Updated NBA Playoff Bracket 2025 Picture, Schedule After Knicks Advance, Nuggets Lose

The 2025 NBA playoffs continued on Thursday night, as two teams looked to advance to the second round and two others attempted to keep their season alive.

In the first matchup, the No. 3 seed New York Knicks defeated the No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons by the final score of 116-113. The Knicks clinched a six-game series victory with the win, advancing to the second round of the playoffs for a third straight year.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers avoided elimination and forced Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets with a 111-105 Game 6 win in front of a raucous Intuit Dome crowd.

Here's a closer look at the NBA playoff picture as well as the latest results from Thursday's games.

Thursday Scores

Game 6: New York Knicks def. Detroit Pistons, 116-113

Game 6: Los Angeles Clippers def. Denver Nuggets, 111-105

Western Conference

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies (OKC wins series 4-0)

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers (series tied 3-3)

Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors (GS leads 3-2)

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (MIN wins series 4-1)

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat (CLE wins series 4-0)

Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks (IND wins series 4-1)

New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons (NYK wins series 4-2)

Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic (BOS wins series 4-1)

Upcoming Playoff Schedule: Friday, May 2

Game 6: Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors, 9 p.m. ET

Thursday Results

New York Knicks 116, Detroit Pistons 113

The Knicks survived a hard-fought battle with the Pistons, ultimately emerging victorious due to a go-ahead three from star point guard Jalen Brunson with four seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Brunson finished with 40 points and seven assists on 15-of-33 shooting, connecting on three of his 10 attempts from behind the arc.

The Knicks held an 11-point lead entering the fourth quarter but the Pistons stormed back to gain a seven-point advantage with just under three minutes left in regulation.

Brunson, who won Clutch Player of the Year honors for his 2024-25 campaign, scored eight of New York's final 11 points to close out the game and secure a win.

Cade Cunningham finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and eight assists for the Pistons. He shot 9-of-22 from the field but missed all eight of his attempts from three-point territory.

Detroit's season came to an end, although it was still an impressive overall performance from a team that won just 14 games in 2024.

The Knicks will now advance to face the Boston Celtics.

Los Angeles Clippers 111, Denver Nuggets 105

The Clippers initially appeared to be cruising towards a win, opening up a 15-point lead over the Nuggets with just under six minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Denver immediately proceeded to go on an 11-2 run to pull to within six points as two minutes were still on the clock, but a three from Norman Powell gave Los Angeles some separation.

The Nuggets eventually got the ball back while facing a five-point deficit with roughly 30 seconds left in regulation, but Nikola Jokić couldn't convert a layup and pull to within one score.

Jokić finished with 25 points, eight assists and seven rebounds on 11-of-22 shooting.

Denver struggled to take care of the ball, committing 14 turnovers compared to just seven for Los Angeles.

The Clippers' trio of Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Powell all stepped up on Thursday.

Leonard finished with a double-double, scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Harden racked up 28 points of his own to go along with eight assists, while Powell chipped in with 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting.

Game 7 will be on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.