The second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs is here, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game of the Eastern and Western Conference semifinals.
The No. 4 Indiana Pacers kicked off the conference semifinals by taking home court from the No. 1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers with a 121-112 victory in Game 1. The Cavaliers will try to bounce back Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, TNT).
On Monday, the No. 3 New York Knicks beat the No. 2 Boston Celtics in an overtime thriller in Game 1 behind Jalen Brunson’s 29 points. In the West, the No. 4 Denver Nuggets will take on the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
As teams continue to chase the Larry O’Brien Trophy, here’s what matters most in both conferences and what to watch for in all four series.
Jump to a series:
Cavaliers-Pacers | Knicks-Celtics
More coverage:
Schedules and results | Offseason guides
Eastern Conference
Game 1: Knicks 108, Celtics 105
What we learned: The Knicks, down 20 in the third quarter and with the tide of momentum seemingly going completely against them, were very much still alive — both because they showed incredible grit, but also because the Celtics played with their food far too much in the second half. The defending champs took 20 shots in the third, with a whopping 19 coming from beyond the three-point arc. They finished with a playoff-record 60 three-point attempts in total.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Co. playing solely from the arc hindered the Celtics, who had no way of getting easy points from the line. It also benefited the Knicks, who’d had a trio of starters — Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart — in foul trouble. The game went to overtime, but by then, the momentum had shifted enough to give the Knicks a shot that they likely never should have had based on how much Boston was leading by in the third.
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Brunson scores 29 as the Knicks overcome the Celtics in overtime
Jalen Brunson tallies 29 points to help the Knicks overcome a 20-point deficit and defeat the Celtics in overtime.
Game 2: Knicks at Celtics (Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, TNT)
What to watch: What does the shot diet look like for Tatum and Brown, who relied far too heavily on the three on a night where, combined, they hit just 5-of-25 triples? Will Kristaps Porzingis be back for Game 2? He played just 13 minutes and didn’t play at all in the second half with an illness. This come-from-behind win should give the Knicks confidence, who now know they can definitively beat the Celtics after having gone winless against them during the regular season. — Chris Herring
Game 1: Pacers 121, Cavaliers 112
What we learned: Indiana threw the first punch and stole home-court advantage in the series after outscoring Cleveland 29-22 in the fourth quarter. The Pacers entered as the underdogs in this series against the top-seeded Cavs, but it was Indiana that raced out to a first-quarter advantage and dictated the flow of the game while handing Cleveland its first loss of the playoffs.
The Pacers made 19 3-pointers, the second most in a playoff game in franchise history, and had six players finish with double figures in scoring. Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton finished with 22 points, 13 assists, 3 blocks and a steal while Indiana shot 7 for 12 from 3 (58%) on his passes.
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Tyrese Haliburton drills step-back 3 for Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton splashes a big step-back 3 for the Pacers down the stretch vs. the Cavaliers.
Game 2: Pacers at Cavaliers (Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, TNT)
What to watch: Darius Garland’s status is very important in this series. Cleveland got away with being less than 100% in the first round against the Miami Heat, but it was evident from the opening quarter Sunday that the Pacers are a level up in competition.
Indiana consistently generated open shots and knocked them down. The Cavaliers will need Garland, who has missed the past three playoff games because of a sprained big toe, to provide some offensive help to Donovan Mitchell, who finished with 33 points. — Jamal Collier
