Seven Arizona basketball alums are participating in the NBA Playoffs that begin on Saturday. Arizona will be represented on the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. Arizona alums participated in the play-in tournament but lost with the Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks.
Arizona Ring of Honorees Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell play for the Indiana Pacers, who open the 2025 NBA Playoffs versus the Milwaukee Bucks. Mathurin averaged 16.1 points per game, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists this season. McConnell averaged 9.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.1 steals.
Denver opens the 2025 NBA Playoffs on Saturday afternoon versus the Los Angeles Clippers. Aaron Gordon averaged 14.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 3.2 APG in 51 games with 42 starts this season. Zeke Nnaji averaged 3.2 PPG and 1.6 RPG, playing 10.7 minutes per game in 57 games with four starts in 2024-25.
The Los Angeles Lakers begin the 2025 NBA Playoffs versus the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night. After missing the 2023-24 season with a blood clot, Christian Koloko averaged 2.4 PPG and 2.5 RPG while shooting 60.6 percent from the field, playing 9.2 MPG in 37 games.
Good luck to all our guys chasing a championship 🏆 pic.twitter.com/qthQJ6g48o
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) April 15, 2025
The Miami Heat won play-in games at the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks to qualify for the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Keshad Johnson played four minutes in the win over Chicago. Neither Johnson nor Pelle Larsson received any playing time as Miami beat Atlanta on Friday night to qualify for the NBA Playoffs.
Larsson averaged 4.6 PPG, 1.7 RPG and 1.2 APG, playing 14.2 MPG in 55 games with eight starts in 2024-25. Johnson averaged 2.7 PPG and 1.8 RPG playing 6.1 MPG in 16 games. Johnson also averaged 15.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 SPG and 1.5 BPG in 19 games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the NBA G League.
Arizona alum Brandon Williams scored 17 points on five of eight from the floor, three out of four three-point attempts and had five assists as Dallas beat Sacramento 120-106 in their first 2025 play-in game. Williams had 16 points, seven assists, three rebounds and one steal as Dallas was eliminated in their second play-in game on Friday.
Dalen Terry had two points and four rebounds as Chicago lost 109-90 to Miami in the play-in on Wednesday night. Terry averaged 4.5 PPG, 1.7 RPG and 1.3 APG playing 13.5 MPG during the 2024-25 season. Head coach Steve Kerr and assistant Bruce Fraser will begin the 2025 NBA Playoffs with the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.