The second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs is here, and our NBA insiders cover you every game in the Eastern and Western Conference semifinals.
The fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers played the Eastern Conference semifinals Sunday night, snatching home advantage from the No. 1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers with a 121-112 victory. The Cavaliers will try to rebound in Game 2 on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET).
The East's third seed New York Knicks beat the 2-seed Boston Celtics in Game 1 overtime thriller on Monday, second only to Jalen Brunson's 29 points. Also on Monday, the Denver 4-seed Nuggets welcomed Oklahoma City's No. 1 seed Thunder in the West.
As the team continues to chase the Larry O'Brien trophy, it's the most important in the conference and is worthy of attention in all four series.
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Knight Infantry|Knicks Celtic
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Schedule and Results | Offseason Guide
Eastern Conference
Game 1: Knicks 108, Celtics 105 (OT)
What we learned: The Knicks fell 20 in the third quarter, and the momentum seemed to be completely fighting them but was still alive. That's because they showed incredible courage - and also because the Celtics played too much in the second half. The defending champion shot 20 shots in the third inning and had a three-point arc of more than 19. The Celtics ended the game with a 60 3-pointer in NBA-Playoff Record.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown & Co., played only from the arc, hindered the Celtics, who couldn’t get simple points from the foul line. It also benefited the Knicks, who met three starters - Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart. The game went into overtime, but by then, the momentum had changed enough to give them the Knicks shots that they could not have based on Boston's lead in the third inning.
Game 2: Knicks in the Celtics (EST, Wednesday, Wednesday, TNT)
What to watch: What is the photography diet for Tatum and Brown, who relied heavily on 3 times on Monday night, when they hit only 5 of 25 ferrodianes. Will Boston's Kristaps Porzingis come back for the second game? He played for only 13 minutes in Game 1 and did not move in the second half. This win in New York should bring confidence to the Knicks, because they now know that there is no doubt about Boston in the regular season that they can absolutely beat the Celtics. - Chris Herring
Game 1: Pacers 121, Knight 112
What we learned: Indiana threw a home advantage of the first hit in the series after leading Cleveland 29-22 in the fourth quarter. The Pacers made it to the loser in this series against the top-seeded Cavaliers, but it was Indiana that beat the first quarter advantage and determined the flow of the game while losing Cleveland to the playoffs for the first time.
The Pacers scored 19 3-pointers, the second-largest 3-pointer in the team's history, with six players scoring double-digit numbers. Pacers All-Star Guard Tyrese Haliburton scored 22 points, 13 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal, while Indiana hit seven points with three (58%) of passes.
Game 2: Cavaliers Pacers (Tuesday, Tuesday, TNT)
What to watch: Darius Garland's status is very important in this series. Cleveland escaped less than 100% in the first round against the Miami Heat, but the Pacers achieved levels in the game starting Sunday’s opening quarter.
Indiana always produces open shots and knocks them out. The Cavaliers will need Garland, who missed the last three playoff games with a sprained big toe, has provided some offensive help for Donovan Mitchell, who scored 33 points. - - Jamal Collier