NBA Playoffs Results Today: Which Teams Advanced and Who Was Eliminated?

As I sat down to review last night's NBA playoff action, I couldn't help but feel the weight of elimination hanging over certain teams. The atmosphere in these games becomes palpably different when seasons are on the line - you can almost feel the desperation through the television screen. Tonight's matchups delivered exactly that kind of high-stakes drama we've come to expect from the postseason, with careers and championship aspirations hanging in the balance.

Looking specifically at the Warriors' situation, their 103-92 defeat against the Lakers revealed some concerning patterns that I've been noticing throughout this series. Klay Thompson's performance particularly stood out to me, not just for his statistical output but for what it represents about this Warriors team's current state. While Thompson showed more activity compared to his previous outing, finishing with 14 points and nine rebounds, his 5-of-14 shooting night and curiously zero assists tell a deeper story about Golden State's offensive struggles. I've watched Thompson throughout his career, and seeing him struggle to find his rhythm in such a crucial game was genuinely difficult. The Warriors' offense has always flowed through ball movement and player movement, but last night it felt stagnant, almost forced. When your second-best shooter goes without a single assist in an elimination game, that speaks volumes about how the defense is dictating terms.

What really struck me about Thompson's performance was how it mirrored the Warriors' overall challenges. The Lakers' defensive scheme clearly focused on limiting clean looks from beyond the arc while disrupting passing lanes, and it worked brilliantly. Thompson's zero assists aren't just a random statistic - they indicate how effectively the Lakers contained Golden State's motion offense. From my perspective watching the game, it seemed like Thompson was pressing too hard, taking difficult shots early in the possession rather than letting the offense develop naturally. This isn't the fluid Warriors system we've come to admire over the years, and it shows how much they miss having multiple playmakers on the floor simultaneously.

The broader playoff picture emerging from last night's results suggests we're witnessing a significant shift in the Western Conference hierarchy. Teams that advanced demonstrated the kind of defensive discipline and offensive versatility that championship contenders need, while those eliminated showed clear limitations in their roster construction or game planning. I've been following the NBA long enough to recognize when we're seeing a transitional period, and this postseason certainly feels like one. The teams moving forward all share certain characteristics - depth, defensive versatility, and multiple scoring options - while the eliminated teams tended to rely too heavily on specific players or strategies.

Reflecting on what these results mean for the remainder of the playoffs, I'm particularly intrigued by how the advancing teams match up against each other. The level of competition only intensifies from here, and the margin for error shrinks considerably. Teams that barely survived their first-round series will need to make significant adjustments if they hope to continue advancing. From my experience watching playoff basketball over the years, the teams that succeed in later rounds are typically those who can learn and adapt quickly between series. What worked against one opponent often needs substantial modification against the next.

Ultimately, last night's games provided both closure and new beginnings. For the eliminated teams, the offseason begins with difficult questions about roster construction and future direction. For the advancing teams, the challenge only grows more demanding. As a basketball analyst, I find this transitional phase particularly fascinating because it reveals so much about team character and coaching adaptability. The playoffs have a way of exposing weaknesses that regular season success can mask, and we certainly saw that dynamic play out in dramatic fashion last night. The teams moving forward have earned their advancement, but they'll need to elevate their games even further as the competition intensifies.