NBA: Top 5 Heated Moments From the First Round of Playoffs

The first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs brought elite basketball and near brawls. From Curry vs. Brooks to a full-on scuffle involving Aaron Gordon, here are five of the most heated moments.

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1. Curry and Brooks Spark Tensions at Chase Center

In Game 4 between the Warriors and Rockets, tensions flared midway through the second quarter. After drawing a second personal foul on Dillon Brooks, Stephen Curry held up two fingers while lying on the court, which didn’t sit well with Brooks.

Brooks tried to snatch the ball from Curry, prompting Draymond Green and Quinten Post to step in. The brief standoff led to technical fouls being issued to Curry, Brooks, and Green after the referees reviewed the incident. While it didn’t escalate into a fight, the series has been boiling over.

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2. Giannis and Mathurin Clash Post-Game

After the Bucks’ heartbreaking 119-118 overtime game 5 loss to the Pacers, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bennedict Mathurin shared a tense moment. What started as a hug quickly turned into a fight. Mathurin pushed Giannis and grabbed his jersey, leading to both teams and security stepping in to break up the situation. It was an unexpected turn after such a tightly contested game.

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3. Giannis vs. Tyrese Haliburton’s Father

In the same game, another confrontation was witnessed but this time off the court. Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John Haliburton, who was seated courtside, rushed onto the floor waving a flag with his son’s face on it directly in front of Antetokounmpo. Pat Connaughton quickly intervened to prevent things from getting out of hand. Later, Giannis approached John Haliburton, seemingly to offer a handshake, but the situation escalated again.

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4. Celtics Frustrated with Magic’s Physicality

The Orlando Magic’s hard defense ruffled feathers in Boston. Following the Magic’s 95-93 Game 3 win, Celtics star Jaylen Brown criticized the referees for letting the game get out of hand. “There might be a fight break out or something,” said Brown, after scoring just 19 points.

He accused the officials of not maintaining control and labeled the Magic’s play as borderline dirty. The tension between the teams continued to rise with every game.

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5. Clippers-Nuggets Brawl Features Aaron Gordon, Harden

Game 4 between the Nuggets and Clippers erupted just before halftime. After Christian Braun’s failed attempt to steal the ball struck James Harden, tempers exploded. Nikola Jokic came to Braun’s defense, only for Harden to shove him.

The situation quickly turned chaotic, with Aaron Gordon seen trying to shove during the melee. It was the most physical altercation of the round, with players from both benches getting involved.