NBA Insiders: Eastern Conference Playoffs Heating Up
Apr 29, 2025, 09:15 PM ET
The 2025 NBA playoffs are in full swing, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game in the march to the Finals. The excitement is palpable as teams battle it out for a spot in the coveted Eastern Conference Finals. Let’s dive into the latest developments and what they mean for the teams involved.
One Eastern Conference semifinals series is set after the No. 4 Indiana Pacers eliminated the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime thriller on Tuesday. The Pacers now advance to take on the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers, who swept the No. 8 seed Miami Heat on Monday.
Two more teams with 3-1 series advantages are also looking to advance on Tuesday. The No. 3 New York Knicks are looking to close out No. 6 Detroit Pistons, while the No. 2 Boston Celtics will look to eliminate the No. 7 seed Orlando Magic on Tuesday after taking a 3-1 lead in the series. The teams that clinch those matchups will then meet up in the other East second-round series.
As the East playoffs continue, here’s what matters most and what to watch with the second round looming.
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Tuesday’s Games
Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
The Indiana Pacers have once again proven their mettle by eliminating the Milwaukee Bucks in a thrilling overtime victory. The Pacers continued their dominance over the Bucks, rallying from a 20-point deficit in Game 5 to come all the way back and win the series-clinching game in overtime on a game-winning layup from Tyrese Haliburton. Indiana eliminated Milwaukee for the second consecutive season and the Pacers are now 8-3 against the Bucks in the playoffs during that span.
It sets up a second-round matchup between the Pacers and top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, who have the best offense in the NBA and just swept the Miami Heat in their first-round series. If the Pacers can pull off an upset, they could return to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season.
The Bucks did not go down without a fight, thanks to a 30-point, 20 rebound triple-double from Giannis Antetokounmpo and a brand new starting lineup that began the game on a 13-0 run. Coach Doc Rivers made a radical change to his starting lineup, inserting Bobby Portis, AJ Green and Kevin Porter Jr. into the starting unit in favor of Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez and for the injured Damian Lillard. But the season ended in heartbreaking fashion with Gary Trent Jr. committing two turnovers in the final 30 seconds of OT after having just one the entire series before Tuesday’s game.
— Jamal Collier
New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons
The New York Knicks are on the brink of advancing to the next round, leading the Detroit Pistons 3-1. Game 5 is set to be a crucial matchup, with the Knicks looking to close out the series. The young Pistons, who battled back and were in position to win Game 4 until the final minute of play, will need to start Game 5 strong. The Knicks came out stronger in both games in Detroit — the Pistons began Game 4 with 10 turnovers and 0-for-10 shooting from deep before they hit their first 3 — forcing Cade Cunningham & Co. to play from behind. The Pistons’ comebacks were impressive, but they ultimately came up short both times in the Motor City. With the Knicks having a chance to close things out Tuesday, the Garden crowd will be at full throttle. A better start for Detroit will be critical.
— Chris Herring
Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic
The Boston Celtics are looking to end their series against the Orlando Magic, leading 3-1. This has been a grinding, exhausting series for the Celtics, and you can be sure that the defending champions will be desperate to end it Tuesday in Boston to get some much-needed rest before facing the winner of the Pistons-Knicks series. It’ll be interesting to see whether the Celtics can get back to playing their style at home — or whether the Magic will continue to have these games played on their terms.
— Baxter Holmes
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat
The Cleveland Cavaliers have secured their spot in the second round after a dominant sweep of the Miami Heat. Game 4 was a blowout, with the Cavs winning 138-83. It was 70-25 late in the second quarter of Game 4 — a margin representing a lot for both the Cavs and the Heat, as the former moves on to the second round of the playoffs after securing a four-game sweep of the latter.
It was as lopsided a score as you will probably ever see in an elimination game. The Cavs started 11-of-20 from 3-point range, while the Heat started 2-of-23. Let’s just say the intensity levels of the two teams were not leveled up, with the Heat’s lethargy setting quite the contrast to that of the Cavs.
Cleveland broke the Heat with a strong finish to Game 2. In Games 3 and 4, when Cleveland guard Darius Garland was out with a sprained toe, the Cavs leaned into boosting De’Andre Hunter‘s playing time and giving additional minutes to Dean Wade, two forwards who shared the available playing time. The result was big lineups that effectively walled off the paint for the Heat and made for hard denials of Tyler Herro, who largely had a miserable series.
Playing the big lineups is a lesson for the Cavs should they get into a pickle against stronger teams later in the postseason; going back to them could prove to be a valuable curveball, as one of Cleveland’s few weaknesses is a lack of size in the backcourt. Otherwise, there wasn’t much learning to be had this evening.
— Brian Windhorst
Originally Written by: NBA insiders
