The 2025 NBA playoffs are set to ignite this Saturday, promising fans thrilling basketball action following an unforgettable regular season.
Dominating throughout the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Closely following are the Boston Celtics, the reigning champions, positioned at No. 2, spearheaded by Jayson Tatum and the current Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown.
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder are poised for a strong playoff run, claiming the No. 1 seed for the second consecutive year. Their team is led by MVP contender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The final seedings were determined on the last day of the regular season, with the Minnesota Timberwolves securing the No. 6 seed and avoiding the play-in tournament.
Before these top-seeded teams begin their playoff journey, the No. 7 and 8 seeds in each conference will be decided through the play-in tournament, commencing this Tuesday.
Following the play-in tournament`s conclusion on Friday, the 16-team NBA playoffs will commence on Saturday with four games, followed by another four on April 20th. Eight teams from each conference will enter the first round, competing in best-of-seven series to advance. All four playoff rounds maintain a best-of-seven format, and teams are not re-seeded after each round. Home-court advantage in each series is granted to the team with the superior regular-season record. The series format is 2-2-1-1-1, with the team holding home-court advantage hosting Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 (if needed).
Comprehensive coverage of the NBA playoffs will be provided, culminating in the 2025 NBA Finals, starting June 5th.
Eastern Conference First Round Matchups
TBD
Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. TBD (8)
Game 1, Sunday: Play-in winner at Cleveland
Game 2: Play-in winner at Cleveland
Game 3: Cleveland at play-in winner
Game 4: Cleveland at play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): Play-in winner at Cleveland
Game 6 (if necessary): Cleveland at play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): Play-in winner at Cleveland
TBD
Boston Celtics (2) vs. TBD (7)
Game 1, Sunday: Play-in winner at Boston
Game 2: Play-in winner at Boston
Game 3: Boston at play-in winner
Game 4: Boston at play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): Play-in winner at Boston
Game 6 (if necessary): Boston at play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): Play-in winner at Boston
New York Knicks (3) vs. Detroit Pistons (6)
Game 1, Saturday: Detroit at New York, 6 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 2: Detroit at New York
Game 3: New York at Detroit
Game 4: New York at Detroit
Game 5 (if necessary): Detroit at New York
Game 6 (if necessary): New York at Detroit
Game 7 (if necessary): Detroit at New York
Indiana Pacers (4) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (5)
Game 1, Saturday: Milwaukee at Indiana, 1 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 2: Milwaukee at Indiana
Game 3: Indiana at Milwaukee
Game 4: Indiana at Milwaukee
Game 5 (if necessary): Milwaukee at Indiana
Game 6 (if necessary): Indiana at Milwaukee
Game 7 (if necessary): Milwaukee at Indiana
Western Conference First Round Matchups
TBD
Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs. TBD (8)
Game 1, Sunday: Play-in winner at Oklahoma
Game 2: Play-in winner at Cleveland
Game 3: Oklahoma at play-in winner
Game 4: Oklahoma at play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): Play-in winner at Oklahoma
Game 6 (if necessary): Oklahoma at play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): Play-in winner at Oklahoma
TBD
Houston Rockets (2) vs. TBD (7)
Game 1, Sunday: Play-in winner at Houston
Game 2: Play-in winner at Houston
Game 3: Houston at play-in winner
Game 4: Houston at play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): Play-in winner at Houston
Game 6 (if necessary): Houston at play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): Play-in winner at Houston
Los Angeles Lakers (3) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (6)
Game 1, Saturday: Timberwolves at Lakers, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
Game 2: Timberwolves at Lakers
Game 3: Lakers at Timberwolves
Game 4: Lakers at Timberwolves
Game 5 (if necessary): Timberwolves at Lakers
Game 6 (if necessary): Lakers at Timberwolves
Game 7 (if necessary): Timberwolves at Lakers
Denver Nuggets (4) vs. LA Clippers (5)
Game 1, Saturday: Clippers at Nuggets, 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 2: Clippers at Nuggets
Game 3: Nuggets at Clippers
Game 4: Nuggets at Clippers
Game 5 (if necessary): Clippers at Nuggets
Game 6 (if necessary): Nuggets at Clippers
Game 7 (if necessary): Clippers at Nuggets