Image Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

NBA Playoffs: How does the Grizzlies’ defeat help every team in the Western Conference?

This one game added fuel to the playoff scenario between teams who are fighting to avoid the play-in tournament.

Image Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Timberwolves squeezed past the Memphis Grizzlies 141-125 on Thursday night and the result has changed the playoff scenario for the teams in the Western Conference. It was a game between teams fighting to avoid the play-in tournament and other teams were also monitoring this game.

Anthony Edwards led all the scorers with 44 points, including 18 in the third quarter where Minnesota scored 52 points, the third most in a quarter in NBA history. Julius Randle added 14 points out of 31 in the third quarter and also grabbed 10 rebounds. Timberwolves won their sixth in the last seven and made the playoffs battle even more intriguing.

Also Read: Pacers Edge Out Cavs, Secure Home-Court Advantage in Eastern Conference Playoffs

Minnesota’s third-quarter explosion keeps them alive in top-6

The Timberwolves blew a 24-point lead and had their five-game winning streak snapped before entering this crucial matchup. The Grizzlies had a 72-67 lead at halftime and the Wolves opened the third quarter with a 26-5 burst, including 17 straight points. They flipped the five-point deficit into a 21-point lead at the end of the highest-scoring quarter in the NBA this season.

Ant is up to 44 PTS with 12 minutes to go…

Back-to-back 3PM, part of a 52-POINT THIRD QUARTER for the Timberwolves 🤯

4Q of MIN-MEM coming up on TNT! pic.twitter.com/QtVQR2lUAL
— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2025

The Timberwolves outscored the Grizzlies 52-25 in the third and made 18 3-pointers. They shot 60% from the floor and 85.7% from three-point range in the quarter. Ja Morant and Co. tried hard to press the comeback button but Minnesota didn’t repeat the mistakes of the previous game.

Ja Morant led Memphis with 36 points and Desmond Bane added 28. Jaren Jackson Jr. chipped in 23 points and the Grizzlies halted its three-game winning streak under interim coach Tuomas Iisalo. This defeat has hurt Iisalo’s hopes of avoiding the Play-In Tournament.

Also Read: What is the most points scored in a quarter in NBA by a team?

How playoff picture in Western Conference changes after Memphis’ defeat?

With two games remaining for all teams, just one game separates the No. 4 seed Denver Nuggets from the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Before this matchup, the Grizzlies held onto the No. 6 seed and the Timberwolves were one game behind in the No. 8 spot. This one result added fuel to the playoff scenario between teams who are fighting to avoid the play-in tournament.

Updated West standings with Grizzlies loss and Timberwolves win:

3) Lakers* (49-31) —
4) Nuggets (48-32) – 1.0 GB
5) Clippers (48-32) – 1.0 GB
6) Warriors (47-33) – 2.0 GB
7) Grizzlies (47-33) – 2.0 GB
8) Timberwolves (47-33) – 2.0 GB

*LAL already clinched playoffs
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) April 11, 2025

The Timberwolves, the Warriors and the Grizzlies are now tied for the sixth spot in the Western Conference at 47-33. The Warriors got a lifeline through Minnesota’s win as they fell to No. 7 after a 114-111 defeat to the Spurs on Wednesday. As for the three-way tie between the Warriors, the Wolves and the Grizzlies, Golden State hold crucial tiebreakers over both teams.

The OKC Thunder and the Rockets have clinched the top two seeds. The Lakers are likely to take the third seed. The Nuggets and the Clippers are fighting out for the fourth spot. The fight for the remaining spot is tight and currently, the Warriors look favorites to finish the regular season as No. 6. As destiny is not in their hands, the Grizzlies have to win their remaining two games and expect at least one defeat of the Warriors and the Wolves.

Upcoming matchups for teams who are in the contention for top-6:

Nuggets: vs Grizzlies, at Rockets
Clippers: at Kings, at Warriors
Warriors: at Blazers, vs Clippers
Grizzlies: at Nuggets, vs Mavericks
Timberwolves: vs Nets, vs Jazz

Thunder, Rockets and Lakers have already qualified for the playoffs.

Image Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Anthony Edwards

Memphis Grizzlies

Minnesota Timberwolves

NBA Playoffs

Gulshan Sharma

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.