2025 NBA/ABA Tournament of Champions: Group Play Round 18

Tickets are getting punched left and right as we come into the home stretch of the NBA/ABA Tournament of Champions!

Last round saw 12 different teams clinch a berth in the next stage of the tournament, meaning 25 of the 64 spots have been claimed with five rounds of games left to go. Meanwhile, only a few teams have been eliminated from contention. That number will likely increase as well with so few contests left to make up that ground.

As we move into this next round, we'll see how many of the 39 remaining spots in the postseason get taken. Standings, schedules, and scores for the tournament can be found here. All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. Let's get to it!

Group A

@ '98 CHI 114, '77 POR 110
Dennis Rodman ('98 CHI): 8 pts, 24 reb, 4 ast
1998 Chicago Bulls clinch a berth in the Elimination Stage

'86 BOS 109, @ '63 BOS 90
Larry Bird ('86 BOS): 16 pts, 12 reb, 12 ast, 4 stl

@ '81 BOS 103, '13 MIA 100
Larry Bird ('81 BOS): 31 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast

'95 ORL 103, @ '74 NYN 93
Anfernee Hardaway ('95 ORL): 27 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl

'24 BOS 111, @ '65 BOS 100
Jayson Tatum ('24 BOS): 25 pts, 11 reb, 5 ast

Group B

'83 PHI 103, @ '06 MIA 87
Moses Malone ('83 PHI): 15 pts, 16 reb

'02 LAL 102, @ '00 LAL 99
Kobe Bryant ('02 LAL): 29 pts, 6 reb, 10 ast, 3 stl

'15 GS 105, @ '04 DET 96
Draymond Green ('15 GS): 17 pts, 12 reb, 6 ast

'97 UTA 116, @ '68 PIT 88
Karl Malone ('97 UTA): 34 pts, 15 reb, 3 stl
1968 Pittsburgh Pipers are eliminated from postseason play

'23 DEN 133, @ '52 MIN 87
Nikola Jokic ('23 DEN): 23 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast

Group C

@ '10 LAL 107, '01 LAL 72
Pau Gasol ('10 LAL): 23 pts, 11 reb
2010 Los Angeles Lakers clinch a berth in the Elimination Stage

'87 LAL 109, @ '75 GS 105
Magic Johnson ('87 LAL): 28 pts, 10 reb, 13 ast

@ '60 BOS 142, '85 LAL 141 (OT)
Bill Russell ('60 BOS): 15 pts, 20 reb, 7 ast, 7 blk
Bill Sharman ('60 BOS): 24 pts, 8 reb; made game-winning three with 7 seconds left in overtime
Magic Johnson ('85 LAL): 26 pts, 11 reb, 13 ast; made game-tying shot at the buzzer to force overtime

'53 MIN 127, @ '73 IND 118 (OT)
George Mikan ('53 MIN): 32 pts, 18 reb, 4 blk; made game-tying shot at the buzzer to force overtime

'17 GS 123, @ '56 PHI 81
Kevin Durant ('17 GS): 17 pts, 14 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk

Group D

'84 BOS 116, @ '82 LAL 100
Cedric Maxwell ('84 BOS): 16 pts, 11 reb

'88 LAL 113, @ '67 PHI 105
Magic Johnson ('88 LAL): 21 pts, 8 reb, 14 ast, 3 stl

'97 CHI 109, @ '71 UTA 98
Dennis Rodman ('97 CHI): 5 pts, 21 reb, 4 ast

@ '66 BOS 97, '03 NJ 89
Bill Russell ('66 BOS): 14 pts, 27 reb, 5 ast
Jason Kidd ('03 NJ): 12 pts, 6 reb, 10 ast, 5 stl

'19 TOR 128, @ '61 BOS 111
Kawhi Leonard ('19 TOR): 25 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast, 6 stl

Group E

@ '03 SA 99, 14 SA 84
Tim Duncan ('03 SA): 20 pts, 15 reb, 6 blk

@ '79 SEA 112, '72 LAL 103
Jack Sikma ('79 SEA): 15 pts, 18 reb, 7 ast, 4 stl

'12 MIA 107, @ '90 DET 99
LeBron James ('12 MIA): 30 pts, 7 reb, 9 ast, 4 stl

'20 LAL 110, @ '62 BOS 90
Anthony Davis ('20 LAL): 30 pts, 11 reb, 4 blk

'25 OKC 137, @ '78 WAS 83
Chet Holmgren ('25 OKC): 30 pts, 7 reb, 3 blk
With '78 WAS loss, 2014 San Antonio Spurs clinch a berth in the Elimination Stage

Group F

'09 LAL 116, @ '69 BOS 86
Kobe Bryant ('09 LAL): 23 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast
2009 Los Angeles Lakers clinch a berth in the Elimination Stage

'92 CHI 131, @ '64 BOS 109
Scottie Pippen ('92 CHI): 20 pts, 14 reb, 11 ast

@ '68 BOS 113, '05 SA 91
John Havlicek ('68 BOS): 18 pts, 10 reb

'25 IND 121, @ '72 IND 107
Pascal Siakam ('25 IND): 10 pts, 13 reb, 8 ast

'22 GS 115, @ '55 SYR 85
Steph Curry ('22 GS): 23 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast
1955 Syracuse Nationals eliminated from postseason play

Group G

@ '80 LAL 108, '08 BOS 78
Jamaal Wilkes ('80 LAL): 19 pts, 11 reb
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ('80 LAL): 14 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast, 8 blk
1980 Los Angeles Lakers clinch a berth in the Elimination Stage

@ '07 SA 100, '16 CLE 84
Tim Duncan ('07 SA): 19 pts, 13 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl

'91 CHI 117, @ '57 BOS 92
Michael Jordan ('91 CHI): 32 pts, 8 reb
1991 Chicago Bulls clinch a berth in the Elimination Stage

'93 PHX 117, @ '69 OAK 113
Charles Barkley ('93 PHX): 26 pts, 14 reb, 8 ast, 4 stl
1993 Phoenix Suns clinch a berth in the Elimination Stage

'18 GS 122, @ '58 STL 98
Steph Curry ('18 GS): 24 pts, 6 reb

Group H

'11 DAL 100, @ '93 CHI 96
Jason Kidd ('11 DAL): 15 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast
2011 Dallas Mavericks clinch a berth in the Elimination Stage

@ '74 BOS 116, '71 MIL 105
John Havlicek ('74 BOS): 30 pts, 11 reb, 5 ast

@ '95 HOU 103, '96 CHI 98
Hakeem Olajuwon ('95 HOU): 29 pts, 16 reb, 4 ast, 6 blk

'54 MIN 79, @ '70 IND 78
George Mikan ('54 MIN): 23 pts, 23 reb, 3 blk
Slater Martin ('54 MIN): 6 pts, 6 ast; made game-winning shot with 11 seconds left
Mel Daniels ('70 IND): 26 pts, 14 reb, 6 blk; missed game-winning shot at the buzzer

'21 MIL 113, @ '59 BOS 86
Khris Middleton ('21 MIL): 19 pts, 8 reb, 8 ast