NBA Playoffs 2025: Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals Drama Unfolds
May 11, 2025, 06:23 PM ET
The second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs is in full swing, and the excitement is palpable as teams battle it out in the Eastern and Western Conference semifinals. Our NBA insiders are here to provide you with all the insights and updates you need to stay on top of the action.
Let’s dive into the Eastern Conference first, where the No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers have taken a surprising 2-0 lead over the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the Cavaliers bounced back in Game 3 on Friday night, thanks to a stellar 43-point performance by Donovan Mitchell. The series is heating up, and Game 4 promises to be a thrilling showdown.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the East bracket, the third-seeded New York Knicks have been making waves. After securing two impressive comeback wins against the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics, the Knicks faced a setback in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, where they were blown out by the Celtics. The series is now at a critical juncture, and both teams are eager to gain the upper hand.
Switching gears to the Western Conference, the No. 4 seed Denver Nuggets have been battling it out with the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder. After a lopsided loss, the Nuggets managed to secure an overtime victory in Game 3, only for the Thunder to strike back with a clutch win in Game 4. The series is now tied, and both teams are determined to take the lead in the upcoming games.
In another thrilling matchup, the Minnesota Timberwolves stole Game 3 at Chase Center against the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are anxiously awaiting the return of Stephen Curry, who is recovering from a hamstring injury suffered in Game 1. The Timberwolves now lead the series 2-1, and the Warriors are hoping to turn the tide in their favor.
As the race for the Larry O’Brien Trophy intensifies, here’s a closer look at what matters most in both conferences and what to watch for in all four series:
For more coverage, check out the schedules and results and offseason guides.
Eastern Conference
Indiana Pacers lead Cleveland Cavaliers 2-1
Game 4: Cavaliers at Pacers (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, TNT)
What to watch: Despite Indiana winning the first two games of the series, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle emphasized before Game 3 that they expected to see the Cavs squad that won 64 games during the regular season respond. Cleveland did so in a big way. Indiana will have an opportunity in Game 4 to put Cleveland on the brink of elimination, but the Pacers have been outplayed by the Cavs for most of the past two games, despite a flurry in the fourth quarter to win Game 2. Cleveland has had success limiting Tyrese Haliburton‘s impact on the game, holding him to four points on 2-of-8 shooting with five assists in Game 3. — Jamal Collier
New York Knicks lead Boston Celtics 2-1
Game 3: Celtics 115, Knicks 93
What we learned: After a pair of absolutely frigid jump-shooting performances through the first two games, Boston was bound to look like itself at some point in this series. The Celtics, who finished Game 3 with 20 triples on 40 attempts after shooting just 25% across the series’ first two games, caught fire early to build yet another enormous lead heading into the third quarter. They eventually amassed a 31-point edge — one that was too big even for the Knicks to overcome. Boston moved the ball well and effectively took the Knicks and the raucous Madison Square Garden crowd out of the game.
Game 4: Celtics at Knicks (Monday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
What to watch: Can the Knicks keep pace through the first three quarters, and finally avoid a 20-point deficit, to still be in contention and make use of their instincts in the clutch? Boston wisely avoided letting things get interesting enough for us to witness another collapse, but we’ve yet to see New York come out leading at the half or at the end of three quarters in this series. What further adjustments can the Knicks offense, which enjoyed far fewer transition opportunities off of Celtics misses, make moving forward? It’s a question New York will have to grapple with, in case Saturday’s performance was only the beginning of Boston finding its groove from beyond the arc. — Chris Herring
Western Conference
Oklahoma City Thunder tied with Denver Nuggets, 2-2
Game 4: Thunder 92, Nuggets 87
What we learned: An early-afternoon start two days after a grueling overtime game can lead to some hideous basketball. The Nuggets stayed within striking distance in the first half despite shooting 21.1% from the floor with as many turnovers (8) as buckets. At one point, the teams had combined to miss 32 of 33 3-point attempts. The Nuggets seized the lead with a sudden hot streak — they went 7-for-11 from long range in the third quarter — but couldn’t hold it. Then, for the first time in this series, the Thunder generated just enough clutch offense to pull out a close win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s first bucket of the second half was a driving floater with 4:36 remaining in the fourth quarter. He hit a turnaround jumper on the next possession to stretch the Thunder’s lead to five. He drove for another layup a couple of minutes later, single-handedly matching Oklahoma City’s total clutch buckets in the Thunder’s two losses in this series.
Game 5: Nuggets at Thunder (Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
What to watch: How will three-time MVP Nikola Jokic respond to a shockingly inefficient three-game stretch? Jokic had another frustrating outing against the Thunder’s physical, swarming defense, finishing with 27 points on 7-for-22 shooting with only three assists. Jokic has shot 33.3% in the past three games and has more turnovers than assists in the series. — Tim MacMahon
Minnesota Timberwolves lead Golden State Warriors 2-1
Game 3: Timberwolves 102, Warriors 97
What we learned: “Playoff Jimmy” Butler showed up for Game 3. But so did “Playmaking” Julius Randle. The Timberwolves forward, who had a team-high 11 assists to lead the Wolves to a series-tying win in Game 2, topped himself with 12 dimes in a 102-97 win. Randle, who joined Kevin Garnett as the only other player in franchise history with a postseason triple-double by also putting up 24 points and 10 rebounds, collected five of his assists in the fourth quarter. Minnesota outscored Golden State 33-24 in the final frame to separate itself from a Warriors team that kept it tight all night thanks to Butler (33 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists) and the continued reemergence of Jonathan Kuminga, who scored 30 points on 11-for-18 shooting off the bench. Randle’s effort, combined with Anthony Edwards scoring 28 of his 36 points in the second half, put Minnesota up 2-1 in the series. With Stephen Curry (left hamstring) already ruled out for Monday’s Game 4, it will be a challenge for the Warriors to bounce back emotionally, knowing Saturday was a chance to extend the series and allow time for Curry to try to recover and return. — Dave McMenamin
Game 4: Timberwolves at Warriors (Monday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN)
What to watch: After stealing home-court advantage back with their win in Game 3, the Timberwolves should be able to play Game 4 feeling free and loose. The Wolves showed they can take a punch from Golden State’s defense, which played superbly and turned much of Game 3 into a ’90s slugfest. They also survived Butler’s 33-point and Kuminga’s 30-point performances. Because they both need the ball in their hands so much, Butler and Kuminga haven’t always been the best fit together on the floor. But Steve Kerr may have found something he can use to his advantage in Game 4. Kuminga was on the attack all game and was impactful on defense. Kerr, though, will have to find help for those two on offense. Buddy Hield (14 points) wasn’t much of a factor until late in the game, and Brandin Podziemski has been in a major shooting slump, missing nine of 10 shots Saturday. Without Curry, who is out for Game 4 and won’t be reevaluated until before Game 5, the Warriors have the tiniest margin for error. They cannot afford to lose Draymond Green for the final 4:38 like they did when he fouled out in Game 3. Randle was a problem with a triple-double, and Edwards got free for 36 points. If that happens again, the Warriors could be trying to keep their season alive down 3-1 in Minneapolis for Game 5 with Curry a long shot to be back about a week after suffering his left hamstring strain. — Ohm Youngmisuk
Originally Written by: NBA insiders
