The first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs is complete!
Eight teams from each conference reached the first round and faced off in a best-of-seven series to advance. All four rounds of the NBA playoffs are best-of-seven, and teams are not reseeded after each round. The team with the better regular-season record in each series will have home-court advantage for that series. All series are played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the team with the better record hosting Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 (if necessary).
The Cleveland Cavaliers claimed the No. 1 seed in the East and advanced to the second round after sweeping the No. 8 Miami Heat. The Cavs will now face the No. 4 Indiana Pacers, who eliminated the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks in five games. The No. 2 seed Boston Celtics continue their title defense after also only needing five games to oust the No. 7 seed Orlando Magic. The Celtics will face off against the No. 3 New York Knicks.
In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder landed the No. 1 seed for a second straight season behind MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and and became the first team to advance to the second round after sweeping the No. 8 seed Memphis Grizzlies. Finishing at No. 2 were the Houston Rockets, one of the season's most improved teams, but they fell in seven games against the No. 7 Golden State Warriors. LeBron James and Luka Doncic led the Los Angeles Lakers to a No. 3 seed but were eliminated the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves. Meanwhile, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the No. 4 Denver Nuggets outlasted the No. 5 LA Clippers in a Game 7 rout.
We'll have complete coverage of the NBA playoffs all the way through the 2025 NBA Finals, which tip off June 5 on ABC and the ESPN App.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers win series over (8) Miami Heat, 4-0
Game 1, April 20: Cavaliers 121, Heat 100
Game 2, April 23: Cavaliers 121, Heat 112
Game 3, April 26: Cavaliers 124, Heat 87
Game 4, April 28: Cavaliers 138, Heat 83
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(2) Boston Celtics win series over (7) Orlando Magic, 4-1
Game 1, April 20: Celtics 103, Magic 86
Game 2, April 23: Celtics 109, Magic 100
Game 3, April 25: Magic 95, Celtics 93
Game 4, April 27: Celtics 107, Magic 98
Game 5, April 29: Celtics 120, Magic 89
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(3) New York Knicks win series over (6) Detroit Pistons, 4-2
Game 1, April 19: Knicks 123, Pistons 112
Game 2, April 21: Pistons 100, Knicks 94
Game 3, April 24: Knicks 118, Pistons 116
Game 4, April 27: Knicks 94, Pacers 93
Game 5, April 29: Pistons 106, Knicks 103
Game 6, May 1: Knicks 116, Pistons 113
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Jalen Brunson's late 3-pointer dooms Pistons; Knicks advance
Officials admit error on final shot in Knicks' Game 4 win over Pistons
Collier: 'Bad Boys' and Detroit energy: How the Pistons turned at around
Wright: How the Amen and Ausar Thompson are visualizing their NBA goals
Herring: Josh Hart and his do-it-all plays could be Knicks' key
Woodyard: Cade Cunningham is eyeing more success for the Detroit Pistons
(4) Indiana Pacers win series over (5) Milwaukee Bucks, 4-1
Game 1, April 19: Pacers 117, Bucks 98
Game 2, April 22: Pacers 123, Bucks 115
Game 3, April 25: Bucks 117, Pacers 101
Game 4, April 27: Pacers 129, Bucks 103
Game 5, April 29: Pacers 119, Buckers 118 (OT)
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder win series over (8) Memphis Grizzlies, 4-0
Game 1, April 20: Thunder 131, Grizzlies 80
Game 2, April 22: Thunder 118, Grizzlies 99
Game 3, April 24: Thunder 114, Grizzlies 108
Game 4, April 26: Thunder 117, Grizzlies 115
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Thunder complete sweep of Grizzlies, reach Western semifinals
Bontemps: SGA or Jokic? Results are in for final MVP straw poll
Kram: NBA contenders don't fear the Thunder -- here are 22 reasons they should
(7) Golden State Warriors win series over (2) Houston Rockets, 4-3
Game 1, April 20: Warriors 95, Rockets 85
Game 2, April 23: Rockets 109, Warriors 94
Game 3, April 26: Warriors 104, Rockets 93
Game 4, April 28: Warriors 109, Rockets 106
Game 5, April 30: Rockets 131, Rockets 116
Game 6, May 2: Rockets 115, Warriors 107
Game 7, May 4: Warriors 103, Rockets 89
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MacMahon: The Rockets are still waiting for their next superstar
Youngmisuk: Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and the 'last ride' with Jimmy Butler
Wright: How the Amen and Ausar Thompson are visualizing their NBA goals
MacMahon: How Ime Udoka built the Houston Rockets' new identity
(6) Minnesota Timberwolves win series over (3) Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1
Game 1, April 19: Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95
Game 2, April 22: Lakers 94, Timberwolves 85
Game 3, April 25: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 104
Game 4, April 27: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 113
Game 5, April 30: Timberwolves 103, Lakers 96
Jay Williams and Mike Greenberg discuss Luka Doncic's conditioning and how long he will be able to play in the NBA at an elite level.
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Wolves win third straight to eliminate Lakers in first round
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(4) Denver Nuggets win series over (5) LA Clippers, 4-3
Game 1, April 19: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110 (OT)
Game 2, April 21: Clippers 105, Nuggets 102
Game 3, April 24: Clippers 117, Nuggets 83
Game 4, April 26: Nuggets 101, Clippers 99
Game 5, April 29: Nuggets 131, Clippers 115
Game 6, May 1: Clippers 111, Nuggets 105
Game 7, May 3: Nuggets 120, Clippers 101
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