With Sunday’s Recreation 7 within the books, and the Oklahoma City Thunder having dominated the Denver Nuggets to hitch the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves within the NBA’s closing 4, we now have a a lot clearer have a look at the true difference-makers alongside the trail to the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Right here, in our playoff MVP post-conference semifinals replace, we’re rating the eight gamers whose performances have stood out most by two wild and unpredictable rounds.
1:39
Brunson happy with Knicks’ composure to shut out Celtics in 6
Jalen Brunson displays on the Knicks’ large win over the Celtics to achieve the Jap Convention Finals for the primary time since 2000.
2025 playoffs (12 video games): 28.8 PTS | 7.7 AST | 3.9 REB
After closing out the Detroit Pistons within the first spherical with a nasty step-back 3-pointer, Brunson’s encore was main New York to the convention finals by knocking off the defending champion Boston Celtics. He had a gradual begin to the sequence, however, as is usually the case, was clutch within the late phases.
That was notably true in Video games 1, 2 and 4, when the Knicks got here again to win from deficits of 20, 20 and 14 factors, respectively.
Subsequent, the All-NBA guard will face the Pacers, towards whom he averaged almost 30 factors and 6 assists through the common season. Brunson and his teammates will search to avenge final 12 months’s loss to Indiana within the convention semis.
If issues go right down to the wire, the league’s Clutch Participant of the 12 months will really feel prepared. Brunson has already made 14 clutch baskets in these playoffs. That is almost twice as Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander, who ranks No. 2.
1:00
Jokic grateful for private and workforce success this season
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic displays on his particular person efficiency and his workforce’s exhibiting this season after getting eradicated from the playoffs.
2025 playoffs (14 video games): 26.2 PTS | 12.7 REB | 8.0 AST | 2.0 STL
With teammate Aaron Gordon severely restricted, and Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. combining for under 19 factors on 24 pictures, Jokic had little or no scoring help from his fellow veteran starters in Sunday’s elimination loss.
Nonetheless, that actuality — and his workforce’s sequence loss as a complete — would not essentially damage Jokic’s argument for a excessive placement on this listing. Positive, he was a painful 0-for-10 from deep in Denver’s Recreation 3 additional time loss and wasn’t way more environment friendly in Recreation 4, when he shot 2-for-8 from 3. However he additionally had one of the spectacular video games of the playoffs when he dropped 44 factors with 22 rebounds and 5 assists on solely 25 pictures from the sphere within the Nuggets’ Recreation 5 defeat.
Jokic gave a traditionally good Thunder group all it might deal with whereas having 24-year-old Christian Braun as his best sidekick in Recreation 7.
0:29
Anthony Edwards ‘scrapes the sky’ for filthy poster slam
Anthony Edwards drives and punishes the rim as he places Kevon Looney on a poster.
2025 playoffs (10 video games): 26.5 PTS | 8.0 REB | 5.9 AST | 38.5 3P%
The Wolves’ star bounced again from a much less environment friendly opening spherical towards the Los Angeles Lakers to shoot 44% from deep on virtually 9 makes an attempt per sport within the convention semifinals towards the largely Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors.
Noteworthy in every of Edwards’ closeout Recreation 5s to date: He used the excess of defensive consideration on him to make performs for others, logging eight assists within the clincher towards the Lakers, and a whopping 12 within the sequence clincher towards the Warriors.
Edwards should be ready for OKC’s swarming defense, which was the NBA’s finest at shutting down 1-on-1 alternatives through the common season, permitting simply 0.81 factors per possession.
1:31
SGA cooks Nuggets for 35 in Recreation 7
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carries the Thunder to a victory in Recreation 7 over the Nuggets with 35 factors, 3 rebounds and 4 assists.
2025 playoffs (10 video games): 28.4 PTS | 6.6 AST | 6.2 REB | 1.3 STL
The Thunder guard, more likely to be named the league’s regular-season MVP within the coming days, had a improbable starting and ending to his sequence towards Denver. He struggled along with his shot throughout Video games 3 and 4, however then adopted that up with showings of 31, 32 and 35 factors, respectively, within the sequence’ closing three video games. He shot no worse than 52% in Video games 5, 6 and seven to elevate his membership when OKC wanted it most.
If there is a cause for SGA to be this far down on the listing, it is that he struggled mightily along with his effectivity within the opening spherical. However he can proceed to make up for that towards the Wolves and within the Finals, ought to the top-seeded Thunder break by.
1:31
Tyrese Haliburton breaks Cavs’ hearts with dagger game-winning 3
Tyrese Haliburton will get the ball after a missed free throw, then nails a step-back 3 to permit the Pacers to rally for a win in Recreation 2.
2025 playoffs (10 video games): 17.5 PTS | 9.3 AST | 5.5 REB
After capturing simply 42% total, and below 27% from 3 within the first spherical, Haliburton leveled as much as 54% and virtually 46% from deep towards the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers to drag off an upset in solely 5 video games.
One of many greatest keys for the Indiana star this postseason: Very like Brunson, he has provide you with big-time pictures to place away video games. He has gone 4-for-5 from the sphere with the Pacers within the closing minute of clutch eventualities. Nobody has made extra in these playoffs.
6. Julius Randle, Minnesota Timberwolves
2:17
Randle stars as Wolves full sequence win
Julius Randle drops a game-high 29 factors to gasoline the Timberwolves in knocking out the Warriors in 5 video games.
2025 playoffs (10 video games): 23.9 PTS | 5.9 REB | 5.9 AST | 50.9 FG%
Sure, this is similar participant who struggled mightily throughout his first two postseason appearances. Randle shot 29.8% from the sphere in 2021 and 37.4% in 2022, each with the Knicks.
However Randle has been improbable for Minnesota to date, capturing virtually 51%, averaging 23.9 factors within the postseason (proper behind Edwards) and a team-high 5.9 assists (the identical as Edwards). Lengthy one of many NBA’s finest setup males for corner-3 alternatives, Randle merely seems to be comfy proper now, one thing that might pay large dividends if OKC blitzes Edwards.
1:28
Mitchell despondent after Cavs’ loss to Pacers: ‘Do not imagine it’
Donovan Mitchell tries to elucidate what went fallacious for the Cavaliers of their semifinal sequence defeat to the Pacers.
2025 playoffs (9 video games): 29.6 PTS | 4.7 REB | 3.9 AST
Very like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mitchell gave all of it he had and at instances single-handedly carried his workforce’s offense. The Cavs’ star led all second-round scorers with greater than 34 factors per sport.
However with an ankle damage that he performed by in hopes of resurrecting a Cleveland membership that discovered itself vulnerable to being bounced early after a 64-win season, Mitchell’s effectivity from deep fell sharply from the opening spherical, sliding from 46% to 24% on large — however crucial — quantity within the convention semifinals.
1:26
JWill: There is a world wherein Giannis says he desires to be a Warrior
Jay Williams and Brian Windhorst talk about the potential of Giannis Antetokounmpo teaming up with Steph Curry in Golden State.
2025 playoffs (5 video games): 33.0 PTS | 15.4 REB | 6.6 AST | 60.6 FG%
The Bucks’ ahead is the one participant who was so excellent within the opening spherical that he deserved to make this listing once more, albeit nowhere close to the highest given the added weight of the convention semifinals.
In case you forgot simply how dominant Antetokounmpo was with out an injured Damian Lillard (and with an immensely quiet Kyle Kuzma): Antetokounmpo averaged 33 factors, 15.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists in his 5 video games towards Indianapolis. And he did it on virtually 60.6% capturing from the sphere.
