Sports
2025 NBA Playoffs Begin: Key Matchups and Viewing Details
NEW YORK, NY — The 2025 NBA Playoffs officially commenced on April 19, bringing excitement as 16 teams battle for the championship title. Following a competitive regular season, the playoffs kicked off with the First Round matchups, pitting teams against each other based on their final standings.
The postseason began earlier with the NBA Play-In Tournament held from April 15 to 18, determining the last two playoff seeds in both conferences. Teams finishing seventh through tenth faced off to secure their positions, setting the stage for the main event.
The NBA Playoffs format is a best-of-seven series, meaning teams must win four games to advance. The winners of the First Round will continue to the conference semi-finals scheduled for May 5-6, depending on how quickly the series conclude. The anticipation builds as the Conference Finals are set to start around the third week of May, leading to the Finals slated for June 5.
The current playoff matchups are:
Western Conference:
- (1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Miami Heat – Series 0-0
- (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Orlando Magic – Series 0-0
- (3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons – Series 1-0
- (4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks – Series 1-0
- (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies – Series 0-0
- (2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Golden State Warriors – Series 0-0
- (3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves – Series 0-1
- (4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers – Series 1-0
Eastern Conference:
- (1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Miami Heat – Series 0-0
- (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Orlando Magic – Series 0-0
- (3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons – Series 1-0
- (4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks – Series 1-0
All playoff games will be broadcast live across various platforms in North America, including ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV. Notably, the NBA Finals, beginning on June 5, will be exclusively available on ABC. International viewers can catch the action through the NBA’s global TV and digital partners, including TNT Sports in the UK and NBA League Pass.
