2025 NBA Playoffs Kick Off with Thrilling Battles

Grzegorz2 months ago

The 2025 NBA playoffs burst into action on Saturday. Victories were claimed by the Pacers, Nuggets, Knicks, and Timberwolves in their debut matches. As the weekend continued, the Thunder, Celtics, Cavaliers, and Warriors showcased their prowess with wins on Sunday. Monday felt the intensity rise as the Pistons leveled the series with the Knicks and the Clippers mirrored that feat against the Nuggets. By Tuesday, the Thunder and the Pacers marched ahead with 2-0 leads against the Grizzlies and Bucks, respectively, while the Lakers squared off the score with the Timberwolves.

This season, the Western Conference keeps fans on the edge with captivating first-round showdowns. Boasting rich experience, the seventh-seeded Warriors were tipped to surpass the second-seeded yet novice Rockets—a prediction realized as Golden State clinched a 95-85 victory in Houston. Game 1 found the Lakers struggling against Minnesota regarding inside plays, but their response in Game 2 was a robust display of energy and toughness. The face-off between the Nuggets and Clippers remains unpredictable, with Nikola Jokić and Kawhi Leonard adding intense competition. Their first clash in Denver went into overtime, ending in a Nuggets triumph, but the Clippers struck back with a win as Leonard shone with 39 points.

In the Eastern realm, insiders lean towards straightforward outcomes in the opening round. Based on form and expectations, the Cavaliers and Celtics were anticipated to dominate the Heat and Magic—and they delivered, opening their series with wins on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Knicks executed a decisive fourth-quarter surge to capture Game 1 over the Pistons, only to falter in the sequel. As the 4th and 5th seeds, the Pacers and Bucks reignite an old rivalry, with the Pacers commanding a 2-0 lead.

As history often reminds us, the playoffs are full of surprises.

2025 NBA Playoff Bracket

Eastern Conference First-Round Matchups:

No. 1 Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Heat
No. 2 Celtics vs. No. 7 Magic
No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Pistons
No. 4 Pacers vs. No. 5 Bucks

Western Conference First-Round Matchups:

No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 Grizzlies
No. 2 Rockets vs. No. 7 Warriors
No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Timberwolves
No. 4 Nuggets vs. No. 5 Clippers

2025 NBA Playoffs: First-Round Schedule, Scores

All times Eastern - Saturday, April 19 - Game 1: Pacers 117 - Bucks 98 - Game 1: Nuggets 112 - Clippers 110 (OT) - Game 1: Knicks 123 - Pistons 112 - Game 1: Timberwolves 117 - Lakers 95

Sunday, April 20
Game 1: Thunder 131 - Grizzlies 80
Game 1: Celtics 103 - Magic 86
Game 1: Cavaliers 121 - Heat 100
Game 1: Warriors 95 - Rockets 85
Monday, April 21
Game 2: Pistons 100 - Knicks 94
Game 2: Clippers 105 - Nuggets 102
Tuesday, April 22
Game 2: Pacers 125 - Bucks 115
Game 2: Thunder 118 - Grizzlies 99
Game 2: Lakers 94 - Timberwolves 85
Wednesday, April 23
Game 2: Celtics vs. Magic, 7 p.m., TNT/Max
Game 2: Cavaliers vs. Heat, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV
Game 2: Rockets vs. Warriors, 9:30 p.m., TNT/Max
Thursday, April 24
Game 3: Pistons vs. Knicks, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 3: Grizzlies vs. Thunder, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3: Clippers vs. Nuggets, 10 p.m., TV TBD
Friday, April 25
Game 3: Magic vs. Celtics, 7 p.m., ESPN
Game 3: Bucks vs. Pacers, 8 p.m., ESPNU/NBA TV
Game 3: Timberwolves vs. Lakers, 9:30 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, April 26
Game 3: Heat vs. Cavaliers, 1 p.m., ABC
Game 4: Grizzlies vs. Thunder, 3:30 p.m., TNT/Max
Game 4: Clippers vs. Nuggets, 6 p.m., TNT/Max
Game 3: Warriors vs. Rockets, 8:30 p.m., TV TBD
Sunday, April 27
Game 4: Pistons vs. Knicks, 1 p.m., ABC
Game 4: Timberwolves vs. Lakers, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Game 4: Magic vs. Celtics, 7 p.m., TNT/Max
Game 4: Bucks vs. Pacers, 9:30 p.m., TNT/Max
Monday, April 28
Game 4: Heat vs. Cavaliers, Time/TV TBD
*Game 5: Thunder vs. Grizzlies, Time/TV TBD
Game 4: Warriors vs. Rockets, 10 p.m., TNT/Max
Tuesday, April 29
*Game 5: Celtics vs. Magic, Time/TV TBD
*Game 5: Knicks vs. Pistons, Time/TV TBD
*Game 5: Pacers vs. Bucks, Time/TV TBD
*Game 5: Nuggets vs. Clippers, Time/TV TBD
Wednesday, April 30
*Game 5: Cavaliers vs. Heat, Time/TV TBD
*Game 5: Rockets vs. Warriors, Time/TV TBD
*Game 5: Lakers vs. Timberwolves, Time/TV TBD
Thursday, May 1
*Game 6: Magic vs. Celtics, Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: Pistons vs. Knicks, Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: Grizzlies vs. Thunder, Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: Clippers vs. Nuggets, Time/TV TBD
Friday, May 2
*Game 6: Heat vs. Cavaliers, Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: Bucks vs. Pacers, Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: Warriors vs. Rockets, Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: Timberwolves vs. Lakers, Time/TV TBD
Saturday, May 3
*Game 7: Celtics vs. Magic, Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Knicks vs. Pistons, Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Thunder vs. Grizzlies, Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Nuggets vs. Clippers, Time/TV TBD
Sunday, May 4
*Game 7: Cavaliers vs. Heat, Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Pacers vs. Bucks, Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Rockets vs. Warriors, Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Lakers vs. Timberwolves, Time/TV TBD

2025 NBA Play-In Tournament Schedule, Scores

All times Eastern - Tuesday, April 15 - Magic 120 - Hawks 95 - Warriors 121 - Grizzlies 116

Wednesday, April 16
Heat 109 - Bulls 90
Mavericks 120 - Kings 106
Friday, April 18
Heat 123 - Hawks 114 (OT)
Grizzlies 120 - Mavericks 106

2025 NBA Playoffs: Key Dates

April 13: Regular season concludes
April 15-18: Play-In Tournament
April 19: Playoffs commence
May 12: NBA Draft Lottery
June 5: NBA Finals begin