2025 NBA playoffs

2025 NBA playoffs

Tournament details
Dates	April 19 – June 2025
Season	2024–25
Teams	16

The 2025 NBA playoffs is the ongoing postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2024–25 season. The playoffs began on April 19 and will end with the conclusion of the 2025 NBA Finals.

Overview

Updates to postseason appearances

• The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the playoffs with the best record in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season and also finished with their best regular-season record in franchise history. They also won the Maurice Podoloff Trophy for clinching the best record in the NBA for the first time in franchise history.
• The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the playoffs for the third consecutive season and also clinched the number one seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2016, and the first time without LeBron James on their roster.
• The Boston Celtics entered the playoffs for the eleventh consecutive season, the longest such streak in the NBA.
• The Milwaukee Bucks entered the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.
• The Denver Nuggets entered the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.
• The Miami Heat entered the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. They also became the first 10-seed to advance from the play-in tournament into the playoffs.
• The Minnesota Timberwolves entered the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
• The New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Clippers entered the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
• The Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic entered the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
• The Golden State Warriors returned to the playoffs after losing in the play-in tournament the previous year.
• The Memphis Grizzlies returned to the playoffs after missing the postseason the previous year.
• The Houston Rockets entered the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
• The Detroit Pistons entered the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
• The New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks missed the playoffs after making the postseason the previous year.
• The Phoenix Suns missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
• The Philadelphia 76ers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
• The Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings, and Atlanta Hawks missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
• The Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors, and Chicago Bulls missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
• The Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
• The San Antonio Spurs missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.
• The Charlotte Hornets missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, currently the longest active playoff drought in the NBA.

Play-in tournament

• The Atlanta Hawks competed in the play-in tournament for the fourth consecutive season.
• The Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat competed in the play-in tournament for the third consecutive season.
• The Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors competed in the play-in tournament for the second consecutive season.
• The Memphis Grizzlies competed in the play-in tournament for the first time since 2021.
• The Orlando Magic and Dallas Mavericks competed in the play-in tournament for the first time in franchise history.

Notable occurrences

• With their overtime road victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the No. 8 seed game, the Miami Heat became the first-ever 10-seed to advance from the play-in to the playoffs.
• The Dallas Mavericks became the first team since the 2019–20 Golden State Warriors to miss the playoffs after reaching the NBA Finals the previous season.

First round

• The Thunder's 51-point victory against the Grizzlies was the largest margin of victory in a Game 1 in NBA history.
• The Pistons' Game 2 victory over the Knicks was their first playoff win since 2008, ending a 15-game postseason losing streak, the longest in NBA history. The Pistons, however, now own the record for the most consecutive home defeats in playoffs history at 10 straight with their three home losses in the first round.
• The Cavaliers made 11 three-pointers in the second quarter of their Game 2 victory over the Heat, setting a postseason record.
• The Thunder overcame a 26-point halftime deficit in their Game 3 victory over the Grizzlies, the largest such comeback in NBA postseason history.
• With the Thunder sweeping the Grizzlies, this marks the 49th straight playoffs where a sweep occurred; the last time this did not happen was in 1976.
• The Cavaliers' 55-point victory over the Heat in Game 4 was the largest series-clinching win in NBA history.
• The Cavaliers' 122-point differential in their series against the Heat was the largest in NBA history.
• By defeating the Lakers, the Timberwolves won a playoff series in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history.
• After losing to the Timberwolves, the Lakers were eliminated in the first round as a third seed or higher for the first time in franchise history.
• The Knicks–Pistons series was the second playoff series in NBA history to feature four consecutive games decided by 3 or fewer points.
• The Nuggets–Clippers series was the first of the 2025 playoffs to have a Game 7, making it the 26th consecutive NBA postseason to feature a Game 7. The last time a Game 7 did not occur in the playoffs was 1999. This was the 154th game 7 in NBA playoffs history.
• With the Rockets forcing a Game 7 against the Warriors, this is the first playoffs since 2020 to feature two Game 7's in the first round.
• This is the third postseason where LeBron James was eliminated in the first round.
• The Denver Nuggets became the second team to knock out both LA teams in the postseason.
• The seventh-seeded Warriors defeated the second-seeded Houston in seven games, marking the seventh instance in NBA history of a 7th-seeded team defeating a 2nd-seeded team in the first round, following previous instances in 1987, 1989, 1991, 1998, 2010, and 2023. Additionally, this was only the third time and the second time in three seasons that such an upset occurred in a best-of-seven series, as well as the first time it occurred in seven games and the second time it occurred within the maximum number of games (1998).
• The Warriors became the first seventh-seeded team to defeat the second-seeded team three times, following previous instances in 1989 and 1991.

Conference semifinals

• In the Eastern Conference, the same teams from the previous playoffs represent the final four teams this year. However, the match-ups are different, with the Cavaliers playing the Pacers and the Celtics facing the Knicks. Last year it was the Celtics facing the Cavaliers and the Knicks versus the Pacers.
• The Western Conference Semifinals match-up between Oklahoma City and Denver features the top two prohibitive MVP favorites in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić. The last time this occurred was in the 2017 first round when James Harden's Rockets defeated Russell Westbrook's Thunder in five games. Westbrook won the MVP that season, while Harden finished a close second.
• This is just the third time in NBA history a sixth seed is facing a seventh seed in the Conference Semifinals. The other times this occurred were in the 1987 WCSF between the Rockets (6) vs SuperSonics (7) and the 2023 WCSF between the Warriors (6) vs Lakers (7).
• In Game 1, the Celtics set the NBA playoff record for most missed 3-point shots in a game (45).
• Aaron Gordon became the first player in the play-by-play era (since 1996–97) to hit a game-winning shot in the final five seconds of a game on the road multiple times in a single playoff run.
• All four Game 1's of the Conference Semifinals were won by the road team, the first time this has happened in NBA history.
• In Game 1 and 2 in their series vs. the Celtics, the Knicks were the first team to comeback from 20 points or more in back-to-back playoff games in NBA history. As such, the Celtics were the first team to blow back-to-back 20 point leads in the playoffs.
• The Thunder scored 87 points in the first half of Game 2, setting an NBA playoff record for points in a half.

Format

See also: NBA playoffs § Format

Eight teams from each conference participate in the playoffs. The top six teams in each conference, based on winning percentage, directly qualify for the playoffs; the seeding order of those teams is also based on winning percentage. If two or more teams had the same record, standard NBA tiebreaker rules are used.

The NBA Board of Governors adopted a format starting in 2021 to have a play-in tournament involving the teams ranked 7th through 10th in each conference. The 7th place team and 8th place team participate in a "double-chance" game, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the 7-seed. The loser then plays the winner of the elimination game between the 9th place and 10th place teams to determine the playoff's 8-seed. The NBA's regular playoff format then proceeds as normal.

Each conference's bracket is fixed with no reseeding. All rounds are a best-of-seven series; a series ends when one team wins four games, and that team advances to the next round. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, are in a 2–2–1–1–1 format with regards to hosting. In the conference playoffs, home-court advantage goes to the higher-seeded team (number one being the highest). For the NBA Finals, home-court advantage goes to the team with the better regular season record, and, if needed, ties are broken based on head-to-head record, followed by inter-conference record.

Playoff qualifying

On March 5, 2025, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to clinch a playoff spot. While noted in the below tables, division titles have no bearing on seeding.

Seeds 7 and 8 in each conference were determined via the first-stage play-in tournament, held April 15–18.

Eastern Conference

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
			Play-in berth	Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in conference	Best record in NBA
1	Cleveland Cavaliers	64–18	—	March 5	March 11	April 8	—
2	Boston Celtics	61–21	—	March 14	March 29	—	—
3	New York Knicks	51–31	—	March 27	—	—	—
4	Indiana Pacers	50–32	—	April 1	—	—	—
5	Milwaukee Bucks	48–34	—	April 5	—	—	—
6	Detroit Pistons	44–38	—	April 4	—	—	—
7	Orlando Magic	41–41	April 4	April 15	April 9	—	—
8	Miami Heat	37–45	April 3	April 18	—	—	—

Atlanta (40–42) and Chicago (39–43) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.

Western Conference

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
			Play-in berth	Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in conference	Best record in NBA
1	Oklahoma City Thunder	68–14	—	March 12	March 19	March 20	April 9
2	Houston Rockets	52–30	—	April 2	April 2	—	—
3	Los Angeles Lakers	50–32	—	April 9	April 11	—	—
4	Denver Nuggets	50–32	—	April 13	—	—	—
5	Los Angeles Clippers	50–32	—	April 13	—	—	—
6	Minnesota Timberwolves	49–33	—	April 13	—	—	—
7	Golden State Warriors	48–34	April 13	April 15	—	—	—
8	Memphis Grizzlies	48–34	April 11	April 18	—	—	—

Sacramento (40–42) and Dallas (39–43) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.

Play-in tournament brackets

Main article: NBA play-in tournament

Eastern Conference

	Play-in games					No. 8 seed game					Final seeds
	7	Orlando*	120								7	Orlando*	No. 7 seed
	8	Atlanta	95								10	Miami	No. 8 seed
						8	Atlanta	114
						10	Miami	123 (OT)
	9	Chicago	90
	10	Miami	109

Bold Game winner
Italic Team with home-court advantage
* Division winner

Western Conference

	Play-in games					No. 8 seed game					Final seeds
	7	Golden State	121								7	Golden State	No. 7 seed
	8	Memphis	116								8	Memphis	No. 8 seed
						8	Memphis	120
						10	Dallas	106
	9	Sacramento	106
	10	Dallas	120

Bold Game winner
Italic Team with home-court advantage
* Division winner

Bracket

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.

First round

Conference semifinals

Conference finals

NBA Finals

E1

Cleveland*

4

E8

Miami

0

E1

Cleveland*

0

E4

Indiana

2

E4

Indiana

4

E5

Milwaukee

1

E

Eastern Conference

E

E3

New York

4

E6

Detroit

2

E3

New York

2

E2

Boston*

0

E2

Boston*

4

E7

Orlando*

1

E

W

W1

Oklahoma City*

4

W8

Memphis

0

W1

Oklahoma City*

1

W4

Denver

1

W4

Denver

4

W5

LA Clippers

3

W

Western Conference

W

W3

LA Lakers*

1

W6

Minnesota

4

W6

Minnesota

0

W7

Golden State

1

W2

Houston*

3

W7

Golden State

4

First round

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

Eastern Conference first round

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Miami Heat

TNT/TruTV

April 20 7:00 p.m.

Recap

Miami Heat 100, Cleveland Cavaliers 121
Scoring by quarter: 24–31, 30–31, 25–25, 21–34
Pts: Bam Adebayo 24 Rebs: Bam Adebayo 9 Asts: Davion Mitchell 9		Pts: Donovan Mitchell 30 Rebs: Jarrett Allen 11 Asts: Darius Garland 5
Cleveland leads series, 1–0

Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH Attendance: 19,432 Referees: David Guthrie, Courtney Kirkland, Eric Dalen

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points as the top-seeded Cavaliers cruised to a 121–100 victory in the series opener. Mitchell also tallied four steals, Darius Garland finished with 27 points, and Jarrett Allen notched a double-double for Cleveland. Although the Heat tried to rally in the second half, Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome came off the bench and scored 28 points in his playoff debut, including 16 points (6-of-7 shooting) in the fourth quarter to keep Miami at bay. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro both finished with over 20 points for the Heat, while reserve guard Davion Mitchell shot 8-of-12 and dished out a game-high nine assists.

NBA TV

April 23 7:30 p.m.

Recap

Miami Heat 112, Cleveland Cavaliers 121
Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 27–43, 29–25, 32–28
Pts: Tyler Herro 33 Rebs: Bam Adebayo 14 Asts: Bam Adebayo 9		Pts: Donovan Mitchell 30 Rebs: Jarrett Allen 8 Asts: Darius Garland 9
Cleveland leads series, 2–0

Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH Attendance: 19,432 Referees: Tony Brothers, Pat Fraher, John Goble

Cleveland fought off a late Miami rally, securing victory and establishing a 2–0 series advantage. Donovan Mitchell had another 30-point performance, including 7 3-pointers, while also logging 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Darius Garland added 21 points and 9 assists, whereas Evan Mobley contributed 20 points and 6 rebounds. Tyler Herro carried the Heat on scoring, notching 33 points and dishing out 5 assists. Bam Adebayo tallied 11 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists, finishing one assist shy of a triple-double. Haywood Highsmith came off the bench and shot 5-of-6 from beyond the arc en route to 17 points, as the Heat conceded 121 points for the second game in a row.

TNT

April 26 1:00 p.m.

Recap

Cleveland Cavaliers 124, Miami Heat 87
Scoring by quarter: 33–20, 29–22, 26–22, 36–23
Pts: Jarrett Allen 22 Rebs: Jarrett Allen 10 Asts: Ty Jerome 11		Pts: Bam Adebayo 22 Rebs: Bam Adebayo 9 Asts: Davion Mitchell 5
Cleveland leads series, 3–0

Kaseya Center, Miami, FL Attendance: 19,600 Referees: John Goble, Bill Kennedy, Rodney Mott

Cleveland rolled to a 124–87 victory to take a commanding 3–0 series lead. It was a balanced team effort for the Cavaliers — Jarrett Allen scored 22 points, De'Andre Hunter added 21 points, defensive player of the year Evan Mobley added 19 points, and Max Strus contributed 18 points. Ty Jerome had 13 points and 11 assists in 22 minutes — he was +33. This was the Heat's worst playoff loss in franchise history, which only lasted one game after Game 4's blowout loss. The Cavs took control with a 33–5 run early, outrebounded Miami 46–29 and outscored the Heat 60–30 in the paint.

TNT/TruTV

April 28 7:30 p.m.

Recap

Cleveland Cavaliers 138, Miami Heat 83
Scoring by quarter: 43–17, 29–16, 39–30, 27–20
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 22 Rebs: Jarrett Allen 12 Asts: Jerome, Mitchell 5 each		Pts: Nikola Jović 24 Rebs: Bam Adebayo 12 Asts: Davion Mitchell 5
Cleveland wins series, 4–0

Kaseya Center, Miami, FL Attendance: 19,600 Referees: James Williams, Kevin Scott, JB DeRosa

Cleveland advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight season after a 55 point victory, the fourth-biggest playoff win ever. Cleveland won the series by a combined 122 points, one more than the previous record for series margin set by Denver over New Orleans in 2009. Miami was also the first team ever to lose by 30+ points in the playoffs in back-to-back games. All-star point guard Darius Garland missed the final two games of the series for the Cavs with a toe injury.

The series also marked the Cavaliers' first-ever playoff series sweep in franchise history without LeBron James on the roster.

Regular-season series

Cleveland won 2–1 in the regular-season series
December 8, 2024 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 113, Miami Heat 122 Kaseya Center, Miami, FL January 29, 2025 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 126, Miami Heat 106 Kaseya Center, Miami, FL March 5, 2025 Recap Miami Heat 107, Cleveland Cavaliers 112 Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Orlando Magic

ABC

April 20 3:30 p.m.

Recap

Orlando Magic 86, Boston Celtics 103
Scoring by quarter: 18–26, 31–22, 18–30, 19–25
Pts: Paolo Banchero 36 Rebs: Wendell Carter Jr. 13 Asts: Franz Wagner 5		Pts: Derrick White 30 Rebs: Jayson Tatum 14 Asts: Jrue Holiday 5
Boston leads series, 1–0

TD Garden, Boston, MA Attendance: 19,156 Referees: Zach Zarba, Mitchell Ervin, Jacyn Goble

After Orlando held a slim 1-point lead at halftime, Boston dominated the second half, winning 103–86 at home. Derrick White was the main contributor for the Celtics on offense, knocking down 7 3-pointers en route to 30 points. Jayson Tatum notched a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds, albeit going 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. Payton Pritchard added 19 points on 75% field goal percentage as a substitute. For the Magic, Paolo Banchero scored a game-high 36 points, while also logging 11 rebounds. Franz Wagner finished with 25 points and 5 assists, while Wendell Carter Jr. grabbed 13 boards.

TNT/TruTV

April 23 7:00 p.m.

Recap

Orlando Magic 100, Boston Celtics 109
Scoring by quarter: 21–23, 26–27, 24–31, 29–28
Pts: Paolo Banchero 32 Rebs: Paolo Banchero 9 Asts: Paolo Banchero 7		Pts: Jaylen Brown 36 Rebs: three players 10 each Asts: Jrue Holiday 6
Boston leads series, 2–0

TD Garden, Boston, MA Attendance: 19,156 Referees: James Williams, Ed Malloy, Brent Barnaky

The defending champions secured 2–0 series lead with a 109–100 victory in Game 2. Jaylen Brown led the way for the Celtics, logging 36 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Kristaps Porziņģis (who had to shortly leave the game after an accidental elbow to the forehead by Goga Bitadze in the last seconds of the third quarter) notched 20 points and 10 rebounds. Al Horford also grabbed 10 boards, as the Celtics outrebounded their opponents 46–34. The Magic were again reliant on Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, with the former contributing 32 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, while the latter scored 25 points. Wendell Carter Jr. added 16 points and 8 rebounds, as Orlando were limited to no more than 100 points for the second consecutive game. Boston's star forward Jayson Tatum did not play in the game due to a wrist injury suffered in Game 1; it was the first playoff game he missed in his career.

ESPN

April 25 7:00 p.m.

Recap

Boston Celtics 93, Orlando Magic 95
Scoring by quarter: 27–31, 32–18, 11–24, 23–22
Pts: Jayson Tatum 36 Rebs: Jayson Tatum 9 Asts: Derrick White 5		Pts: Franz Wagner 32 Rebs: Wendell Carter Jr. 12 Asts: Franz Wagner 8
Boston leads series, 2–1

Kia Center, Orlando, FL Attendance: 18,967 Referees: David Guthrie, Courtney Kirkland, Tre Maddox

Franz Wagner (32 points on 11-of-27 shooting, 7 rebounds, 8 assists) and Paolo Banchero (29 points on 10-of-25 shooting) efforts were enough for the Magic to outlast the Celtics in a close Game 3 victory. A returning Jayson Tatum scored 36 points and had 9 rebounds, but committed 7 turnovers, while co-star Jaylen Brown also had 6 turnovers. Altogether, the Celtics committed 20 turnovers in the game. After a stellar Game 2, Kristaps Porziņģis (with his head bandage after the elbow to the forehead in Game 2) scored just 7 points on 3-of-10 shooting, with a team-worst -16 plus-minus. In the fourth quarter, the duo of Wagner and Banchero scored 18 of the Magic's 22 points.

TNT

April 27 7:00 p.m.

Recap

Boston Celtics 107, Orlando Magic 98
Scoring by quarter: 32–29, 21–19, 26–27, 28–23
Pts: Jayson Tatum 37 Rebs: Jayson Tatum 14 Asts: Derrick White 7		Pts: Paolo Banchero 31 Rebs: Wendell Carter Jr. 11 Asts: Franz Wagner 7
Boston leads series, 3–1

Kia Center, Orlando, FL Attendance: 19,073 Referees: Marc Davis, Tyler Ford, Andy Nagy

Jayson Tatum scored 37 points and pulled down 14 rebounds and Jaylen Brown added 21 points and 11 rebounds, as the Boston Celtics took a 3–1 lead over the Orlando Magic in Game 4. Kristaps Porziņģis scored 19 points, including a dunk of his own missed layup that put Boston ahead for good with 3:58 left. Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 31 points.

NBA TV

April 29 8:30 p.m.

Recap

Orlando Magic 89, Boston Celtics 120
Scoring by quarter: 27–23, 22–24, 13–36, 27–37
Pts: Franz Wagner 25 Rebs: Wendell Carter Jr. 11 Asts: Paolo Banchero 6		Pts: Jayson Tatum 35 Rebs: Jayson Tatum 8 Asts: Jayson Tatum 10
Boston wins series, 4–1

TD Garden, Boston, MA Attendance: 19,156 Referees: Tony Brothers, Mark Lindsay, Gediminas Petraitis

The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals behind Jayson Tatum's 35 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds effort. The game was tied at 53 when Magic star Paolo Banchero went to the bench with five fouls early in the third quarter. When he came back into the game at the start of the fourth quarter, the Celtics were up 83–62 and they never looked back, cruising to a 120–89 win.

Regular-season series

Orlando won 2–1 in the regular-season series
December 23, 2024 Recap Boston Celtics 104, Orlando Magic 108 Kia Center, Orlando, FL January 17, 2025 Recap Orlando Magic 94, Boston Celtics 121 TD Garden, Boston, MA April 9, 2025 Recap Boston Celtics 76, Orlando Magic 96 Kia Center, Orlando, FL

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams and the first since 2010, with the Magic winning two of the first three meetings.

Previous playoff series

Orlando leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
1995 Orlando Magic 3, Boston Celtics 1 1995 Eastern Conference first round 2009 Boston Celtics 3, Orlando Magic 4 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals 2010 Orlando Magic 2, Boston Celtics 4 2010 Eastern Conference finals

(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons

ESPN

April 19 6:00 p.m.

Recap

Detroit Pistons 112, New York Knicks 123
Scoring by quarter: 27–27, 28–30, 36–26, 21–40
Pts: Tobias Harris 25 Rebs: four players 6 each Asts: Cade Cunningham 12		Pts: Jalen Brunson 34 Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 11 Asts: Jalen Brunson 8
New York leads series, 1–0

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY Attendance: 19,812 Referees: John Goble, Bill Kennedy, Karl Lane

After three tightly contested quarters, New York strung together a 21–0 run in the fourth, propelling them to a 123–112 victory over Detroit. Jalen Brunson led the scoring for the Knicks, finishing with 34 points, along with 8 assists. Karl-Anthony Towns put up an all-rounded performance, logging 23 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks, while OG Anunoby added another 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals. For the Pistons, Cade Cunningham scored 21 and dished out 12 assists in his playoff debut, whereas Tobias Harris shot 80% from beyond the arc en route to 25 points. Malik Beasley came off the bench and made 6 3-pointers, contributing 20 points, as Detroit were denied their first playoff win since 2008.

TNT/TruTV

April 21 7:30 p.m.

Recap

Detroit Pistons 100, New York Knicks 94
Scoring by quarter: 25–18, 30–31, 20–18, 25–27
Pts: Cade Cunningham 33 Rebs: Duren, Harris 13 each Asts: Cunningham, Schröder 3 each		Pts: Jalen Brunson 37 Rebs: Hart, Robinson 7 each Asts: Jalen Brunson 7
Series tied, 1–1

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY Attendance: 19,812 Referees: Josh Tiven, Curtis Blair, Ray Acosta

In just his second playoff game, Pistons' star Cade Cunningham led his team to a victory with 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting and 12 rebounds performance. Detroit led for most of the game, but a late 4th quarter New York rally was halted by a Dennis Schröder (who had 20 pts off the bench) three-point shot with 55.1 seconds to break the tie and give Detroit the eventual win. Jalen Brunson had another 30-point effort with 37 in total, as well as 7 assists. With the victory, Detroit ended an NBA record 15-game playoff losing streak, which spanned 17 years.

TNT

April 24 7:00 p.m.

Recap

New York Knicks 118, Detroit Pistons 116
Scoring by quarter: 33–27, 33–26, 27–30, 25–33
Pts: Karl-Anthony Towns 31 Rebs: Josh Hart 11 Asts: Brunson, Hart 9 each		Pts: Cunningham, Hardaway Jr. 24 each Rebs: Duren, Reed 8 each Asts: Cade Cunningham 11
New York leads series, 2–1

Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI Attendance: 20,062 Referees: Zach Zarba, Sean Wright, Nick Buchert

Jalen Brunson (30 points, 11-of-13 from free throws) and Karl-Anthony Towns (31 points, 10-of-18 shooting, 4 three-point makes) starred in a close Game 3 victory to take a 2-1 series. Towns was aggressive early and Jalen Brunson was effective late. Towns scored 11 of his 31 points in the first quarter while Brunson had 12 of his 30 in the fourth. In addition, OG Anunoby scored 22 points and Mikal Bridges added 20 points for the Knicks. Detroit's Cade Cunningham scored 24 points and had 11 assists, but missed 15-of-25 shots and had six turnovers. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 24 points, making a career playoff-high seven 3-pointers. Dennis Schroder scored 18 points off the bench and Jalen Duren had 16 for the Pistons. The Pistons pulled within one point twice in the third, but the Knicks went on another surge to take a 10-point lead into the final quarter and the cushion was comfortable enough to hold off Detroit's attempts to rally.

ABC

April 27 1:00 p.m.

Recap

New York Knicks 94, Detroit Pistons 93
Scoring by quarter: 29–19, 21–24, 14–28, 30–22
Pts: Jalen Brunson 32 Rebs: Josh Hart 10 Asts: Jalen Brunson 11		Pts: Cade Cunningham 25 Rebs: Jalen Duren 17 Asts: Cade Cunningham 10
New York leads series, 3–1

Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI Attendance: 20,062 Referees: David Guthrie, Brian Forte, Kevin Cutler

Jalen Brunson (32 points, 11 assists, and 13-of-26 shooting) and Karl-Anthony Towns (27 points, 9 rebounds, and 10-of-23 shooting) would again star for the Knicks in a thrilling Game 4 victory. The game was close throughout and a Karl-Anthony Towns go-ahead 3-pointer with 46.6 seconds left would ultimately be the difference. Game 4 was a physical game with few whistles as seen on the last possession of the game. On the play, Tim Hardaway Jr. shot a 3-pointer just before the buzzer and drew contact from New York’s Josh Hart that wasn’t called a foul. David Guthrie, the crew chief for the game, said afterward that the officials made a mistake. “After postgame review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr. and a foul should have been called,” Guthrie said. Had the foul been called, Hardaway would have gone to the foul line for three free throws that could have given Detroit the lead and win.

In addition, the Pistons have lost nine straight home playoff games since 2008, tying an NBA record set by Philadelphia 76ers from 1968 to 1971. Cade Cunningham finished with the Pistons first playoff triple double since Isiah Thomas in 1989.

TNT/TruTV

April 29 7:30 p.m.

Recap

Detroit Pistons 106, New York Knicks 103
Scoring by quarter: 22–23, 27–27, 28–24, 29–29
Pts: Cade Cunningham 24 Rebs: Jalen Duren 14 Asts: Cade Cunningham 8		Pts: OG Anunoby 19 Rebs: Robinson, Towns 11 each Asts: Jalen Brunson 7
New York leads series, 3–2

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY Attendance: 19,812 Referees: Marc Davis, Tyler Ford, Jacyn Goble

The Pistons spoiled the Knicks chance to clinch their first playoff series victory at Madison Square Garden since the 1999 conference finals, with a 106–103 win. Ausar Thompson’s athleticism was on full display on offense (22 points in 28 minutes, mostly in the paint) and defense (2 blocks and holding Jalen Brunson to an off shooting night). Cade Cunningham led the Pistons in scoring again with 24 points, plus 8 rebounds and assists. Tobias Harris had 17 points, 8 rebounds, and made three 3-pointers. In defeat, six Knicks were in double figures in scoring.

TNT/TruTV

May 1 7:30 p.m.

Recap

New York Knicks 116, Detroit Pistons 113
Scoring by quarter: 37–23, 22–38, 37–24, 20–28
Pts: Jalen Brunson 40 Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 15 Asts: Jalen Brunson 7		Pts: Cade Cunningham 23 Rebs: Cade Cunningham 7 Asts: Dennis Schröder 9
New York wins series, 4–2

Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI Attendance: 20,062 Referees: Tony Brothers, Ed Malloy, Mark Lindsay

Jalen Brunson's game-winning 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left finished off the Pistons in another hard-fought playoff game in this series. Detroit did not get a shot off to potentially tie the game and send it to overtime because Malik Beasley fumbled a pass with 0.4 second left. With 2:35 left, Brunson and the Knicks went on a 11–1 run to seal to the game, 116–113. Brunson scored 40 points, Mikal Bridges had 25 points, and OG Anunoby added 22 for the Knicks. Cade Cunningham had 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, but went 0-for-8 on 3-pointers. The Pistons as a team were just 9-for-24 from three. Jalen Duren scored 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 9-of-10 from the free thrown line. The Pistons now own the record for most consecutive playoff home losses, with 10. The final average margin for the series was 4.3, which was the lowest in a series of 5+ games in 25 years.

Regular-season series

Detroit won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 1, 2024 Recap New York Knicks 128, Detroit Pistons 98 Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI December 7, 2024 Recap Detroit Pistons 120, New York Knicks 111 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY January 13, 2025 Recap Detroit Pistons 124, New York Knicks 119 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY April 10, 2025 Recap New York Knicks 106, Detroit Pistons 115 Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams and the first since 1992, with the Knicks winning two of the first three meetings.

Previous playoff series

New York leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
1984 Detroit Pistons 2, New York Knicks 3 1984 Eastern Conference first round 1990 Detroit Pistons 4, New York Knicks 1 1990 Eastern Conference semifinals 1992 New York Knicks 3, Detroit Pistons 2 1992 Eastern Conference first round

(4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks

ESPN

April 19 1:00 p.m.

Recap

Milwaukee Bucks 98, Indiana Pacers 117
Scoring by quarter: 25–33, 18–34, 33–26, 22–24
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 36 Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 12 Asts: Kevin Porter Jr. 5		Pts: Pascal Siakam 25 Rebs: Haliburton, Siakam 7 each Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 12
Indiana leads series, 1–0

Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN Attendance: 17,274 Referees: Josh Tiven, Curtis Blair, Tre Maddox

Leading by as much as 28 points, Indiana cruised to a 117–98 win over their Central Division rivals. Pascal Siakam scored 25 and grabbed 7 rebounds for the Pacers, while Myles Turner added 19 points on 4-of-6 3-point shooting. Tyrese Haliburton notched a double-double of 10 points and 12 assists, albeit missing all 7 of his 3-point attempts. The Bucks, without Damian Lillard, were heavily reliant on Giannis Antetokounmpo for scoring. Antetokounmpo logged 36 points and 12 rebounds in the losing effort. Notably, Kyle Kuzma, as a starter, recorded a stat line of 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks and 2 fouls in 21 minutes, ending with a team-worst plus-minus value of –24.

NBA TV

April 22 7:00 p.m.

Recap

Milwaukee Bucks 115, Indiana Pacers 123
Scoring by quarter: 30–40, 30–28, 27–31, 28–24
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 34 Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 18 Asts: Antetokounmpo, Lillard 7		Pts: Pascal Siakam 24 Rebs: Pascal Siakam 11 Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 12
Indiana leads series, 2–0

Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN Attendance: 17,274 Referees: Zach Zarba, Sean Wright, Gediminas Petraitis

Indiana held off a late Milwaukee fourth quarter surge to take a 2–0 lead in the series. The Pacers played another efficient game on offense (48.9% on field goals, 44.4% from beyond the arc) led by Pascal Siakam (24 points, 11 rebounds), Tyrese Haliburton (21 points, 12 assists) double-double efforts. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks with 34 points on 14-of-20 shooting, 17 rebounds, and 7 assists. Milwaukee also received a lift from Damian Lillard, who was playing in his first game since March 18.

ESPNU/NBA TV

April 25 8:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Indiana Pacers 101, Milwaukee Bucks 117
Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 31–21, 18–39, 26–31
Pts: Pascal Siakam 28 Rebs: Haliburton, Nesmith 7 Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 10		Pts: Antetokounmpo, Trent Jr. 37 each Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 12 Asts: Antetokounmpo, Porter Jr. 6 each
Indiana leads series, 2–1

Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI Attendance: 17,942 Referees: Marc Davis, Ed Malloy, Justin Van Duyne

Milwaukee dominated the game in the second half and cut Indiana's series lead to 2–1. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Gary Trent Jr. each scored 37 points, with the latter also making a franchise-record nine three-pointers. Pascal Siakam had 28 points and Aaron Nesmith scored 18 for the Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 14 points and 10 assists.

TNT

April 27 9:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Indiana Pacers 129, Milwaukee Bucks 103
Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 33–28, 38–32, 28–19
Pts: Myles Turner 23 Rebs: Tyrese Haliburton 8 Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 15		Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 28 Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 15 Asts: Antetokounmpo, Porter Jr. 6 each
Indiana leads series, 3–1

Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI Attendance: 17,855 Referees: Tony Brothers, Mark Lindsay, Karl Lane

The Pacers shot 60% from the field and 46% from three to take a commanding 3–1 series lead. Eight Pacers players scored 12 points or more, led by Myles Turner (23 points, 4 blocks), Andrew Nembhard (20 points), and Tyrese Haliburton (17 points, 15 assists). Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to carry Milwaukee, with 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists; however, only two other Bucks players scored 10 points or more. Damian Lillard tore his Achilles tendon in the first quarter of the game, ending his season.

NBA TV

April 29 6:00 p.m.

Recap

Milwaukee Bucks 118, Indiana Pacers 119 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 30–13, 17–28, 28–34, 28–28, Overtime: 15–16
Pts: Gary Trent Jr. 33 Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 20 Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 13		Pts: Tyrese Haliburton 26 Rebs: Aaron Nesmith 12 Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 9
Indiana wins series, 4–1

Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN Attendance: 17,274 Referees: David Guthrie, Courtney Kirkland, Brian Forte

The Bucks' season ended in stunning fashion, blowing a 4-point lead with 60 seconds in the fourth quarter and a 7-point lead with 45 seconds in overtime. Gary Trent Jr. took over for Milwaukee in overtime, scoring 12 points in overtime (all from three), but his fumble and turnover out of bounds gave the ball to Indiana with 10.1 seconds left. From there, a Tyrese Halliburton crossover and layup over Giannis Antetokounmpo gave the Pacers the 119–118 lead with 1.1 seconds left. With no more timeouts, the Bucks could not advance the ball and a Trent Jr. half court heave was not close, thus giving the Pacers the win and series victory. Postgame, two incidents occurred: between Antetokounmpo and Tyrese Haliburton’s father, and between Antetokounmpo and Bennedict Mathurin.

Regular-season series

Milwaukee won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 22, 2024 Recap Indiana Pacers 117, Milwaukee Bucks 129 Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI December 31, 2024 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 120, Indiana Pacers 112 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN March 11, 2025 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 114, Indiana Pacers 115 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN March 15, 2025 Recap Indiana Pacers 119, Milwaukee Bucks 126 Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams and a rematch of the previous season's first round matchup, with the Pacers winning the first three meetings.

Previous playoff series

Indiana leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series
1999 Indiana Pacers 3, Milwaukee Bucks 0 1999 Eastern Conference first round 2000 Indiana Pacers 3, Milwaukee Bucks 2 2000 Eastern Conference first round 2024 Milwaukee Bucks 2, Indiana Pacers 4 2024 Eastern Conference first round

Western Conference first round

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies

ABC

April 20 1:00 p.m. (12:00 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Memphis Grizzlies 80, Oklahoma City Thunder 131
Scoring by quarter: 20–32, 16–36, 27–44, 17–19
Pts: Bagley III, Morant 17 each Rebs: Zach Edey 9 Asts: Morant, Pippen Jr. 4 each		Pts: Aaron Wiggins 21 Rebs: Chet Holmgren 10 Asts: Jalen Williams 6
Oklahoma City leads series, 1–0

Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK Attendance: 18,203 Referees: Tony Brothers, Nick Buchert, JB DeRosa

The Thunder won by a heavy landslide, outscoring the Grizzlies in every quarter, as they secured a 51-point win following a 32-point lead at halftime. This was the largest-ever point differential in Game 1 of an NBA playoff series and the fifth largest in any playoff game. Six Oklahoma City players scored double-digit points, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played 23 minutes and scored 15 points, his lowest-scoring game of the season. Desmond Bane emerged from the game with the ignominy of being the first NBA player in the 21st century to have a plus-minus lower than -50, with -51.

TNT/TruTV

April 22 7:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Memphis Grizzlies 99, Oklahoma City Thunder 118
Scoring by quarter: 17–32, 35–38, 27–20, 20–28
Pts: Jaren Jackson Jr. 26 Rebs: Desmond Bane 12 Asts: Ja Morant 6		Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 27 Rebs: Chet Holmgren 11 Asts: Gilgeous-Alexander, Jal. Williams 5 each
Oklahoma City leads series, 2–0

Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK Attendance: 18,203 Referees: John Goble, Brian Forte, John Butler

Fresh off their blowout victory in Game 1, the Thunder dominate yet again in Game 2 to take a commanding 2–0 series lead. The Thunder opened the game with a 9–0 run, and never trailed throughout the game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 27 points, while Jalen Williams added 24 points, and Chet Holmgren put up a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double. For the Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 26 points, and Ja Morant added 23 points, both in a losing effort. For the second straight game, Memphis was held to under 100 points, and was scoreless in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter.

TNT

April 24 9:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 114, Memphis Grizzlies 108
Scoring by quarter: 29–40, 22–37, 36–18, 27–13
Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 31 Rebs: Chet Holmgren 8 Asts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 8		Pts: Scotty Pippen Jr. 28 Rebs: Desmond Bane 8 Asts: Morant, Pippen Jr. 5 each
Oklahoma City leads series, 3–0

FedExForum, Memphis, TN Attendance: 16,849 Referees: Josh Tiven, Mitchell Ervin, Kevin Cutler

After trailing 51–77 at halftime, the Thunder came back from a 29-point deficit to move on the verge of a sweep. It tied a record for the second largest comeback in an NBA playoff history, only behind the April 15, 2019, game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors (31 points). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 31 points, while Jalen Williams added 26 points, and Chet Holmgren scored 23 of his 24 points in the second half. Scotty Pippen Jr. led the Grizzlies with 28 points. Ja Morant had 15 points and five assists, but left the game early after a hip injury; on the play, Morant attempted to jump over Luguentz Dort on a contested dunk attempt.

TNT

April 26 3:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 117, Memphis Grizzlies 115
Scoring by quarter: 34–31, 26–28, 28–26, 29–30
Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 38 Rebs: Isaiah Hartenstein 12 Asts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 6		Pts: Scotty Pippen Jr. 30 Rebs: Scotty Pippen Jr. 11 Asts: Desmond Bane 5
Oklahoma City wins series, 4–0

FedExForum, Memphis, TN Attendance: 16,667 Referees: James Capers, Pat Fraher, Brent Barnaky

Oklahoma City advanced to the Western Conference semifinals after a close 117–115 Game 4 victory. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 38 points on 13-of-24 shooting and 11-of-13 from the free throw line, while Jalen Williams added 23 points on 10-of-21 shooting. Joining them in double figures for the Thunder were Isaiah Hartenstein (11 points, 12 rebounds), Chet Holmgren (11 points), and Aaron Wiggins (11 points) off the bench. With no Ja Morant due to injury, Memphis received big contributions from role-players Scotty Pippen Jr. (30 points, 11 rebounds, but 5 turnovers) and Santi Aldama (23 points, 9 rebounds, 9-of-13 shooting). Desmond Bane added 23 points, but also had 5 turnovers. Overall, Memphis turned the ball over 21 times. With the Thunder's victory, it extended their win streak over the Grizzlies to 12 games.

Regular-season series

Oklahoma City won 4–0 in the regular-season series
December 29, 2024 Recap Memphis Grizzlies 106, Oklahoma City Thunder 130 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK February 8, 2025 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 125, Memphis Grizzlies 112 FedExForum, Memphis, TN March 5, 2025 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 120, Memphis Grizzlies 103 FedExForum, Memphis, TN March 27, 2025 Recap Memphis Grizzlies 104, Oklahoma City Thunder 125 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams and the first since 2014, with the Thunder winning two of the first three meetings.

Previous playoff series

Oklahoma City leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
2011 Oklahoma City Thunder 4, Memphis Grizzlies 3 2011 Western Conference semifinals 2013 Oklahoma City Thunder 1, Memphis Grizzlies 4 2013 Western Conference semifinals 2014 Oklahoma City Thunder 4, Memphis Grizzlies 3 2014 Western Conference first round

(2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Golden State Warriors

TNT/TruTV

April 20 9:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Golden State Warriors 95, Houston Rockets 85
Scoring by quarter: 18–21, 29–13, 22–26, 26–25
Pts: Stephen Curry 31 Rebs: Brandin Podziemski 8 Asts: Jimmy Butler 6		Pts: Alperen Şengün 26 Rebs: Steven Adams 12 Asts: Fred VanVleet 7
Golden State leads series, 1–0

Toyota Center, Houston, TX Attendance: 18,055 Referees: James Capers, Ben Taylor, Gediminas Petraitis

Despite a late rally in the 4th quarter from Houston, Golden State took lead early in the 2nd quarter and never relinquished it in a 95–85 victory. They were led by their dynamic duo of Jimmy Butler (25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) and Stephen Curry (31 points, 6 rebounds, 5 three-point makes). Houston, playing in their first postseason game since 2020, were held to the lowest scoring output of the season. Houston’s Alperen Şengün had 26 points, which included a poster dunk on Draymond Green in the 1st quarter, and 9 rebounds. This was the Warriors' first road playoff win since Game 7 of the first round against Sacramento in 2023. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr became the seventh head coach to win 100 playoff games, tying Larry Brown for sixth place in the list.

TNT/TruTV

April 23 9:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Golden State Warriors 94, Houston Rockets 109
Scoring by quarter: 18–28, 28–32, 25–27, 23–22
Pts: Stephen Curry 20 Rebs: Curry, Green 5 Asts: Stephen Curry 9		Pts: Jalen Green 38 Rebs: Alperen Şengün 16 Asts: Alperen Şengün 7
Series tied, 1–1

Toyota Center, Houston, TX Attendance: 18,055 Referees: David Guthrie, Courtney Kirkland, Sean Corbin

Houston never trailed in this game, producing a dominant 109–94 win to even the series. Jalen Green made 8 3-pointers, finishing with 38 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. Alperen Şengün came up with a double-double, notching 17 points and 16 rebounds, while Tari Eason came off the bench to score 14 points on 6-of-9 field goal shooting. Nobody on the Warriors scored over 20 points, with Stephen Curry scoring exactly 20, along with 9 assists and 5 rebounds, but also 6 turnovers. Moses Moody and Quinten Post each added 12 points. Jimmy Butler exited the game with 2:28 remaining in the 1st quarter, after sustaining a heavy fall while trying to get a defensive rebound. He was later diagnosed with a pelvic contusion.

ABC

April 26 8:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. PDT)

Recap

Houston Rockets 93, Golden State Warriors 104
Scoring by quarter: 22–18, 27–28, 22–23, 22–35
Pts: Fred VanVleet 17 Rebs: Alperen Şengün 11 Asts: Jalen Green 5		Pts: Stephen Curry 36 Rebs: Quinten Post 12 Asts: Stephen Curry 9
Golden State leads series, 2–1

Chase Center, San Francisco, CA Attendance: 18,064 Referees: James Williams, Kevin Scott, Curtis Blair

After being limited to below 100 points for two straight games, Golden State finally got past that mark with a 104–93 victory over Houston. Stephen Curry led the Warriors in the absence of co-star Jimmy Butler, tallying 36 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds. Buddy Hield had 17 points off the bench with five 3-pointers as the Warriors won their sixth straight Game 3 in the opening round. Gary Payton II scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. Like Game 1, it was another inefficient game for the Rockets on offense, shooting just 39% from the floor. Fred VanVleet's shooting struggles continued, as he is now shooting 11-41 and 6-29 from three for the series.

TNT/TruTV

April 28 10:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. PDT)

Recap

Houston Rockets 106, Golden State Warriors 109
Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 31–22, 23–32, 26–27
Pts: Alperen Şengün 31 Rebs: Alperen Şengün 10 Asts: Fred VanVleet 6		Pts: Jimmy Butler 27 Rebs: Draymond Green 8 Asts: Jimmy Butler 6
Golden State leads series, 3–1

Chase Center, San Francisco, CA Attendance: 18,064 Referees: John Goble, Bill Kennedy, Pat Fraher

Coming off an injury in Game 2, Jimmy Butler returned and put up 27 points, leading the Warriors in a 109-106 victory over Houston. Brandin Podziemski started, putting up 26 points, ahead of Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield, who continued his good form with 15 points off the bench. The Rockets, spearheaded by Alperen Şengün with 31 points and 10 rebounds, lagged behind the Warriors in the first, third, and fourth quarters as they only made 61.3% of their free throws at 19–31. Fred VanVleet made a return to shooting form as he added 25 points while going 8–11 from the three-point line. In the fourth quarter, it was a tight game as the Warriors slightly edged Houston at 107–106 with 13 seconds left; Butler ultimately made two free throw shots to take the Warriors home.

TNT/TruTV

April 30 7:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Golden State Warriors 116, Houston Rockets 131
Scoring by quarter: 24–40, 25–36, 31–31, 36–24
Pts: Moses Moody 25 Rebs: Moses Moody 9 Asts: Stephen Curry 7		Pts: Fred VanVleet 26 Rebs: Alperen Şengün 9 Asts: Alperen Şengün 9
Golden State leads series, 3–2

Toyota Center, Houston, TX Attendance: 18,055 Referees: Zach Zarba, Sean Wright, Nick Buchert

The Rockets kept their season alive with a blowout win Game 5 win at home. Fred VanVleet scored 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting to lead the Rockets, while Amen Thompson had a breakout performance with 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting, 5 steals, 3 blocks. Dillon Brooks also added 24 points in the 131–116 win. Overall, the Rockets shot 55% from beyond the arc. Warriors coach Steve Kerr threw in the towel early with the game out of hand. A layup by VanVleet midway through the third quarter made it 93–64, and Kerr called timeout and cleared his bench. The Warriors reserves got the lead to just a 14-point deficit, but it never got any closer than that.

ESPN

May 2 9:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. PDT)

Recap

Houston Rockets 115, Golden State Warriors 107
Scoring by quarter: 25–21, 28–27, 33–36, 29–23
Pts: Fred VanVleet 29 Rebs: Alperen Şengün 14 Asts: Fred VanVleet 8		Pts: Stephen Curry 29 Rebs: Jimmy Butler 9 Asts: Jimmy Butler 8
Series tied, 3–3

Chase Center, San Francisco, CA Attendance: 18,064 Referees: James Capers, Mitchell Ervin, JB DeRosa

Fred VanVleet had 29 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, Alperen Şengün contributed 21 points and 14 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets kept their season alive once again by beating the Golden State Warriors, 115–107. The Warriors only trailed by two points entering the fourth quarter, but they went cold, missing 13 straight shots between Draymond Green's basket with 10:12 left and a 3-pointer by Stephen Curry at the 3:35 mark. Throughout the second half, the Warriors utilized the Hack-a-Shaq strategy on Steven Adams, resulting in 16 free throw attempts by Adams, of which he made 9.

TNT/TruTV

May 4 8:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Golden State Warriors 103, Houston Rockets 89
Scoring by quarter: 23–19, 28–20, 19–23, 33–27
Pts: Buddy Hield 33 Rebs: Stephen Curry 10 Asts: Butler, Curry 7 each		Pts: Amen Thompson 24 Rebs: Alperen Şengün 14 Asts: Alperen Şengün 5
Golden State wins series, 4–3

Toyota Center, Houston, TX Attendance: 18,055 Referees: Tony Brothers, James Williams, Kevin Scott

Further information: List of NBA game sevens

Led by Buddy Hield's 33 points, including a record-tying nine three-pointers, the Warriors prevented the Rockets from becoming the first team to overcome a 3–1 series deficit since the 2019–20 Denver Nuggets. Stephen Curry, who played in his second game seven in three years, added a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds, while also scoring 14 of his points in the fourth quarter. During the first half, Hield scored 22 points and six three-pointers, being 9 of 11 from 3-point range. Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 24 points, but Fred VanVleet was limited to 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting. With the victory, the Warriors become the second 7-seed in three seasons to eliminate a 2-seed in the first round, after the 2022–23 Los Angeles Lakers. They also remain undefeated in the playoffs over the Rockets, moving up to 5–0, with all series victories coming during Stephen Curry and Draymond Green's tenure with the team. Per ESPN, this is the 4th series in NBA history to go a full seven games, and have both teams score an identical number of points (the other three are listed at https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45002120/stephen-curry-buddy-hield-lead-warriors-game-7-victory)

Regular-season series

Golden State won 3–2 in the regular-season series

November 2, 2024 Recap Golden State Warriors 127, Houston Rockets 121 (OT) Toyota Center, Houston, TX December 5, 2024 Recap Houston Rockets 93, Golden State Warriors 99 Chase Center, San Francisco, CA December 11, 2024 Recap Golden State Warriors 90, Houston Rockets 91 Toyota Center, Houston, TX February 13, 2025 Recap Golden State Warriors 105, Houston Rockets 98 Toyota Center, Houston, TX April 6, 2025 Recap Houston Rockets 106, Golden State Warriors 96 Chase Center, San Francisco, CA

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams and the first since 2019, with the Warriors winning the first four meetings.

Previous playoff series

Golden State leads 4–0 in all-time playoff series
2015 Golden State Warriors 4, Houston Rockets 1 2015 Western Conference finals 2016 Golden State Warriors 4, Houston Rockets 1 2016 Western Conference first round 2018 Houston Rockets 3, Golden State Warriors 4 2018 Western Conference finals 2019 Golden State Warriors 4, Houston Rockets 2 2019 Western Conference semifinals

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

ABC

April 19 8:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. PDT)

Recap

Minnesota Timberwolves 117, Los Angeles Lakers 95
Scoring by quarter: 21–28, 38–20, 35–30, 23–17
Pts: Jaden McDaniels 25 Rebs: Jaden McDaniels 9 Asts: Anthony Edwards 9		Pts: Luka Dončić 37 Rebs: Luka Dončić 8 Asts: James, Reaves 3 each
Minnesota leads series, 1–0

Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Marc Davis, Tyler Ford, Brian Forte

The Timberwolves cruised to a win against the Lakers in the opening game of the series, dominating from the second quarter onwards. Anthony Edwards recorded a near-triple-double stat line of 22 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists, despite making only 8 of his 22 field goal attempts. Jaden McDaniels added 25 points and 9 rebounds, while Naz Reid came off the bench to score 23 points on 6-of-9 3-point shooting. In his Lakers playoff debut, Luka Dončić carried the team with 37 points and 8 rebounds but finished with just one assist. None of his teammates scored above 20, although LeBron James came close with 19, along with 5 rebounds and 3 blocks, as the home team endured a night of bad shooting, going 33-of-83 overall.

TNT/TruTV

April 22 10:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. PDT)

Recap

Minnesota Timberwolves 85, Los Angeles Lakers 94
Scoring by quarter: 15–34, 28–24, 22–23, 20–13
Pts: Julius Randle 27 Rebs: three players 6 each Asts: Julius Randle 6		Pts: Luka Dončić 31 Rebs: Luka Dončić 12 Asts: Luka Dončić 9
Series tied, 1–1

Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA Attendance: 18,997 Referees: James Capers, Ben Taylor, Justin Van Duyne

While the game got within single-digits in the fourth quarter, Los Angeles rode a 34–15 first quarter and never gave up the lead to tie the series on their home floor. Luka Dončić led Los Angeles in scoring with 31 points on 9-of-20 shooting with 12 rebounds and 9 assists, while LeBron James chipped in with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. Julius Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring with 27 points, while Anthony Edwards scored 25, including a poster dunk on Jaxson Hayes in the beginning of the third quarter. However, no other player on the Timberwolves reached double figures in scoring, with the team shooting just 20% from 3-point range following their 21 made 3-pointers in Game 1.

ESPN

April 25 9:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Los Angeles Lakers 104, Minnesota Timberwolves 116
Scoring by quarter: 26–32, 32–22, 26–32, 20–30
Pts: LeBron James 38 Rebs: LeBron James 10 Asts: Luka Dončić 8		Pts: Jaden McDaniels 30 Rebs: Anthony Edwards 8 Asts: Anthony Edwards 8
Minnesota leads series, 2–1

Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Attendance: 19,312 Referees: Tony Brothers, Mark Lindsay, Gediminas Petraitis

After trailing by just four points at halftime, the Timberwolves outscored Lakers 62–46 in the second half, including a 13–1 run in the closing four-and-a-half minutes, to spoil a 38-point, 10-rebound performance from LeBron James. Jaden McDaniels led the Timberwolves with 30 points, while Anthony Edwards added 29, including a dagger 3-pointer to seal the Timberwolves' 2–1 series lead. For the Lakers, Austin Reaves scored 20 points and 7 rebounds, while Luka Dončić, who was reportedly sick, added 17 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists.

ABC

April 27 3:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. CDT)

Preview

Los Angeles Lakers 113, Minnesota Timberwolves 116
Scoring by quarter: 32–28, 26–33, 36–23, 19–32
Pts: Luka Dončić 38 Rebs: LeBron James 12 Asts: LeBron James 8		Pts: Anthony Edwards 43 Rebs: Jaden McDaniels 11 Asts: Anthony Edwards 6
Minnesota leads series, 3–1

Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Attendance: 19,289 Referees: Josh Tiven, Mitchell Ervin, Sean Corbin

Jaden McDaniels converted a three-point play with 39.5 seconds left to take the lead and stole the ensuing inbounds pass from LeBron James, leading a late game rally by the Timberwolves for a 116–113 win over the Lakers that put them on the brink of advancing. Anthony Edwards, who had 43 points to lead Minnesota in scoring, drew a foul on James during a drive to the lane with 10 seconds left and hit both free throws to put them up three. On the last possession of the game, Austin Reaves missed a three that would have tied the game. LeBron James had 27 points and 12 rebounds for his 144th career double-double in the playoffs, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain for the third-most in history behind Tim Duncan (164) and Magic Johnson (157). James also went 15 for 18 from the free-throw line and had multiple excellent defensive stops in the fourth quarter, but did not score in the quarter, the first time he went scoreless in a fourth quarter since 2017. Luka Dončić bounced back from a stomach bug in Game 3, with 38 points on 13-for-28 shooting. Rui Hachimura played his best game of the series thus far with 23 points, while Austin Reaves scored all 16 of his points in the second half. Julius Randle added 25 points and McDaniels had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Wolves, who trailed for much of the second half before the late game surge. The game was also notable for Lakers coach JJ Redick playing a five-man combo of Reaves, Dončić, Dorian Finney-Smith, James, and Hachimura the whole second half, the first coach in the play-by-play era to play five players for an entire half in the playoffs.

TNT/TruTV

April 30 10:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. PDT)

Recap

Minnesota Timberwolves 103, Los Angeles Lakers 96
Scoring by quarter: 31–22, 28–27, 22–31, 22–16
Pts: Rudy Gobert 27 Rebs: Rudy Gobert 24 Asts: Anthony Edwards 8		Pts: Luka Dončić 28 Rebs: three players 7 each Asts: Luka Dončić 9
Minnesota wins series, 4–1

Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA Attendance: 18,997 Referees: John Goble, James Williams, Ray Acosta

Minnesota completed the series upset over the Los Angeles Lakers, behind Rudy Gobert’s personal playoff highs with 27 points and 24 rebounds (9 offensive), against a center-less Lakers line-up. Minnesota won the game despite shooting 7-for-47 from three. This was the first time in franchise history the Lakers have lost in the first round when they were a 3-seed or better. Per OptaSTATS, just 16.9% of the Lakers' points in the series came in the fourth quarter (85 of 502), which is now the lowest percentage by any team in any playoff series in NBA history.

Regular-season series

Series tied 2–2 in the regular-season series

October 22, 2024 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 103, Los Angeles Lakers 110 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA December 2, 2024 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 80, Minnesota Timberwolves 109 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN December 13, 2024 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 87, Minnesota Timberwolves 97 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN February 27, 2025 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 102, Los Angeles Lakers 111 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams and the first since 2004, with the Lakers winning the first two meetings.

Previous playoff series

LA Lakers lead 2–0 in all-time playoff series
2003 Minnesota Timberwolves 2, Los Angeles Lakers 4 2003 Western Conference first round 2004 Minnesota Timberwolves 2, Los Angeles Lakers 4 2004 Western Conference finals

(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers

ESPN

April 19 3:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. MDT)

Recap

Los Angeles Clippers 110, Denver Nuggets 112 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 35–27, 18–22, 22–23, 23–26, Overtime: 12–14
Pts: James Harden 32 Rebs: Ivica Zubac 13 Asts: James Harden 11		Pts: Nikola Jokić 29 Rebs: Jokić, Murray 9 each Asts: Nikola Jokić 12
Denver leads series, 1–0

Ball Arena, Denver, CO Attendance: 19,973 Referees: James Williams, Kevin Scott, Mark Lindsay

Falling into a 15-point deficit halfway through the second quarter, Denver rallied and ultimately prevailed in overtime. Nikola Jokić once again showed his dominance, racking up 29 points, 9 rebounds and 12 assists, one rebound shy of a triple-double. Jamal Murray finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, while Aaron Gordon added another 25 points, including 6 in overtime, and 8 rebounds. The Clippers had two players with a double-double, with James Harden scoring 32 and dishing out 11 assists, while Ivica Zubac logged 21 points and 13 rebounds. Kawhi Leonard contributed 22 points, but also had 7 turnovers. With 10 seconds left in overtime and the Nuggets up by 3, Clippers had an inbound opportunity, but Russell Westbrook made a key defensive play to force a turnover, sealing the victory over his former team.

TNT/TruTV

April 21 10:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. MDT)

Recap

Los Angeles Clippers 105, Denver Nuggets 102
Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 30–21, 23–24, 27–26
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 39 Rebs: Ivica Zubac 12 Asts: James Harden 7		Pts: Nikola Jokić 26 Rebs: Michael Porter Jr. 15 Asts: Nikola Jokić 10
Series tied, 1–1

Ball Arena, Denver, CO Attendance: 19,989 Referees: Marc Davis, Tyler Ford, Ed Malloy

Kawhi Leonard scored 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting as the Los Angeles Clippers evened their first-round playoff series against the Nuggets. It was another thrilling game that saw 18 lead changes and 12 ties. Despite the win, the Clippers saw no one, aside from Leonard, score over 20, with James Harden going just 7-of-17 on field goals, finishing with 18 points. Ivica Zubac notched another double-double, with 16 points and 12 rebounds. For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokić achieved his first triple-double of the postseason, tallying 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists (but also 7 turnovers). Jamal Murray added 23 points for the Nuggets, who also got a bounce-back game from Michael Porter Jr. (15 points and 15 rebounds) after his 3-point performance in Game 1.

NBA TV

April 24 10:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. PDT)

Recap

Denver Nuggets 83, Los Angeles Clippers 117
Scoring by quarter: 28–35, 19–30, 23–25, 13–27
Pts: Jokić, Murray 23 each Rebs: Nikola Jokić 13 Asts: Nikola Jokić 13		Pts: Kawhi Leonard 21 Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 11 Asts: James Harden 9
LA Clippers lead series, 2–1

Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA Attendance: 17,927 Referees: James Capers, Ben Taylor, Ray Acosta

In Game 3, the Clippers had a 23–2 run that lasted through the first and second quarters that helped them take a commanding lead and ultimately win the game. This run included a stretch where the Clippers made 14 of their 28 three-pointers. The Clippers win was a balanced effort, with Kawhi Leonard finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists; Norman Powell broke out of a mini-slump with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting; Ivica Zubac scored 20 points to go along with 9 rebounds; James Harden had 19 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds; and Nicolas Batum provided 12 points off the bench with 4 three-point makes. In the defeat, Nikola Jokić had another playoff triple double, with 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists on 9-of-14 shooting. Jamal Murray added 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting. This was the first playoff game at Intuit Dome.

TNT

April 26 6:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. PDT)

Recap

Denver Nuggets 101, Los Angeles Clippers 99
Scoring by quarter: 27–22, 23–26, 35–17, 16–34
Pts: Nikola Jokić 36 Rebs: Nikola Jokić 21 Asts: Nikola Jokić 8		Pts: Kawhi Leonard 24 Rebs: Ivica Zubac 12 Asts: James Harden 11
Series tied, 2–2

Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA Attendance: 17,927 Referees: Zach Zarba, Sean Wright, Nick Buchert

The Nuggets evened the series at 2–2, behind 36 points, 21 rebounds, and 8 assists from Nikola Jokić and a game-winning, buzzer-beating dunk from Aaron Gordon. The Nuggets led the game by a slim two points at halftime, which eventually became a 85–65 lead entering the fourth quarter. The Clippers tried to erase a 22-point deficit, outscoring the Nuggets with a 32–9 run to take a 97–96 lead with one minute and eleven seconds left in regulation, with Bogdan Bogdanović's offensive rebound and basket. A three-point play from Jokić gave the Nuggets a 99–97 lead, before Ivica Zubac tied the game with exactly eight seconds remaining. Gordon dunked the missed three-pointer from Jokić to seal the victory; officials concluded that the ball came out of Gordon's hands before the red light came out, thus resulting in a Nuggets victory. According to the NBA, it was the first known game-winning buzzer-beater putback dunk in NBA playoff history.

Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun each scored 17 points for the Nuggets. Kawhi Leonard was the leading scorer for the Clippers with 24 points; Norman Powell added 22.

TNT/TruTV

April 29 10:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. MDT)

Recap

Los Angeles Clippers 115, Denver Nuggets 131
Scoring by quarter: 23–35, 36–32, 24–32, 32–32
Pts: Ivica Zubac 27 Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 9 Asts: Kawhi Leonard 11		Pts: Jamal Murray 43 Rebs: Christian Braun 12 Asts: Nikola Jokić 12
Denver leads series, 3–2

Ball Arena, Denver, CO Attendance: 20,005 Referees: Josh Tiven, Mitchell Ervin, Karl Lane

Jamal Murray exploded for 43 points on 17-of-26 shooting and 8-of-14 beyond the arc, as Denver took a 3-2 series lead at their home floor. Russell Westbrook returned after missing Game 4 with an injury and gave the team 21 points off the bench. Aaron Gordon provided 23 points, while Nikola Jokić notched his third triple double of the series. As a team, the Nuggets shot 52% from three. Ivica Zubac scored 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting, a playoff career-high for the Clippers center. Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points, hauled 11 rebounds, and was one assist short of a triple double. This was the Clippers first back-to-back losses since they lost three straight from March 2-5.

TNT/TruTV

May 1 10:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. PDT)

Recap

Denver Nuggets 105, Los Angeles Clippers 111
Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 29–33, 22–32, 26–21
Pts: Nikola Jokić 25 Rebs: Russell Westbrook 10 Asts: Jokić, Murray 8 each		Pts: James Harden 28 Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 10 Asts: James Harden 8
Series tied, 3–3

Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA Attendance: 17,927 Referees: David Guthrie, Tyler Ford, Curtis Blair

A balanced effort from James Harden (28 points and eight assists), Kawhi Leonard (27 points and 10 rebounds) and Norman Powell (24 points, 11 in the third quarter) helped the Clippers force a pivotal Game 7 in their series with the Nuggets. Los Angeles led by 15 with less than six minutes to play, but Denver made an 11–2 run to trim the Clippers’ lead to 107–101, but Russell Westbrook missed a layup and Powell buried a 3-pointer with 1:47 left to put the Clippers back up 9. Nicolas Batum would also continue his excellent series on defense with 3 steals and 2 blocks on Nikola Jokić. Leading the Nuggets was Jokić, who scored 20 of his 25 points in the first half, and Jamal Murray, who finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Nuggets are looking to atone for their Game 7 upset loss at home from last year's playoffs against the Timberwolves, while the Clippers are looking to avenge their Game 7 defeat by the Nuggets from the 2020 Western Conference semifinals.

TNT/TruTV

May 3 7:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. MDT)

Recap

Los Angeles Clippers 101, Denver Nuggets 120
Scoring by quarter: 26–21, 21–37, 19–35, 35–27
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 22 Rebs: Ivica Zubac 14 Asts: James Harden 13		Pts: Aaron Gordon 22 Rebs: Nikola Jokić 10 Asts: Nikola Jokić 8
Denver wins series, 4–3

Ball Arena, Denver, CO Attendance: 19,995 Referees: Marc Davis, Courtney Kirkland, Ben Taylor

Further information: List of NBA game sevens

A dominant 37–21 second quarter and a 35–19 third quarter was enough for the Nuggets to defeat the Clippers and advance to the Western Conference semifinals for the sixth time in seven seasons. The Nuggets led by as many as 35 and had six players in double figures in scoring (Murray, Braun, Porter Jr., Gordon, Jokić, and Westbrook); Westbrook also added 5 steals. Kawhi Leonard was the only Clipper to score over 20 points, as he scored 22 on 6-of-13 shooting. This was Ty Lue’s first Game 7 loss as a head coach, after going 4-0 prior to this game. After winning 18 of their last 21 regular season games and two of the first three in this series, the Clippers lost three of their last four games.

Regular-season series

Series tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
October 26, 2024 Recap Los Angeles Clippers 109, Denver Nuggets 104 Ball Arena, Denver, CO December 1, 2024 Recap Denver Nuggets 122, Los Angeles Clippers 126 Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA December 13, 2024 Recap Los Angeles Clippers 98, Denver Nuggets 120 Ball Arena, Denver, CO January 8, 2025 Recap Los Angeles Clippers 103, Denver Nuggets 126 Ball Arena, Denver, CO

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams and the first since 2020, with each team winning one series.

Previous playoff series

Series tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series
2006 Denver Nuggets 1, Los Angeles Clippers 4 2006 Western Conference first round 2020 Los Angeles Clippers 3, Denver Nuggets 4 2020 Western Conference semifinals

Conference semifinals

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given. Potential games are marked by an asterisk if necessary.

Eastern Conference semifinals

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Indiana Pacers

TNT/TruTV

May 4 6:00 p.m.

Recap

Indiana Pacers 121, Cleveland Cavaliers 112
Scoring by quarter: 36–25, 28–33, 28–32, 29–22
Pts: Andrew Nembhard 23 Rebs: Myles Turner 11 Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 13		Pts: Donovan Mitchell 33 Rebs: Evan Mobley 10 Asts: Ty Jerome 8
Indiana leads series, 1–0

Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH Attendance: 19,432 Referees: Zach Zarba, Sean Wright, Gediminas Petraitis

The Pacers stunned the top-seeded Cavaliers in Game 1, fighting off a late Cleveland rally to win 121–112. All five Indiana starters scored in double figures; Andrew Nembhard led the scoring with 23 points on 5-of-6 3-point shooting. Tyrese Haliburton notched a double-double with 22 points and 13 assists, along with 3 blocks. Aaron Nesmith and Pascal Siakam had 17 points apiece, while Myles Turner tallied 13 points and 11 rebounds. On the other hand, Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 33 points and broke Michael Jordan’s NBA playoff record with his eighth straight game of at least 30 points in a series opener, albeit making only 1 of his 11 3-point attempts. Evan Mobley, the newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year, added 20 points and 10 rebounds. Darius Garland remained absent for the third straight playoff game due to a sprained left big toe.

TNT/TruTV

May 6 7:00 p.m.

Recap

Indiana Pacers 120, Cleveland Cavaliers 119
Scoring by quarter: 15–32, 35–29, 34–37, 36–21
Pts: Nesmith, Turner 23 each Rebs: Tyrese Haliburton 9 Asts: Andrew Nembhard 13		Pts: Donovan Mitchell 48 Rebs: Jarrett Allen 12 Asts: Donovan Mitchell 9
Indiana leads series, 2–0

Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH Attendance: 19,432 Referees: Tony Brothers, David Guthrie, Nick Buchert

Despite trailing by 20 points in the 3rd quarter, the Pacers stormed back and won Game 2 on a game-winning three by Tyrese Haliburton, taking a 2–0 series lead. Indiana once again had six players score 10+ points, with 23 from Nesmith and Turner while Haliburton and Mathurin scored 19 each. Donovan Mitchell led the way for Cleveland in the absence of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, scoring a playoff-high 48 points along with 9 assists. This was the second time this postseason the Pacers came back from 7 points or more with a minute or less in regulation. Coincidentally, this was also nearly the 30 year anniversary of Reggie Miller's 8 points in 9 seconds comeback against the Knicks in Game 1 of the ECSF in 1995.

ESPN

May 9 7:30 p.m.

Preview

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers

Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

TNT/TruTV

May 11 8:00 p.m.

Preview

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers

Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

TNT/TruTV

May 13 TBD

Preview

Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers*

Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH

ESPN

May 15 TBD

Preview

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers*

Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

TBD

May 18 TBD

Preview

Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers*

Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH

Regular-season series

Indiana won 3–1 in the regular-season series

January 12, 2025 Recap Indiana Pacers 108, Cleveland Cavaliers 93 Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH January 14, 2025 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 127, Indiana Pacers 117 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN April 10, 2025 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 112, Indiana Pacers 114 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN April 13, 2025 Recap Indiana Pacers 126, Cleveland Cavaliers 118 (2OT) Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH

This is the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Cleveland winning two of the past three.

Previous playoff series

Cleveland leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
1998 Indiana Pacers 3, Cleveland Cavaliers 1 1998 Eastern Conference First Round 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Indiana Pacers 0 2017 Eastern Conference First Round 2018 Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Indiana Pacers 3 2018 Eastern Conference First Round

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) New York Knicks

TNT/TruTV

May 5 7:00 p.m.

Recap

New York Knicks 108, Boston Celtics 105 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 20–35, 30–23, 25–16, Overtime: 8–5
Pts: Anunoby, Brunson 29 each Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 13 Asts: Mikal Bridges 7		Pts: Brown, Tatum 23 each Rebs: Jayson Tatum 16 Asts: Jayson Tatum 6
New York leads series, 1–0

TD Garden, Boston, MA Attendance: 19,156 Referees: Marc Davis, Ben Taylor, JB DeRosa

After trailing by 20 points midway through the 3rd quarter, the Knicks would slowly rally from the deficit and re-take the lead in the 4th quarter. With the score tied 100–100, Jalen Brunson, who had previously hit two back-to-back 3s, missed a potential game-winning layup which sent the game to overtime. In the OT, Mikal Bridges had 2 crucial steals, including the game-winning strip from Jaylen Brown to give New York a 108–105 victory and a 1–0 series lead. Brunson and OG Anunoby both scored 29 points, whereas Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 46 points, but shot 14-43 from the field, including 5-25 from 3-point range. The Celtics also set an NBA playoff record for the most missed 3-pointers in a single game with 45, shooting 15-60 from 3-point range overall.

TNT/TruTV

May 7 7:00 p.m.

Recap

New York Knicks 91, Boston Celtics 90
Scoring by quarter: 13–24, 28–26, 20–23, 30–17
Pts: Josh Hart 23 Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 17 Asts: Jalen Brunson 7		Pts: Brown, White 20 each Rebs: Jayson Tatum 14 Asts: three players 5 each
New York leads series, 2–0

TD Garden, Boston, MA Attendance: 19,156 Referees: James Capers, Kevin Scott, Mark Lindsay

The Knicks made history as the only team to comeback from 20-point deficits in back-to-back playoff games, as they took a commanding 2–0 series lead in Game 2. Jalen Brunson only scored 17 points for New York, but made two free throws with 12.7 seconds left to give his team the 91–90 lead. On the last possession of the game, Jayson Tatum then couldn’t get to the rim and Mikal Bridges moved in to bat the ball away and recover it, securing his 2nd game-ending steal in as many games. Bridges also scored all of his 14 points in the fourth quarter. Josh Hart had 23 points and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Knicks. The Celtics, who led by 20-points multiple times in the game, had another off night shooting the three, going 10-for-40. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White scored 20 points apiece, while star forward Jayson Tatum was limited to 13 points on 5-for-19 shooting for the Celtics. Kristaps Porzingis did not start after sitting out the second half of Game 1 with an illness. He came off the bench for just the fifth time in his NBA career and finished with eight points and four rebounds in 14 minutes. In the fourth quarter, the Celtics went eight minutes without a field goal make. The Knicks improved to 5-0 on the road in this playoffs, with each of their wins coming by 3 points or less.

ABC

May 10 3:30 p.m.

Preview

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

ESPN

May 12 7:30 p.m.

Preview

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

TNT/TruTV

May 14 TBD

Preview

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics*

TD Garden, Boston, MA

ESPN

May 16 8:00 p.m.

Preview

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks*

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

TNT/TruTV

May 19 8:00 p.m.

Preview

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics*

TD Garden, Boston, MA

Regular-season series

Boston won 4–0 in the regular-season series
October 22, 2024 Recap New York Knicks 109, Boston Celtics 132 TD Garden, Boston, MA February 8, 2025 Recap Boston Celtics 131, New York Knicks 104 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY February 23, 2025 Recap New York Knicks 105, Boston Celtics 118 TD Garden, Boston, MA April 8, 2025 Recap Boston Celtics 119, New York Knicks 117 (OT) Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

This is the 16th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning eight of the first 15 meetings.

Previous playoff series

Boston leads 8–7 in all-time playoff series

1951 Boston Celtics 0, New York Knicks 2 1951 Eastern Division Semifinals 1952 Boston Celtics 1, New York Knicks 2 1952 Eastern Division Semifinals 1953 New York Knicks 3, Boston Celtics 1 1953 Eastern Division Finals 1954 New York Knicks 0, Boston Celtics 2 1954 Eastern Division Round Robin Semifinals 1955 New York Knicks 1, Boston Celtics 2 1955 Eastern Division Semifinals 1967 Boston Celtics 3, New York Knicks 1 1967 Eastern Division Semifinals 1969 New York Knicks 2, Boston Celtics 4 1969 Eastern Division Finals 1972 Boston Celtics 1, New York Knicks 4 1972 Eastern Conference Finals 1973 Boston Celtics 3, New York Knicks 4 1973 Eastern Conference Finals 1974 Boston Celtics 4, New York Knicks 1 1974 Eastern Conference Finals 1984 Boston Celtics 4, New York Knicks 3 1984 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1988 Boston Celtics 3, New York Knicks 1 1988 Eastern Conference First Round 1990 Boston Celtics 2, New York Knicks 3 1990 Eastern Conference First Round 2011 Boston Celtics 4, New York Knicks 0 2011 Eastern Conference First Round 2013 New York Knicks 4, Boston Celtics 2 2013 Eastern Conference First Round

Western Conference semifinals

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4) Denver Nuggets

TNT/TruTV

May 5 9:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Denver Nuggets 121, Oklahoma City Thunder 119
Scoring by quarter: 26–27, 24–33, 35–30, 36–29
Pts: Nikola Jokić 42 Rebs: Nikola Jokić 22 Asts: Jokić, Murray 6 each		Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 33 Rebs: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 10 Asts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 8
Denver leads series, 1–0

Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK Attendance: 18,203 Referees: John Goble, Josh Tiven, Karl Lane

After spending the vast majority of the second half trailing, the Nuggets orchestrated a massive comeback to win 121–119, stealing homecourt advantage from the Thunder. MVP candidate Nikola Jokić was once again dominant, dropping an all-rounded stat line of 42 points, 22 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks. Aaron Gordon finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Jamal Murray added 21 points and 6 assists, Christian Braun had 11 points and 13 boards, and former Thunder player Russell Westbrook contributed 18 points off the bench. In total, the Nuggets had 72 rebounds, the third most in a playoff game since the ABA–NBA merger. For the top-seeded Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 33 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists, finishing 2 assists shy of a triple-double. Alex Caruso, as a substitute, shot 5-of-9 from beyond the arc en route to 20 points. None of the other Thunder players scored above 20. With the Thunder up by 1 with 10 seconds remaining, Chet Holmgren was awarded 2 free throws, but he missed both; Braun took the rebound and Gordon proved to be Denver's hero by scoring the game-winning 3-pointer with 4 seconds left on the clock.

TNT/TruTV

May 7 9:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Denver Nuggets 106, Oklahoma City Thunder 149
Scoring by quarter: 21–45, 35–42, 20–37, 30–25
Pts: Russell Westbrook 19 Rebs: Nikola Jokić 8 Asts: Nikola Jokić 6		Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 34 Rebs: Chet Holmgren 11 Asts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 8
Series tied, 1–1

Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK Attendance: 18,203 Referees: Scott Foster, James Williams, Ed Malloy

ESPN

May 9 10:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. MDT)

Preview

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets

Ball Arena, Denver, CO

ABC

May 11 3:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. MDT)

Preview

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets

Ball Arena, Denver, CO

TNT/TruTV

May 13 TBD (TBD CDT)

Preview

Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

ESPN

May 15 TBD (TBD MDT)

Preview

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets*

Ball Arena, Denver, CO

TBD

May 18 TBD (TBD CDT)

Preview

Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder*

Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
October 24, 2024 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 102, Denver Nuggets 87 Ball Arena, Denver, CO November 6, 2024 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 122, Denver Nuggets 124 Ball Arena, Denver, CO March 9, 2025 Recap Denver Nuggets 103, Oklahoma City Thunder 127 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK March 10, 2025 Recap Denver Nuggets 140, Oklahoma City Thunder 127 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

This is the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two of the past four; the first three series were played when the Thunder were the Seattle SuperSonics.

Previous playoff series

Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series
1978 Denver Nuggets 2, Seattle SuperSonics 4 1978 Western Conference Finals 1988 Denver Nuggets 3, Seattle SuperSonics 2 1988 Western Conference First Round 1994 Seattle SuperSonics 2, Denver Nuggets 3 1994 Western Conference First Round 2011 Oklahoma City Thunder 4, Denver Nuggets 1 2011 Western Conference First Round

(6) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (7) Golden State Warriors

TNT/TruTV

May 6 9:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. CDT)

Recap

Golden State Warriors 99, Minnesota Timberwolves 88
Scoring by quarter: 18–20, 26–11, 36–29, 19–28
Pts: Buddy Hield 24 Rebs: Jimmy Butler 11 Asts: Jimmy Butler 8		Pts: Anthony Edwards 23 Rebs: Anthony Edwards 14 Asts: Julius Randle 6
Golden State leads series, 1–0

Target Center, Minneapolis, MN Attendance: 19,223 Referees: Zach Zarba, Bill Kennedy, Sean Corbin

TNT/TruTV

May 8 8:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. CDT)

Preview

Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

ABC

May 10 8:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. PDT)

Preview

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Golden State Warriors

Chase Center, San Francisco, CA

ESPN

May 12 10:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. PDT)

Preview

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Golden State Warriors

Chase Center, San Francisco, CA

TNT/TruTV

May 14 TBD (TBD CDT)

Preview

Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves*

Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

TBD

May 18 TBD (TBD PDT)

Preview

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Golden State Warriors*

Chase Center, San Francisco, CA

ESPN

May 20 8:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. CDT)

Preview

Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves*

Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

Regular-season series

Golden State won 3–1 in the regular-season series

December 6, 2024 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 107, Golden State Warriors 90 Chase Center, San Francisco, CA December 8, 2024 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 106, Golden State Warriors 114 Chase Center, San Francisco, CA December 21, 2024 Recap Golden State Warriors 113, Minnesota Timberwolves 103 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN January 15, 2025 Recap Golden State Warriors 116, Minnesota Timberwolves 115 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

This is the first playoff meeting between these two teams.

Statistical leaders

Category	Game High			Average
	Player	Team	High	Player	Team	Avg.	GP
Points	Donovan Mitchell	Cleveland Cavaliers	48	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Milwaukee Bucks	33.0	5
Rebounds	Rudy Gobert	Minnesota Timberwolves	24	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Milwaukee Bucks	15.4	5
Assists	Tyrese Haliburton	Indiana Pacers	15	Tyrese Haliburton	Indiana Pacers	10.7	7
Steals	Jarrett Allen	Cleveland Cavaliers	6	Gary Trent Jr.	Milwaukee Bucks	2.6	5
Blocks	Zach Edey	Memphis Grizzlies	7	Chet Holmgren	Oklahoma City Thunder	2.8	6

Media coverage

Television

This is the final playoffs that games will air nationally across ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV in the United States before both Amazon Prime Video and NBC Sports replace TNT and NBA TV next season. For the second and final time, TruTV may simulcast or air alternate broadcasts of select TNT games. This is also the final year that each team's regional broadcaster will be permitted to televise local coverage of first-round games, with the exception of games on ABC. In general, during the first two rounds, ABC broadcasts Sunday afternoon games, TNT has Sunday through Wednesday night games, and ESPN televises Friday night games. For Thursday night games, TNT will air games in the first round and then get split in the second round with TNT (at least 1 game) and ESPN (at least 2 games). NBA TV televised selected Tuesday through Thursday night first-round games, produced by TNT Sports. Additionally this postseason, an NBA TV/ESPNU simulcast of Game 3 of Indiana–Milwaukee on Friday, April 25 was scheduled to accommodate ABC and ESPN2's coverage of the 2025 NFL draft, airing in roughly the same time slot. Saturday first-round games are split by ABC, ESPN, and TNT (with ESPN airing three Saturday afternoon games on the opening weekend, ABC airing two Saturday night games; and TNT aired three games on the middle weekend, and a Saturday night first-round game 7 on the final weekend), ABC will then air all the Saturday second round games.

As per the alternating rotation, ESPN/ABC has exclusive coverage of the Western Conference finals while TNT has exclusive coverage of the Eastern Conference finals. ABC has exclusive coverage of the NBA Finals for the 23rd straight year.

Streaming

NBA TV games was available on NBA League Pass as part of its normal streaming service for that channel. TNT games stream on Max.

Sponsorship

NBA has continued its sponsorship agreement with Google since 2022, with Google Pixel serving as first presenting partner of the Playoffs from 2022 through 2024. Beginning with this season, it will now be rebranded as "2025 NBA Playoffs presented by Google," giving an expansion of sponsorship for other Google brands, outside of Pixel. As part of an multi-year agreement with Google, this sponsorship provides the logo branding inside the venues and in official digital properties on-court, as well as commercial inventory during ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV's telecasts of the playoff games.

External links

• Basketball – Reference.com's 2025 Playoffs section