The first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs is entering its second week, and we’ve already seen some intriguing matchups, including a sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies by the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
In the Eastern Conference, the four top-seeded teams are on the brink of punching their tickets to the second round. The No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers could complete a sweep on Monday, while the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics, the 3-seed New York Knicks and the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers will have to wait until Tuesday to try to close out their respective series.
The Western Conference has been a battleground, as the No. 4 seed Denver Nuggets and the fifth-seeded LA Clippers are neck and neck after opening up their series with an overtime thriller followed by a game-winning buzzer-beating dunk from Denver’s Aaron Gordon. The future of the 7-seed Golden State Warriors remains uncertain as they await the status of Jimmy Butler III (pelvis). And the No. 3-seeded Los Angeles Lakers will look to bounce back after a disappointing loss at the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday that put L.A. down 3-1 in the series.
Week 1 gave us superstar highlights and nail-biting fourth quarters. Our NBA insiders break down what caught their eyes in the first week and what to watch for next.
The Cavaliers are up 3-0 and the Celtics are leading 3-1 in their respective series. Is this the Eastern Conference finals matchup?
I would not disregard the Pacers, who are also up 3-1 on the wounded Milwaukee Bucks. Indiana went 14-4 to finish the season and Tyrese Haliburton looked healthy — and that has carried over to the postseason. The Pacers can play big to match up with the Cavaliers and also stretch the floor. And certainly you could favor the Celtics in a series with the Knicks after Boston swept the regular-season series 4-0. The Cavs are also the favorite in the next round and have played their best basketball in weeks against the Miami Heat, but respect the potential matchup with Indy. I promise you, the Cavs’ camp will. — Brian Windhorst
Which team in the East needs to make the biggest mid-series adjustment?
The Detroit Pistons have played well enough against the Knicks to be up 3-1. But the Pistons’ youth and poor decision-making have repeatedly hurt them, which is why they are down 3-1 instead. One of the culprits in the nail-biter Game 4? Detroit had 19 turnovers, just like they did in their Game 1 defeat. The lost possessions are game changers, especially considering that the Pistons are without a solid offensive rebounder in Isaiah Stewart and are struggling from deep for long stretches (35.2% from 3). Detroit has yet to have a game this series with more shot attempts than New York; that’s not a winning formula. Leaning on Dennis Schroder more (and earlier) alongside Cade Cunningham could be a solution for Detroit to take better care of the ball. — Chris Herring
What do the Warriors need to do to win Game 4 and take a 3-1 lead back to Houston?
Getting Jimmy Butler III back would be a huge boost for Golden State. Butler is questionable but will have had five days since suffering a deep gluteal muscle contusion in the first quarter of Game 2. Even if the Warriors have to play a second full game without “Playoff Jimmy,” they have the blueprint of how to win from their 104-93 victory in Game 3. Stephen Curry will have to carry the team like he did in Game 3, when he registered 36 points (25 in the second and third quarters), nine assists and seven rebounds. But he had help in spurts from Buddy Hield, who spread the floor with 17 points and five 3s, and Gary Payton II, who had 16 points while Houston was focused on Curry. Defensively, the Warriors have to keep Jalen Green in check. In the two Rockets’ losses, Green scored seven and nine points, and Houston struggled with other scoring options. — Ohm Youngmisuk
Is there a path back for the Bucks with Damian Lillard injured?
Not only is Milwaukee down 3-1 with two of the potential three remaining games in Indianapolis, the Bucks have to prepare as if they’ll be without Lillard (leg) for Game 5 and beyond. The priority for Doc Rivers should be finding a lineup that will get stops. The Pacers have scored at least 120 points per 100 possessions in all three of their wins. A solution could be to start Ryan Rollins, who replaced Lillard for much of the Bucks’ season-ending eight-game winning streak, with Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez up front. — Kevin Pelton
Bucks coach Doc Rivers provides an update on Damian Lillard’s injury and says he feels bad for Lillard.
After firing their coach and getting swept in the first round, what is the offseason plan for the Grizzlies?
The Grizz first need to shore up their future and sign Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama to extensions. They then need to pick a direction and stick with it. Over the past few seasons, they’ve been trying different approaches with their offense — hiring three separate coaches (Patrick St. Andrews, Noah LaRoche and Tuomas Iisalo) with three distinct offensive visions — which has created a sense of confusion around continuity. Whatever they do, they need to create a solid identity if they want to contend in a competitive Western Conference. — Ramona Shelburne
The Lakers-Timberwolves series will come down to: _____?
Depth. The Wolves’ bench outscored Los Angeles‘ reserves 25-6 in Game 4. This is after already being a plus-42 through the first three games of the series. Lakers coach JJ Redick went so far as to only use just five players for the entire second half on Sunday, going away from Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jordan Goodwin, who had been consistent parts of L.A.’s second unit. Of course, part of that gap is team construction. Redick isn’t convinced that Alex Len is a viable backup center; and the way the series is trending, he isn’t keen on playing Jaxson Hayes, either. Minnesota, meanwhile, has received big performances from Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid to supplement the starring efforts of Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. — Dave McMenamin
What is the biggest surprise in the first round of the Western Conference series so far?
How quickly both Redick and Nuggets coach David Adelman relied almost exclusively on their top five players with their teams down 2-1 on the road. Adelman’s hand was forced by an injury to Russell Westbrook (foot), who missed Game 4, but only two teams in the past two decades had played reserves fewer than the 25.6 minutes Denver’s bench played on Saturday. Redick did Adelman one better on Sunday by becoming the first coach in the play-by-play era to play five players the entire second half without a sub, per the Elias Sports Bureau. — Pelton
Which team in the West has the best chance to knock off the Thunder?
The Clippers, who are battling the Nuggets for the right to face the No. 1 seed in the next round, have all the ingredients to rumble with the Thunder. Winners of 20 of their past 25 games, the Clips are an elite defensive team with a superstar in Kawhi Leonard capable of being the best player in any series, even if he is facing the likely MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Offseason additions Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. would spearhead the defensive effort against Gilgeous-Alexander, who can’t be completely shut down. But Gilgeous-Alexander’s former team can at least make him work for every shot. — Tim MacMahon
Source: espn.com