The second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs is here, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game of the Eastern and Western conference semifinals.
The No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers kicked off the East semis Sunday night by taking home-court advantage away from the No. 1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers with a 121-112 victory. The Cavs fell to the Pacers again on Tuesday, this time 120-119, after Tyrese Haliburton drilled a 3-pointer with one second remaining.
Also on Tuesday, the No. 7 seed Golden State Warriors face off against the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in their first game of the second round.
On Monday, the East’s third-seeded New York Knicks beat the 2-seed Boston Celtics in an overtime thriller in Game 1 behind Jalen Brunson‘s 29 points. In Monday’s other Game 1, the 4-seed Denver Nuggets toppled the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in the West after a fourth-quarter surge.
As teams continue to chase the Larry O’Brien Trophy, here’s what matters most in both conferences and what to watch for in all four series.
Jump to a series:
Cavaliers-Pacers | Knicks-Celtics
Thunder-Nuggets
More coverage:
Schedules and results | Offseason guides
Eastern Conference
Game 2: Pacers 120, Cavaliers 119
What we learned: Tyrese Haliburton did it again. The Pacers had been behind all game long before a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, when Indiana outscored Cleveland 36-21, punctuated by a step-back game-winning 3-pointer from Haliburton to stun the home crowd and give Indiana a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. The Pacers were down by as many as 20 points thanks to a superstar performance from Donovan Mitchell, who finished with 48 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds, joining LeBron James as the only Cavs players with 45 points and 5 assists in a playoff game. But it wasn’t enough to rally a top-seeded Cavs team missing three key rotation players; after dropping two home games to open the series, they head to Indianapolis needing a fast response.
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Tyrese Haliburton breaks Cavs’ hearts with dagger game-winning 3
Tyrese Haliburton gets the ball after a missed free throw, then nails a step-back 3 to steal the win for the Pacers in Game 2.
Game 3: Cleveland at Pacers (Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
What to watch: The short-handed Cavs travel to Indy down 0-2, and their injury concerns will be a question mark for the rest of the series. None of the three Cavs on the injury report for Game 2 — Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter — took the floor for a workout on Tuesday, and there is concern about their status going forward. Garland hasn’t played since April 23, and Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson expressed concern over putting him on the court at less than 100 percent with the fast-paced nature of this series. Mobley has been walking with a noticeable limp since Sunday’s game, and Hunter dislocated the thumb on his shooting hand in Game 1. — Jamal Collier
Game 1: Knicks 108, Celtics 105 (OT)
What we learned: The Knicks, down 20 in the third quarter and with the tide of momentum seemingly going completely against them, were very much still alive. That’s because they showed incredible grit — and also because the Celtics toyed with the lead far too much in the second half. The defending champs took 20 shots in the third, with a whopping 19 coming from beyond the 3-point arc; the Celtics finished with an NBA-playoff-record 60 3-point attempts.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown & Co. playing solely from the arc hindered the Celtics, who had no way of getting easy points from the foul line. It also benefited the Knicks, who’d had a trio of starters — Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart — in foul trouble. The game went to overtime, but by then the momentum had shifted enough to give the Knicks a shot that they likely never should have had based on how much Boston was leading by in the third.
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Brunson scores 29 as the Knicks overcome the Celtics in overtime
Jalen Brunson tallies 29 points to help the Knicks overcome a 20-point deficit and defeat the Celtics in overtime.
Game 2: Knicks at Celtics (Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, TNT)
What to watch: What does the shot diet look like for Tatum and Brown, who relied far too heavily on the 3 on Monday night, when they hit just 5 of 25 treys combined. Will Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis be back for Game 2? He played just 13 minutes in Game 1 and didn’t see any action in the second half due to illness. This come-from-behind win for New York should give the Knicks confidence, as they now know they can definitively beat the Celtics after having gone winless against Boston during the regular season. — Chris Herring
Western Conference
Game 1: Nuggets 121, Thunder 119
What we learned: The Nuggets have no fear whatsoever of the West’s top seed. Denver stormed back from a 14-point deficit in the second half to steal Game 1 on the road despite a six-day rest disadvantage. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic was a dominant force, recording 42 points, 22 rebounds and 6 assists to give the Nuggets hope. Oklahoma City’s offense dried up down the stretch, and a pair of missed free throws from Chet Holmgren left the door cracked open. Aaron Gordon delivered another game winner for a Denver squad trying to win its second NBA title in three years. — Tim MacMahon
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Why Stephen A.’s OKC concern is Jalen Williams
Stephen A. Smith details why his biggest concern for the Thunder is Jalen Williams.
Game 2: Nuggets at Thunder (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
What to watch: Denver did not shoot the ball well or take care of it, as you’d expect from a tired team that just wrapped up a grueling seven-game series against the LA Clippers. The Nuggets shot just 29% from behind the 3-point arc (9-for-31) on Monday and turned the ball over 18 times, leading to 23 OKC points. And they still won! Nikola Jokic was brilliant with 42 points and 22 rebounds, and Aaron Gordon has a knack for drilling game winners during these playoffs. If Denver can clean things up and shoot closer to its usual 37.6% from 3, Game 2 could look very different. Of course, OKC will make adjustments too. Don’t expect Alex Caruso to be the Thunder’s second-leading scorer very often or Jalen Williams (16 points) and Chet Holmgren (12 points) to be as quiet offensively as they were in Game 1. — Ramona Shelburne