tried to hold on with Morant, but it was too tall of a task.

Morant had 15 points and five assists before his departure.

His status isn’t yet known, but we’ll likely learn more about his outlook Friday.

That said, in a series that was already looking like a mismatch before Memphis showed some life in the first half of Game 3, this one could very well be over.

Oklahoma City outscored the Grizzlies 36-18 in the third quarter, but it wasn’t done there.

Led by Chet Holmgren’s 23 second-half points, the Thunder chipped away as Memphis lacked the go-to scoring to hold off the West’s top seed.

The Thunder took their first lead at 109-108 with 1:20 remaining in the game on a Jalen Williams free throw and never looked backed. They held the Grizzlies to 13 fourth-quarter points as they won the period by 14 points.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 31 points on 26 shots and added eight assists and four rebounds, and Williams contributed 26 points, six rebounds, five assist and two steals.

While the aura of the Thunder’s invincibility may have taken a hit Thursday — they likely wouldn’t have been able to come back if Morant continued to play — they did show some heart and refused to quit.

That has to count for something, even if they did fall behind by 29.

Game 4 is 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday in Memphis.

The New York Knicks, powered by Karl-Anthony Town’s forceful play and reemergence, turned back the Detroit Pistons to win Game 3 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to take a 2-1 first-round series lead and reclaim home-court advantage.

A major storyline after the Knicks’ loss in Game 2 was how New York and point guard Jalen Brunson would get the big man going after he posted 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting in 33 minutes.

Towns took matters into his own hands Thursday night, hitting three first-quarter 3s on his way to 31 points and eight rebounds.

Towns forced the action and had 17 first-half points to set the tone for the Knicks in a hostile environment.

That’s the kind of star performance New York expected when they acquired him before the start of the season, and the Knicks will need that level of play if they want to go deep in the postseason.

Brunson took home the NBA Clutch Player of the Year honor on Wednesday and showed why he was a deserving winner in Game 3.

With Detroit refusing to go quietly after storming back in the third quarter and again in the fourth, Brunson took control, posting 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting with two assists in the period.

New York led 102-91 with 6:56 remaining, but Detroit never gave up, cutting the lead to 104-101 with 4:42 left and staying pesky until the very end.

But Brunson responded with a mid-range jumper with 4:10 left and hit a pair of layups to give New York a 112-105 cushion, which they would need every bit of. Brunson finished with 30 points on 9-of-20 shooting with nine assists and seven rebounds

This should be the formula for the Knicks: KAT powering the offense, and Brunson being the closer. It’s a fine line to navigate, but it’s one the Knicks need to depend on for sustained success.

Yes, Karl-Anthony Towns had it going from 3 in Game 3 on Thursday night in Detroit. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

(Gregory Shamus via Getty Images)

The Knicks led 116-110 with 23 seconds remaining in the contest, but from there things seemed to last forever.

With the Knicks leading 116-113 with 5.3 seconds remaining, referee Zach Zarba appeared to miss a backcourt violation on Brunson.

Then with .5 seconds left and the Knicks up 118-116, Brunson attempted to intentionally miss his second free throw after making the first. But a clock error somehow gave the Pistons the ball after a review, and they promptly threw the ball away on the ensuing inbound, oddly prompting yet another review.

Mercifully, New York finally ended the game on the next possession.

NBA officiating remains maddeningly undefeated.

Game 4 is 1 p.m. Sunday in Detroit.

After a pair of nail-biters in Games 1 and 2 between the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets, there was little drama in Game 3.

With the series shifted from Denver to Los Angeles, the Clippers opened a 35-28 first-quarter lead that ballooned to a 65-47 advantage at halftime.

There was no Nuggets comeback. The Clippers extended their lead to as many as 25 points in the third quarter and rolled to a 117-83 win. After seizing home-court advantage from Denver with a Game 2 win, the Clippers now have a 2-1 lead in the series.

Kawhi Leonard was the hero in the Clippers’ Game 2 win with 39 points on a 15-of-19 effort from the field, reminiscent of his 2019 playoff run that ended with a Finals MVP trophy and an NBA title with the Toronto Raptors.

There was no need for those heroics Thursday night. Leonard had an excellent game with 21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

But it was a 20-point first half from James Harden that led Los Angeles to the 18-point halftime lead. It was a 12 point third-quarter from Norman Powell that helped thwart hope of a Nuggets comeback.

Harden didn’t score again after halftime, but he didn’t need to as Powell and Leonard took the baton. Powell, meanwhile finished with 20 points after scoring a combined 25 points in Games 1 and 2. The comforts of home appeared to benefit Powell more than anyone.

Denver’s offense laid an unusual egg as the Nuggets failed to reach 90 points. But a defense that finished 21st in the regular season in defensive rating had few answers for the Clippers’ balanced attack.

The Nuggets allowed the Clippers to shoot 48.2% from the field and 46.2% (18-of-39) from 3 while forcing just eight turnovers.

And their offense didn’t do them any favors. After committing 20 turnovers in Monday’s Game 1 loss, the Nuggets gave the ball away 16 times on Thursday. And they shot 40.3% from the field and just 26.9% from 3. Nikola Jokić had another triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists. But Michael Porter Jr. (seven points) and Christian Braun (nine points) failed to provide scoring punch, and the Nuggets got just six total points from their bench.

The Nuggets will seek to find a fix ahead of Game 4 on Saturday.

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NBA playoffs 2025: Grizzlies lose Ja Morant, fall to Thunder in 2nd-biggest comeback in postseason history; Knicks regain home court

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