The 2025 NBA playoffs are in full swing, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game in the march to the Finals.
Monday's action features the New York Knicks, after capturing Game 1 with a late 21-0 run, looking to take a 2-0 series lead on the young Detroit Pistons.
Elsewhere in the East, the conference's top two teams began their postseason runs on Sunday. And despite the Cleveland Cavaliers and the defending champion Boston Celtics notching wins, neither was as easy as the final scores suggested. Saturday's opening day of the playoffs saw the Indiana Pacers easily handle the Milwaukee Bucks, who'll now wait on whether Damian Lillard (calf) will return to action for Game 2.
As the East playoffs continue, here's what matters most ahead of Game 2s in Cavs-Heat, Celtics-Magic, Knicks-Pistons and Pacers-Bucks.
Jump to a series:
Cavaliers-Heat | Celtics-Magic
Knicks-Pistons | Pacers-Bucks
More coverage:
West first-round takeaways
Schedules and results |
Offseason guides
Monday's game
(3) New York Knicks lead
(6) Detroit Pistons 1-0
Game 2: Pistons at Knicks (Monday, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
What to watch:
The health of Brunson, who began Game 1 by shooting 2-for-13, but then, after appearing to tweak his ankle -- and changing his shoes -- looked like a different player late. He connected on five of his seven shots during the team's dominant fourth quarter. Asked about his star guard's status and late-game shoe change, coach Tom Thibodeau said, "I think he grabbed his cape."
On the other side of the ledger, and arguably more important since his availability is at risk, is Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, who exited Game 1 with an apparent knee issue and didn't return. His physicality behind Jalen Duren could be a key to the series, especially with Mitchell Robinson looking strong off New York's bench.
Game 1: Knicks 123, Pistons 112
What we learned:
Fair or not, entering the series, there had been so much talk about the Knicks' collective playoff experience relative to the Pistons, who feature a handful of key youngsters. It was hard to deny that aspect late, when Detroit opened the fourth period at Madison Square Garden with a five-second inbound violation, then followed up that turnover with a shot clock violation. That was a sign of things to come, as New York jumped on the mistakes and embarked on a season-best 21-0 run over a 4½-minute stretch.
Detroit had so much to feel good about through three quarters. The job it did defensively on Jalen Brunson. Its ability to turn OG Anunoby into a one-man offense. The Pistons' spacing and ball movement were solid, even as Cade Cunningham was held down in the scoring column for stretches. But it all fell apart to begin the fourth -- a span in which New York outscored Detroit 40-21 -- and the veteran Knicks never looked back.
The Knicks go off for 21 unanswered points to send Madison Square Garden into a frenzy vs. the Pistons.
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers lead
(8) Miami Heat, 1-0
Game 1: Cavaliers 121, Heat 100
What we learned:
The Cavs have two All-Star guards, but if you ask anyone around the team, they believe they have three. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland looked fresh and active, clearly following a game plan to attack the rim and particularly target Heat guard Tyler Herro in isolation situations.
But Cleveland's third man is and always has been Ty Jerome, a star all season in his role as sixth man. All three guards scored over 20 points to power the Cavs' win. Jerome was the finisher, breaking the Heat zone with three fourth-quarter 3-pointers as he flexed on Herro several times. The Heat eventually had to trap Jerome to get the ball out of his hands down the stretch.
Donovan Mitchell's 30-point game powers the Cavaliers to a comfortable Game 1 win vs. the Heat.
Game 2: Heat at Cavaliers (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
What to watch:
The Heat didn't go to their patented zone until late in the third quarter, only after the Cavs had rolled up 44 points in the paint through the game's first 30 minutes or so. That curveball staggered Cleveland, and the Heat cut their deficit to just seven points early in the fourth. Cleveland has been inconsistent on its 3-point shooting over the past month, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra might challenge the Cavs here and use the zone earlier and more often in Game 2.
-- Brian Windhorst
(2) Boston Celtics lead
(7) Orlando Magic 1-0
Game 1: Celtics 103, Magic 86
What we learned:
Even when the Celtics appear stuck in mud, and even when Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are having off nights -- the All-NBA duo combined to shoot 14-for-36 and 1-for-10 from deep -- the defending champions have more than enough offensive weapons. Payton Pritchard and Derrick White, who combined to hit 11 of Boston's 16 3-pointers, provided that spark Sunday to help turn a one-point halftime deficit into an 11-point lead entering the fourth quarter. Most importantly for the Celtics: Brown, the 2024 Finals MVP, moved well after missing the final three regular-season games with a bone bruise in his right knee, and he finished with 16 points in 30 minutes.
Derrick White knocks down seven 3-pointers for a 30-point night as the Celtics take Game 1 over the Magic.
Game 2: Magic at Celtics (Wednesday, 7 ET, TNT)
What to watch:
Tatum's right wrist will be worth monitoring after he suffered a hard foul and a harder fall on a driving dunk attempt in the fourth quarter. For the Magic, star forward Paolo Banchero (36 points) can do only so much. He and teammate Franz Wagner scored or assisted on 77 of the Magic's 86 points. If Orlando is to put forth a better offensive effort in Game 2, it will likely need to avoid Jrue Holiday. Boston's stopper held the Magic to 2-for-11 shooting with five turnovers as the primary defender in Game 1, according to ESPN Research.
-- Baxter Holmes
(4) Indiana Pacers lead
(5) Milwaukee Bucks 1-0
Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98
What we learned:
The Pacers' depth was evident throughout the game, with Indiana's deep rotation overcoming Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo-centric attack. Indiana had few defensive answers against Antetokounmpo, who finished with 36 points and 12 rebounds and displayed periods of dominance in this rematch of last season's first-round series. But the two-time MVP finished with just one assist, as the Pacers clamped down and limited Milwaukee's remaining players to 34% shooting from the field.
A key indicator of the difference in ball movement among the teams was evidenced in the overall assist numbers; Indiana finished with 28 while Milwaukee had just 15. That led to a typical balanced scoring effort from the Pacers, with five players in double-figure points, led by Pascal Siakam's 25.
Pascal Siakam leads the Pacers with 25 points and 7 rebounds as they crush the Bucks 117-98.
Game 2: Bucks at Pacers (Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
What to watch:
Attention now turns to whether Bucks guard Damian Lillard will return for Game 2 after being sidelined since March 18 because of a blood clot in his right calf. Lillard returned to practice this week after being cleared of deep vein thrombosis, and the Bucks could certainly use his shotmaking after the cold shooting performance from Milwaukee's supporting cast in Game 1.
-- Stephen Holder