The 2025 NBA playoffs are in full swing, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game in the march to the Finals.
Cade Cunningham and the No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons are back in their series against the No. 3 seed New York Knicks after hanging on to a Game 2 win at Madison Square Garden. The matchup now heads back to the Motor City with the Pistons looking to build on their first win in the playoffs since 2008.
Elsewhere in the East, the No. 5 seed Milwaukee Bucks‘ Damian Lillard‘s anticipated return wasn’t enough for Tuesday’s crucial Game 2 as the No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers take a 2-0 lead on the series. The other two East series — the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the No. 8 seed Miami Heat and the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics vs. the No. 7 Orlando Magic — will pick back up Wednesday.
As the East playoffs continue, here’s what matters most and what to watch for in all four series.
Jump to a series:
Cavaliers-Heat | Celtics-Magic
Knicks-Pistons | Pacers-Bucks
More coverage:
West first-round takeaways
Schedules and results | Offseason guides
Tuesday’s game
Game 2: Pacers 123, Bucks 115
What we learned:
How dominant have the Pacers been in this series? They haven’t trailed since the 9:03 mark in the first quarter of Game 1, when the Bucks led 8-7. After that point, this series has been a one-sided affair, with Indiana’s balance and offensive diversity proving superior to Milwaukee’s lack of depth and Giannis Antetokounmpo-centric offense.
But none of that seemed to matter late in this game, with the Bucks making a late push that gave them something to hold onto as they head home for Game 3. After trailing by 15 with 5:43 remaining, the Bucks embarked on a 13-0 run over the next three minutes that left the home crowd hushed. Damian Lillard, playing his first game since March 18 after returning from a blood clot, nailed a 3-pointer with 2:33 remaining to cut Indiana’s lead to 115-113 and forced the Pacers to respond. And they did. Indiana closed with a pair of 3s, even as tempers flared — again — between Lillard, Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam.
0:32
Nembhard’s late 3 squashes Bucks’ comeback
Andrew Nembhard hits a big 3-pointer to extend the Pacers’ lead late in Game 2 vs. the Bucks.
Game 3: Pacers at Bucks (Friday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
What to watch:
During last season’s run to the Eastern Conference finals, the Pacers made a push despite their postseason struggles on the road. As they head to Milwaukee for Game 3, Indiana will try to reverse that trend after going 2-7 on the road in the 2024 playoffs. This season, the Pacers have also struggled outside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. They finished with the fifth-best home winning percentage in the league (.714) with a 30-12 record. Conversely, they were 21-20 on the road this season (.512). Can Indiana pick things up and steal a game in Milwaukee to really put the heat on the Bucks?
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 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 Siakam’s 25.
— Stephen Holder
East first-round series
Game 2: Pistons 100, Knicks 94
What we learned:
That the young Pistons, after surrendering a massive 21-0 run in the fourth quarter to blow Game 1, had the grit and mental toughness necessary to (barely) hold on at MSG — and win their first playoff game since 2008.
The last few minutes of Game 2 seemed like an alternate ending to Game 1. The circumstances were similar enough: With Detroit leading by eight points after three quarters, the Knicks charged back into it late and tied the score with about a minute left to play. But Pistons guard Dennis Schroder nailed a tiebreaking triple with 55 seconds that proved to be the difference.
Suddenly, we go from wondering if the Pistons can finally get back into the postseason victory column to wondering if they can take advantage of grabbing home-court advantage and potentially win this slugfest-style series.
2:25
Cade Cunningham drops 33 as Pistons snap 15-game playoff skid
Cade Cunningham goes off for 33 points and 12 rebounds to power the Pistons to their first playoff win since 2008 and tie the series at 1-1 vs. the Knicks.
Game 3: Knicks at Pistons (Thursday, 7 p.m. ET, TNT)
What to watch:
Aside from how things are officiated — the Pistons outshot the Knicks 34-19 at the free throw line Monday — how does Karl-Anthony Towns respond?
The Knicks big man had one of his quietest outings of the season in Game 2, with 10 points and six boards — less than half of his seasonlong averages. His lack of production, particularly on a night when Jalen Brunson (37 points) and Cade Cunningham (33 points) essentially canceled each other out, was notable.
When asked why backup Mitchell Robinson played over Towns to close the first half, coach Tom Thibodeau said, “Because Mitch was the one guy who was rebounding.”
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.
— Chris Herring
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.
1:59
Donovan Mitchell goes off for 30 in Cavs’ Game 1 win
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
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.
1:09
Derrick White’s seven 3-pointers power Boston to Game 1 win
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, who suffered a bone bruise in his right wrist after a hard fall on a driving dunk attempt in the fourth quarter, is listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s game.
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
