NBA Playoffs 2025: Eastern Conference Showdowns and Key Takeaways
As the 2025 NBA playoffs kick into high gear, fans are treated to a thrilling display of basketball prowess and strategic showdowns. Our NBA insiders are here to guide you through every twist and turn on the road to the Finals. Let’s dive into the action-packed weekend that set the stage for the Eastern Conference battles.
Saturday’s lineup of Eastern Conference games delivered excitement and surprises. The No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers made a statement by easily dispatching the 5-seed Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks are now left pondering the potential return of Damian Lillard for Game 2. Meanwhile, the No. 3 seed New York Knicks rode the energy of a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd to secure a Game 1 victory over the No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons.
Sunday promises more excitement as the East’s top two teams begin their postseason campaigns. The No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers are set to face the Miami Heat, who made history as the first 10-seed team to escape the play-in tournament and reach the playoffs. Meanwhile, the defending champion Boston Celtics took care of business against the 7-seed Orlando Magic.
Here’s a closer look at what stood out from Saturday’s results and what to expect in Sunday’s games:
- Jump to a series:
- Cavaliers-Heat
- Celtics-Magic
- Knicks-Pistons
- Pacers-Bucks
More coverage:
(2) Boston Celtics lead (7) Orlando Magic, 1-0
Game 1: Celtics 103, Magic 86
What we learned:
Even when the Celtics appear stuck in mud, and even when Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are having off nights — the All-NBA duo combined to shoot 14-for-36 and 1-for-10 from deep — the defending champions have more than enough offensive weapons. Payton Pritchard and Derrick White, who combined to hit 11 of Boston’s 16 3-pointers, provided that spark on Sunday to help turn a one-point halftime deficit into an 11-point lead entering the fourth quarter. Most importantly for the Celtics: Brown, the 2024 Finals MVP, moved well after missing the final three regular-season games with a bone bruise in his right knee and finished with 16 points in 30 minutes.
Game 2: Magic at Celtics (Wednesday, 7 ET, TNT)
What to watch:
Tatum’s right wrist will be worth monitoring after he suffered a hard foul and a harder fall on a driving dunk attempt in the fourth quarter. For the Magic, star forward Paolo Banchero (36 points) can only do so much. He and teammate Franz Wagner scored or assisted on 77 of the Magic’s 86 points. If Orlando wants to put forth a better offensive effort in Game 2, it will likely need to avoid Jrue Holiday. Boston’s stopper held the Magic to 2-for-11 shooting with five turnovers as the primary defender in Game 1, according to ESPN Research.
— Baxter Holmes
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Miami Heat
Game 1: Heat at Cavaliers (Sunday, 7 p.m. ET, TNT)
One thing to watch from the Cavaliers:
Will they be elite from 3? Before March 11, the Cavs were No. 1 in 3-point shooting percentage and had been on top for months. Since then, they are 19th. Which will it be when it matters? Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are great playmakers and shotmakers, and the Cavs cover for their defensive shortcomings with a great back line in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. But it works a lot better when their lead guards are making 3s. Mitchell shot 39% before the All-Star break and 30% after. Garland shot 43% before and 34% after. They combine to take 16 triples a game, so these percentage swings make a big difference for their margin for error. — Brian Windhorst
One thing to watch from the Heat:
There’s no way the Heat can do this again … or can they? After becoming the first 10-seed to make the playoffs by dispatching both the Bulls and Hawks on the road in a span of three days, the Heat will now try to advance out of the first round from the play-in once again. Not having Jimmy Butler III this time, however, is a big difference. But the Heat spent all season playing well for three quarters, only to repeatedly implode in the fourth. If they can avoid that in this series, then they at least have the capability of making this one slightly interesting. — Tim Bontemps
(3) New York Knicks lead (6) Detroit Pistons, 1-0
Game 1: Knicks 123, Pistons 112
What we learned:
Fair or not, entering the series, there had been so much talk about the Knicks’ collective playoff experience relative to the Pistons, who feature a handful of key youngsters. It was hard to deny that aspect late, when Detroit opened the fourth period at Madison Square Garden with a five-second inbound violation, then followed up that turnover with a shot clock violation. That was a sign of things to come, as New York jumped on the mistakes and embarked on a season-best 21-0 run over a 4½-minute stretch.
Detroit had so much to feel good about through three quarters. The job it did defensively on Jalen Brunson. Its ability to turn OG Anunoby into a one-man offense. The Pistons’ spacing and ball movement were solid, even as Cade Cunningham was held down in the scoring column for stretches. But it all fell apart to begin the fourth — a span in which New York outscored Detroit 40-21 — and the veteran Knicks never looked back.
Game 2: Pistons at Knicks (Monday, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
What to watch:
The health of Brunson, who began the game by shooting 2-for-13, but then, after appearing to tweak his ankle — and changing his shoes — looked like a different player late. He connected on five of his seven shots during the team’s dominant fourth quarter. Asked about his star guard’s status and late-game shoe change, coach Tom Thibodeau said, “I think he grabbed his cape.”
On the other side of the ledger, and arguably more important since his availability is at risk, is Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, who exited Game 1 with an apparent knee issue and didn’t return. His physicality behind Jalen Duren could be a key to the series, especially with Mitchell Robinson looking strong off New York’s bench.
— Chris Herring
(4) Indiana Pacers lead (5) Milwaukee Bucks, 1-0
Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98
What we learned:
The Pacers’ depth was evident throughout the game, with Indiana’s deep rotation overcoming Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo-centric attack. Indiana had few defensive answers against Antetokounmpo, who finished with 36 points and 12 rebounds and displayed periods of dominance in this rematch of last season’s first-round series. But the two-time MVP finished with just one assist, as the Pacers clamped down and limited Milwaukee’s remaining players to 34% shooting from the field.
A key indicator of the difference in ball movement among the teams was evidenced in the overall assist numbers; Indiana finished with 28 while Milwaukee had just 15. That led to a typical balanced scoring effort from the Pacers, with five players in double-figure points, led by Pascal Siakam‘s 25.
Game 2: Bucks at Pacers (Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
What to watch:
Attention now turns to whether Bucks guard Damian Lillard will return for Game 2 after being sidelined since March 18 because of a blood clot in his right calf. Lillard returned to practice this week after being cleared of deep vein thrombosis, and the Bucks could certainly use his shotmaking after the cold shooting performance from Milwaukee’s supporting cast in Game 1.
— Stephen Holder
Originally Written by: NBA Insiders
