2025 NBA playoffs

Tournament details
Dates	April 19 – June 22, 2025
Season	2024–25
Teams	16
Final positions
Champions	Oklahoma City Thunder(2nd title)
Runners-up	Indiana Pacers
Semifinalists	Minnesota Timberwolves New York Knicks
← 2024 2026 →

The2025 NBA playoffs was thepostseason tournament of theNational Basketball Association's (NBA)2024–25 season. TheOklahoma City Thunder, led by the reigningMVP and scoring leaderShai Gilgeous-Alexander, finished the season with a league-best68–14 record, giving them the firstseed in theWestern Conference. TheEastern Conference's best record was held by theCleveland Cavaliers, who finished with a64–18 record under their starDonovan Mitchell. The defending championBoston Celtics, with theirscoring duo ofJayson Tatum andJaylen Brown, clinched the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of61–21. The Thunder, Cavaliers, and Celtics were widely seen as the championship contenders heading into the playoffs. The tournament began on April 19 after the conclusion of theplay-ins.

In the first round, the Cavaliersswept the eighth-seededMiami Heat, who had just made it through the play-in. The Celtics defeated the seventh-seededOrlando Magic in five games, while the third-seededNew York Knicks, led byJalen Brunson andKarl-Anthony Towns, took six games to dispatch the sixth-seededDetroit Pistons. The fourth-seededIndiana Pacers, withTyrese Haliburton, defeated theGiannis Antetokounmpo-ledMilwaukee Bucks, the fifth seed, in five games after Haliburton's game-winning shot in game 5. The Western Conference saw the Thunder sweep theMemphis Grizzlies, while the seventh-seededGolden State Warriors defeated the second-seededHouston Rockets inseven games. The sixth-seededMinnesota Timberwolves, led byAnthony Edwards, overcame theLuka Dončić-ledLos Angeles Lakers in five games, and theNikola Jokić-led fourth-seededDenver Nuggets defeated the fifth seed, theLos Angeles Clippers, in seven games.

The second round, the conference semifinals, saw Haliburton's Pacersupset Mitchell's Cavaliers in five games, while the Knicks unexpectedly defeated the Celtics in six games after Tatum suffered anAchilles tendon rupture. The Thunder–Nuggets series went to seven games, with the Thunder prevailing, and the Timberwolves defeated the Warriors in five games after Golden State's starStephen Curry had an injury. In theEastern Conference Finals, the Pacers unexpectedly triumphed over theirrival Knicks in six games, while theWestern Conference Finals saw the Thunder defeat the Timberwolves in five games.

The2025 NBA Finals was expected to be an easy victory for the Thunder, who had won 18 more games than the Pacers, but at the end of the first six games, the series was tied 3–3, requiring a decisivegame seven, the first in the Finals since2016. The Thunder won the game 103–91 after Haliburton tore hisAchilles tendon in the first quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander was namedFinals MVP after averaging 30points per game (ppg) during the playoffs. The Thunder's championship was their first since1979, when they were known as theSeattle SuperSonics. The Pacers' postseason run, which included five 15-pointcomebacks and four game-tying or game-winning shots by Haliburton, is considered one of the most surprising in NBA history.^[1]

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• TheOklahoma City Thunder entered the playoffs with the best record in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season and also finished with theirbest regular-season record in franchise history. They also won theMaurice Podoloff Trophy for clinching the best record in the NBA for the first time in franchise history.
• TheCleveland Cavaliers entered the playoffs for the third consecutive season and also clinched the number one seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since2016, and the first time withoutLeBron James on their roster.
• TheBoston Celtics entered the playoffs for the eleventh consecutive season, the longest such streak in the NBA.
• TheMilwaukee Bucks entered the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.
• TheDenver Nuggets entered the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.
• TheMiami Heat entered the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. They also became the first 10-seed to advance from theplay-in tournament into the playoffs.^[2]
• TheMinnesota Timberwolves entered the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
• TheNew York Knicks,Los Angeles Lakers, andLos Angeles Clippers entered the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
• TheIndiana Pacers andOrlando Magic entered the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
• TheGolden State Warriors returned to the playoffs after losing in theplay-in tournament the previous year.
• TheMemphis Grizzlies returned to the playoffs after missing the postseason the previous year.
• TheHouston Rockets entered the playoffs for the first time since2020.
• TheDetroit Pistons entered the playoffs for the first time since2019.
• TheNew Orleans Pelicans andDallas Mavericks missed the playoffs after making the postseason the previous year.
• ThePhoenix Suns missed the playoffs for the first time since2020.
• ThePhiladelphia 76ers missed the playoffs for the first time since2017.
• TheBrooklyn Nets,Sacramento Kings, andAtlanta Hawks missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
• TheUtah Jazz,Toronto Raptors, andChicago Bulls missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
• TheWashington Wizards andPortland Trail Blazers missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
• TheSan Antonio Spurs missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.
• TheCharlotte Hornets missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, currently the longest active playoff drought in the NBA.

• TheAtlanta Hawks competed in the play-in tournament for the fourth consecutive season.
• TheChicago Bulls andMiami Heat competed in the play-in tournament for the third consecutive season.
• TheSacramento Kings andGolden State Warriors competed in the play-in tournament for the second consecutive season.
• TheMemphis Grizzlies competed in the play-in tournament for the first time since2021.
• TheOrlando Magic andDallas Mavericks competed in the play-in tournament for the first time in franchise history.

• 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.^[2]
• The Dallas Mavericks became the first team since the2019–20 Golden State Warriors to miss the playoffs after reaching theNBA Finals the previous season.

• The Thunder's 51-point victory against the Grizzlies was the largest margin of victory in a Game 1 in NBA history.^[3]
• The Pistons' Game 2 victory over the Knicks was their first playoff win since2008, ending a 15-game postseason losing streak, the longest in NBA history.^[4] 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.^[5]
• 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 in1976.
• The Cavaliers' 55-point victory over the Heat in Game 4 was the largest series-clinching win in NBA history.^[6]
• The Cavaliers' 122-point differential in their series against the Heat was the largest in NBA history.^[6]
• 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.^[7]
• 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 was1999. 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 since2020 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 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 in1987,1989,1991,1998,2010, and2023. 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 team to defeat the second-seed team three times as the seventh-seeded team, following previous instances in1989 and1991.

• 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 theCeltics facing theCavaliers and theKnicks versus thePacers.
• The Western Conference Semifinals match-up between Oklahoma City and Denver features the top two MVP favorites inShai Gilgeous-Alexander andNikola Jokić. The last time this occurred was in the2017 first round whenJames Harden's Rockets defeatedRussell Westbrook's Thunder in five games. Westbrook won the MVP that season, while Harden finished a close second.^[8]
• 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 the1987 WCSF between theRockets (6) vsSuperSonics (7) and the2023 WCSF between theWarriors (6) vsLakers (7).
• In Game 1 against the Knicks, the Celtics set the NBA playoff record for most missed 3-point shots in a game (45).
• With his Game 1 game-winner,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.^[9]
• 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. In addition, the Celtics were the first team to blow back-to-back 20 point leads in the playoffs.
• The Cavaliers and the Celtics became the first teams since the1992–93 Phoenix Suns to trail 0–2 before the conference finals as a 60-win team.^[10]
• The Thunder scored 87 points in the first half of Game 2 against the Nuggets, setting an NBA playoff record for most points scored in a first half, and tying the NBA playoff record for points in a half set by the Milwaukee Bucks in the1978 WCSF.^[11]
• The Pacers led by 41 points at halftime of Game 4 against the Cavaliers, tying the playoff record set by Cleveland in Game 2 of the2017 Eastern Conference Finals.^[12]
• The Cavaliers were the first Eastern Conference team to win62 games or more and not make the Eastern Conference Finals.^[13]
• With the Cavaliers and Celtics both eliminated, this marked the first time since2007 that two 60-win teams failed to reach the conference finals.
• The elimination of theBoston Celtics guarantees that there would be a 7th different NBA champion in the last 7 years, the first time this has happened in NBA history.
• The Nuggets-Thunder series was the second-most lopsided series to go seven games in NBA history, following theCeltics-Hawks first round series in2008.^[14]

• With theBoston Celtics losing to theNew York Knicks in the preceding conference semifinals, this was the sixth straight conference finals without the defending NBA champions.
• Neither thefirst-seeded team nor thesecond-seeded team made theEastern Conference finals for the first time since2021.
• The conference finals featured teams that had a chance to win their first championship or hadn't won a championship in over four decades:

• The New York Knicks last won the NBA championship in1973.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder last won the NBA championship in1979 when they were still known as theSeattle SuperSonics.
• The Indiana Pacers have never won an NBA championship since joining the league in theABA-NBA merger in1976.
• The Minnesota Timberwolves have never won an NBA championship or advanced to the NBA Finals since joining the league as an expansion team in1989.

• This is the first Western Conference Finals since 1996 to not feature a team fromCalifornia orTexas.
• In Game 1 against the Knicks, the Pacers became the first team since play-by-play records began in 1998 to win after trailing by 9+ points in the final minute of a playoff game. Also in the game,Aaron Nesmith became the first player in NBA history to make six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.^[15]
• Oklahoma City surpassed the2019 Toronto Raptors' +79 turnover differential for largest in a single-playoff in NBA postseason history. It took Toronto 24 games to accomplish this feat, while Oklahoma City surpassed this mark in their 12th game.^[16]
• In Game 4,Tyrese Haliburton became the first player in NBA playoff history to record 30 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds with no turnovers in a game.^[17]
• For the first time since2015, both the Eastern Conference champions and the Western Conference champions clinched their NBA Finals berth on their home court.^[a]

• The Thunder are the youngest team to make the NBA Finals since the1977 Portland Trail Blazers.^[18]
• This is the first NBA Finals without a luxury tax team since thesalary cap era began in 2002.^[19]
• The 18 game difference in wins between the Thunder and Pacers is the largest among NBA Finals participants since the1981 Finals between the 62-winCeltics and 40-winRockets.^[20]
• The Pacers in Game 1 joined the1999 Spurs in Game 2 of theWestern Conference Finals and the2002 Lakers in Game 4 of theWestern Conference Finals as teams to win a playoff game despite leading for only 20 seconds or less.^[21]
  • Indiana also tied the1992 Chicago Bulls inGame 6 and the2011 Dallas Mavericks inGame 2 for the largest NBA Finals fourth quarter comeback.^[22]
  • Tyrese Haliburton's go-ahead shot with 0.3 seconds left marked the latest game winner in an NBA Finals game sinceMichael Jordan's buzzer-beating shot in Game 1 of the1997 Finals.^[23]
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (72 points) surpassedAllen Iverson (71 points,2001) for the most combined points scored in a player's first two Finals games.^[24]
• InGame 5,Jalen Williams became the third-youngest player since theABA–NBA merger to score at least 40 points in a Finals game.^[25]
  • Jalen Williams andShai Gilgeous-Alexander joinedLeBron James andKyrie Irving as the only teammates since 1980 to finish a Finals game with 40+ points for one and 30+ points for the other.^[26]
• In Game 6, the Pacers became the first team in NBA history with eight players to score at least 200 points in a single playoffs.^[27]
• This featured the first NBA FinalsGame 7 since2016.
  • Oklahoma City was the first team to score 100 points or more in an NBA Finals Game 7 since theLos Angeles Lakers andDetroit Pistons scored over the century mark in the1988 NBA Finals.^[28]
  • The Thunder moved to 19–2 after a defeat in both the regular season and playoffs, surpassing the1986–87 Lakers for the best winning percentage in NBA history after loss in a season.^[29]
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the fourth player to win theleague scoring title along with regular season andFinals MVPs in one season, and the first sinceShaquille O'Neal of theLos Angeles Lakers in 2000.^[b][30] He was also the first player sinceLeBron James in2013 to win aregular season MVP and Finals MVP in the same season.

Eight teams from each conference participate in the playoffs. The top six teams in each conference, based onwinning percentage, directly qualify for the playoffs; theseeding 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 in2021 to have aplay-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. Furthermore, the winner of the match between the loser of the 7/8 game and the winner of the 9/10 game always plays on day 2 of the NBA playoffs to allow that team at least a day of rest.^[31]

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.^[32] 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.

On March 5, 2025, theCleveland Cavaliers became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.^[33] While noted in the below tables, division titles have no bearing on seeding.^[34]

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

Atlanta (40–42) andChicago (39–43) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.^[48][49]

Sacramento (40–42) andDallas (39–43) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.^[64][65]

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

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

Teams inbold 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 initalics.

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

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, andJarrett Allen notched a double-double for Cleveland. Although the Heat tried to rally in the second half, Cavaliers guardTy 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 andTyler Herro both finished with over 20 points for the Heat, while reserve guardDavion Mitchell shot 8-of-12 and dished out a game-high nine assists.

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, whereasEvan 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.

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 yearEvan Mobley added 19 points, andMax 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.

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 in2009.^[66] Miami was also the first team ever to lose by 30+ points in the playoffs in back-to-back games. All-star point guardDarius 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 withoutLeBron James on the roster.

This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.^[67]

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, whileWendell Carter Jr. grabbed 13 boards.

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 byGoga 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 onPaolo Banchero andFranz 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 forwardJayson 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.

Franz Wagner (32 points on 11-of-27 shooting, 7 rebounds, 8 assists) andPaolo 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 returningJayson Tatum scored 36 points and had 9 rebounds, but committed 7 turnovers, while co-starJaylen 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 -16plus-minus. In the fourth quarter, the duo of Wagner and Banchero scored 18 of the Magic's 22 points.

Jayson Tatum scored 37 points and pulled down 14 rebounds andJaylen 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.

The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals behindJayson Tatum's 35 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds effort. The game was tied at 53 when Magic starPaolo 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.

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams and the first since2010, with the Magic winning two of the first three meetings.^[68]

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, whileOG 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, whereasTobias 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 since2008.

In just his second playoff game, Pistons' starCade 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 aDennis 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.^[69]

Jalen Brunson (30 points, 11-of-13 from free throws) andKarl-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 andMikal Bridges added 20 points for the Knicks. Detroit'sCade 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 andJalen 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.^[70]

Jalen Brunson (32 points, 11 assists, and 13-of-26 shooting) andKarl-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’sJosh 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.^[71]

In addition, the Pistons have lost nine straight home playoff games since2008, tying an NBA record set byPhiladelphia 76ers from 1968 to 1971.Cade Cunningham finished with the Pistons first playoff triple double sinceIsiah Thomas in 1989.

The Pistons spoiled the Knicks chance to clinch their first playoff series victory atMadison Square Garden since the1999 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 holdingJalen 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.

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 becauseMalik 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, andOG 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.^[72]

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams and the first since1992, with the Knicks winning two of the first three meetings.^[73]

Leading by as much as 28 points, Indiana cruised to a 117–98 win over theirCentral Division rivals.Pascal Siakam scored 25 and grabbed 7 rebounds for the Pacers, whileMyles 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, withoutDamian Lillard, were heavily reliant onGiannis 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-worstplus-minus value of –24.

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 byPascal 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 fromDamian Lillard, who was playing in his first game since March 18.^[74]

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

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 byMyles Turner (23 points, 4 blocks),Andrew Nembhard (20 points), andTyrese 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 hisAchilles tendon in the first quarter of the game, ending his season.

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, aTyrese Halliburton crossover and layup overGiannis 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 andBennedict Mathurin.^[75]

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams and a rematch of theprevious season's first round matchup, with the Pacers winning the first three meetings.^[76]

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.^[77] Six Oklahoma City players scored double-digit points, whileShai Gilgeous-Alexander played 23 minutes and scored 15 points, his lowest-scoring game of the season.^[78]Desmond Bane emerged from the game with the ignominy of being the first NBA player in the 21st century to have aplus-minus lower than -50, with -51.^[79]

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, whileJalen Williams added 24 points, andChet Holmgren put up a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double. For the Grizzlies,Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 26 points, andJa 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.

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 theLos Angeles Clippers and theGolden State Warriors (31 points).Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 31 points, whileJalen Williams added 26 points, andChet 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 overLuguentz Dort on a contested dunk attempt.

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, whileJalen Williams added 23 points on 10-of-21 shooting. Joining them in double figures for the Thunder wereIsaiah Hartenstein (11 points, 12 rebounds),Chet Holmgren (11 points), andAaron Wiggins (11 points) off the bench. With noJa Morant due to injury, Memphis received big contributions from role-playersScotty Pippen Jr. (30 points, 11 rebounds, but 5 turnovers) andSanti 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.

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams and the first since2014, with the Thunder winning two of the first three meetings.^[80]

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 ofJimmy Butler (25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) andStephen Curry (31 points, 6 rebounds, 5 three-point makes). Houston, playing in their first postseason game since2020, were held to the lowest scoring output of the season. Houston’sAlperen Şengün had 26 points, which included aposter dunk onDraymond Green in the 1st quarter, and 9 rebounds. This was the Warriors' first road playoff win since Game 7 of the first round againstSacramento in2023.^[81] Warriors head coachSteve Kerr became the seventh head coach to win 100 playoff games, tyingLarry Brown for sixth place in the list.

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, whileTari Eason came off the bench to score 14 points on 6-of-9 field goal shooting. Nobody on the Warriors scored over 20 points, withStephen Curry scoring exactly 20, along with 9 assists and 5 rebounds, but also 6 turnovers.Moses Moody andQuinten 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.

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-starJimmy 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.^[82] With the win, Warriors head coachSteve Kerr officially earned his 101st playoff win, passingLarry Brown for the 6th place on the NBA's all-time playoff victories as head coach.

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 ofStephen Curry andBuddy Hield, who continued his good form with 15 points off the bench. The Rockets, spearheaded byAlperen 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.

The Rockets kept their season alive with a blowout win in Game 5 at home.Fred VanVleet scored 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting to lead the Rockets, whileAmen 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 coachSteve 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 a 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.

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 betweenDraymond Green's basket with 10:12 left and a 3-pointer byStephen Curry at the 3:35 mark. Throughout the second half, the Warriors utilized theHack-a-Shaq strategy onSteven Adams, resulting in 16 free throw attempts by Adams, of which he made 9.

Led byBuddy Hield's 33 points, including a record-tying nine three-pointers, the Warriors prevented the Rockets from becoming the first team toovercome a 3–1 series deficit since the2019–20 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, butFred 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 the2022–23 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 andDraymond 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.^[83]

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams and the first since2019, with the Warriors winning the first four meetings.^[84]

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, whileNaz 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, althoughLeBron 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.

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, whileLeBron James chipped in with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists.Julius Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring with 27 points, whileAnthony Edwards scored 25, including aposter dunk onJaxson Hayes in the beginning of the third quarter.^[85][86] 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.

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 fromLeBron James.Jaden McDaniels led the Timberwolves with 30 points, whileAnthony 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, whileLuka Dončić, who was reportedly sick, added 17 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists.

Jaden McDaniels converted a three-point play with 39.5 seconds left to take the lead and stole the ensuing inbounds pass fromLeBron 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, surpassingWilt Chamberlain for the third-most in history behindTim Duncan (164) andMagic 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 coachJJ 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.^[87]

Minnesota completed the series upset over the Los Angeles Lakers, behindRudy 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. PerOptaSTATS, just 16.9% of the Lakers' points in the series came in the fourth quarter (85 of 502), which was the lowest percentage by any team in any playoff series in NBA history.^[88]

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams and the first since2004, with the Lakers winning the first two meetings.^[89]

Falling into a 15-point deficit halfway through the second quarter, Denver rallied and ultimately prevailed in overtime.Nikola Jokić dominance was on full display, 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, whileAaron Gordon added another 25 points, including 6 in overtime, and 8 rebounds. The Clippers had two players with a double-double, withJames Harden scoring 32 and dishing out 11 assists, whileIvica 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, butRussell Westbrook made a key defensive play to force a turnover, sealing the victory over his former team.

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, withJames 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 fromMichael Porter Jr. (15 points and 15 rebounds) after his 3-point performance in Game 1.

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; andNicolas Batum provided 12 points off the bench with 4 three-point makes. In the defeat,Nikola Jokić had another playofftriple 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 atIntuit Dome.^[90]

The Nuggets evened the series at 2–2, behind 36 points, 21 rebounds, and 8 assists fromNikola Jokić and a game-winning, buzzer-beating dunk fromAaron 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, withBogdan Bogdanović's offensive rebound and basket. A three-point play from Jokić gave the Nuggets a 99–97 lead, beforeIvica 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.^[91]

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

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, whileNikola 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.

A balanced effort fromJames Harden (28 points and eight assists),Kawhi Leonard (27 points and 10 rebounds) andNorman 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, butRussell 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 onNikola Jokić. Leading the Nuggets was Jokić, who scored 20 of his 25 points in the first half, andJamal 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 fromlast year's playoffs against theTimberwolves, while the Clippers are looking to avenge their Game 7 defeat by theNuggets from the2020 Western Conference semifinals.

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, andWestbrook); 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 wasTyronn Lue's first Game 7 loss as a head coach, after going 4–0 is such games prior. 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.

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams and the first since2020, with each team winning one series.^[92]

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

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 andPascal Siakam had 17 points apiece, whileMyles Turner tallied 13 points and 11 rebounds. On the other hand,Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 33 points and brokeMichael 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 crownedDefensive 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.

Despite trailing by 20 points in the 3rd quarter, the Pacers stormed back and won Game 2 on a game-winning three byTyrese Haliburton, taking a 2–0 series lead. Indiana once again had six players score 10+ points, with 23 fromNesmith andTurner while Haliburton andMathurin scored 19 each.Donovan Mitchell led the way for Cleveland in the absence ofDarius Garland andEvan 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 ofReggie Miller's 8 points in 9 seconds comeback against theKnicks in Game 1 of the ECSF in1995.^[93]

Donovan Mitchell became the first Cavs player sinceLeBron James in2016 to score 40 points in back-to-back playoff games, as Cleveland got back in the series with a road blowout win over the Pacers in Game 3.Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 23 points.Pascal Siakam had 18, andTyrese Haliburton finished with just four points and five assists in his first career home loss in a postseason game he's appeared.Defensive Player of the YearEvan Mobley, All-Star guardDarius Garland, and key backupDe'Andre Hunter all suited up for Cleveland after missing Game 2.Max Strus made four 3-pointers and finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Three other Cleveland players also scored in double figures on a night the Cavs led by as much as 26, never trailed, and managed to protect their late lead when the Pacers cut the deficit to 11 early in the fourth.

Indiana struck back with a dominant offensive performance, tying playoff records with a 41-point lead at halftime and taking a commanding 3–1 series lead over Cleveland. Despite the ejection ofBennedict Mathurin, the Pacers dominated the Cavaliers in the first half, shooting 60% from the field while holding Cleveland to 8 made shots; Indiana led 80–39 at the half, closing the half with a 19–2 run, culminating withAaron Nesmith's buzzer-beating midrange jumper.Pascal Siakam led the scoring for the Pacers with 21 points on 9/10 shooting, whileMyles Turner put up 20 points and 7 rebounds, whileObi Toppin added 20 points off the bench.Darius Garland led the Cavaliers with 21 points and 6 assists, whileDonovan Mitchell exited after the first half with an apparent ankle injury during warm-ups. The Cavaliers' 70–49 second half was not enough to win, and they ended up on the brink of elimination.

The Pacers advanced to their second straight Conference Finals after a crucial upset over the Cavaliers.Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 31 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, whilePascal Siakam added 25 in the road win.Donovan Mitchell, who played through a sprained ankle from Game 4, led the Cavaliers with 35 points in a losing effort, but shot only 8-for-25 from the floor.Evan Mobley tallied a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds.

The Cavaliers opened the game with a dominant 31–19 first quarter and led by as many as 19 points before the Pacers cut the lead to 56–52 at halftime, with Haliburton making all but one of his six three-pointers in the second quarter. The Pacers used a 17–2 run to take an 85–76 lead at the end of the third quarter, and never trailed in the fourth, while fending off a late rally from the Cavaliers and scoring eight of the game's final 10 points, to seal the comeback victory. The Cavaliers struggled to keep up, being 9-for-35 from the three-point range, with Mitchell andDarius Garland scoring only a combined 12 three-pointers on 41 attempted shots.

With the win, the Pacers advance to back-to-back Conference Finals for the first time since2013 and2014. They also became the first team to reach consecutive Conference Finals series as a 4-seed or lower. For the first time since2005, they won three games in a playoff series as the road team. For the first time in franchise history, the Cavaliers lost three home games in a playoff series. Notably, Cleveland went 0-5 atRocket Arena against the Pacers throughout the regular season and playoffs, going 36-5 against every other opponent, with all 5 losses being attributed to unique teams.

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Cleveland winning two of the past three.^[94]

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 fromJaylen Brown to give New York a 108–105 victory and a 1–0 series lead. Brunson andOG Anunoby both scored 29 points, whereasJayson Tatum andJaylen 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.

The Knicks made history as the only team to come back 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 andMikal 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 andKarl-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 andDerrick White scored 20 points apiece, while star forward Jayson Tatum was limited to 13 points on 5-for-19 shooting for the Celtics.Kristaps Porziņģis 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 made. The Knicks improved to 5–0 on the road in these playoffs, with each of their wins coming by 3 points or less.