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The 2025 NBA playoffs are arsenic wide unfastened arsenic we've seen successful a agelong time. The Celtics are a fashionable prime to repeat, but the Cavaliers dominated the East successful the regular season. The Thunder are a statistical powerhouse that models and gamblers similar implicit some of them. And lurking successful the shadows are respective acheronian equine contenders who could propulsion a Mavericks-like tally from past year.
There are a ton of intriguing matchups, some successful the archetypal circular and aboriginal down the line. This is simply a pugnacious twelvemonth to marque predictions, which makes it adjacent much fun. Here's what I deliberation volition happen.
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NBA Playoffs bracket 2025
Here are the first-round matchups successful each conference:
Eastern Conference
(1) Cavs vs. (8) Magic/Hawks/Bulls/Heat
(2) Celtics vs. (7) Winner of Magic/Hawks
Western Conference
(1) Thunder vs. (8) /Warriors/Grizzlies/Kings/Mavericks
(2) Rockets vs. (7) Winner of Warriors/Grizzlies
(3) Lakers vs. (6) Timberwolves
NBA Playoffs predictions 2025: Eastern Conference archetypal round
(1) Cavs vs. (8) Magic/Hawks/Bulls/Heat
It doesn't substance excessively overmuch who comes retired of the East Play-In to look the Cavs. The Hawks person been amazingly feisty against Cleveland, going 2-1 during the regular season. The Magic, Bulls, and Heat person combined to spell 2-8.
Cleveland has been an implicit buzzsaw this season. They should rotation done the archetypal circular successful 5 games oregon less.
Winner: Cavs
MORE: Sporting News All-NBA teams
(2) Celtics vs. (7) Magic/Hawks
The Celtics aren't astatine afloat strength. Jaylen Brown's knee is simply a large interest — he's had to instrumentality pain-killing injections and hasn't looked the aforesaid each season. Boston whitethorn beryllium capable to bargain him immoderate remainder against some of these opponents.
The Hawks person beaten the Celtics doubly this season, including erstwhile without Trae Young. The Magic besides person 2 wins this year, but 1 of them came with the Celtics resting astir of their squad and the different came with Jayson Tatum out.
The Celtics simply person excessively overmuch firepower and playoff acquisition to beryllium excessively disquieted astir either hostile contempt those hiccups successful the regular season. The Hawks person been up-and-down since losing Jalen Johnson, and the Magic haven't been capable to people each year. Boston should cruise adjacent if they aren't capable to get Brown for portion oregon each of this series.
Winner: Celtics
(3) Knicks vs. (6) Pistons
This is the astir absorbing archetypal circular bid of the playoffs. The Knicks person struggled against bully teams each season, going conscionable 15-23 vs. teams implicit .500. They've played a ton of minutes and were decimated by injuries past year.
The Pistons haven't done good against the champion teams either, but person gone 3-1 against the Knicks this year. They volition beryllium a precise fashionable upset pick.
Ultimately, I'm going with the Knicks successful this one. J.B. Bickerstaff is simply a large regular play manager who volition get Coach of the Year votes. But helium was severely outcoached by Tom Thibodeau 2 seasons agone erstwhile his higher-seeded Cavs mislaid to the Knicks successful the archetypal round. He hasn't proven himself arsenic a playoff coach, and helium volition person to flooded that criticism.
The Knicks person much playoff experience, and they person an added limb with the late-season instrumentality of Mitchell Robinson. With Thibs' coaching and Jalen Brunson providing clutch shots, New York should triumph this one.
Winner: Knicks
(4) Pacers vs. (5) Bucks
Much of this matchup volition beryllium connected the availability of Damian Lillard, who missed the extremity of the regular play with a blot clot successful his close calf. The Bucks stay optimistic that helium tin instrumentality astatine immoderate constituent successful the playoffs, per ESPN's Shams Charania. But with the emblematic attraction taking astatine slightest 3 months, it seems improbable that helium plays successful the archetypal round.
The Bucks decidedly request him to get past the red-hot Pacers. After a unsmooth commencement to the year, Tyrese Haliburton is looking similar a top-15 subordinate successful the league again. Indiana has terrific extent and precocious consciousness players that person proven they tin triumph large games aft their Eastern Conference Finals tally past year.
Giannis Antetokounmpo volition beryllium the champion subordinate successful this series. But the Bucks are leaning mode excessively heavy connected players similar Kyle Kuzma, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis without Lillard. The Pacers should overwhelm them with their extent and speed.
Winner: Pacers
NBA Playoffs predictions 2025: Western Conference archetypal round
(1) Thunder vs. (8) Warriors/Grizzlies/Kings/Mavericks
The Thunder were undefeated against the Grizzlies and Kings during the regular season. The Mavericks had been their kryptonite, but this is simply a wholly antithetic squad with Kyrie Irving retired and Luka Doncic traded. They should beryllium a cakewalk.
The lone situation for the Thunder would beryllium if the Warriors suffer their archetypal Play-In crippled and triumph their second. Golden State has been blistery since trading for Jimmy Butler. They've already beaten Oklahoma City doubly during the regular season.
That matchup astir apt won't hap — the Warriors should bushed up a slumping Grizzlies squad successful that archetypal Play-In game, facing the Rockets instead. And adjacent if the Warriors did find themselves arsenic the No. 8 seed, the Thunder would inactive beryllium decent favorites.
Winner: Thunder
MORE: Times, dates, bracket for NBA playoffs
(2) Rockets vs. (7) Warriors/Grizzlies
Has determination ever been a less-respected No. 2 effect than the Rockets? They came retired of the bloodbath Western Conference arsenic a ascendant regular play squad acknowledgment to their stifling defence and unsocial double-big lineup of Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams. They volition marque teams consciousness them, playing carnal defence and bruising offense.
The Warriors could springiness the Rockets existent trouble. Golden State doesn't person the size, but they person unbelievable shot-making with Stephen Curry having different premier season. He's led them to a 3-2 regular play grounds against Houston. Playoff Jimmy Butler is going to beryllium a handful, matching the Rockets' physicality. This matchup could spell the afloat 7 games.
Winner: Warriors
MORE: Is Steve Kerr connected the blistery seat?
(3) Lakers vs. (6) Timberwolves
The Wolves haven't been the aforesaid defence arsenic erstwhile they made a tally to the Western Conference Finals past year. They are inactive precise good, but Mike Conley is yet starting to amusement his 37-year-old property and Julius Randle has been an up-and-down subordinate with atrocious playoff results.
The Lakers, connected the different hand, person recovered their antiaircraft stride. Luka Doncic has wholly changed their offense, and JJ Redick has already proven himself arsenic an elite tactician. It's pugnacious to stake against Doncic and LeBron successful the archetypal round.
Winner: Lakers
(4) Nuggets vs. (5) Clippers
This is the champion first-round matchup successful the West. Kawhi Leonard is looking similar himself again, which is scary for each squad successful the league. The Clippers person been an outstanding defence each season, getting All-Defensive play retired of halfway Ivica Zubac and defender Kris Dunn (who fell abbreviated of the games played request to marque the authoritative team).
The Nuggets person gone 3-0 since their shocking determination to occurrence manager Michael Malone and pb enforcement Calvin Booth. Could interim David Adelman springiness them the boost to flooded a mediocre regular season? Jamal Murray's hamstring isn't 100 percent, and he's going to person to instrumentality to the aforesaid level helium was astatine during the team's 2023 title successful bid for Denver to marque a heavy playoff run.
Nikola Jokic should beryllium capable to transportation the Nuggets to a pugnacious win. These teams divided their regular play matchup 2-2 but the Clippers had nary reply for the Joker. He averaged 28.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists connected 54 percent from the tract and 52 percent from 3. He volition find a mode to get it done.
Winner: Nuggets
NBA Playoffs predictions: Conference Semifinals picks
(1) Cavaliers vs. (4) Pacers
The Cavs person had immoderate of their poorest showings against the Pacers, going 1-3 during the regular season. One of those losses came successful a throwaway wherever neither squad played their main guys. And Cleveland rested 3 of their starters successful different precocious play loss.
This should beryllium a adjacent bid though betwixt 2 precise bully teams. The Cavs were the No. 1 discourtesy successful the league portion the Pacers were a not-too-shabby No. 9.
The quality betwixt these groups is connected defense. Cleveland was No. 8 successful the league, portion Indiana was No. 14. The Pacers person defended overmuch amended aft the All-Star break, but they are going to person a precise hard clip with the elite driving, pace, and question built into that Cavs offense.
Winner: Cavaliers
(2) Celtics vs. (3) Knicks
The Celtics should cruise successful this matchup. They person dominated the Knicks successful the regular season, going 4-0. Only 1 of those games was close, going to overtime astatine the extremity of the year.
The Knicks were built to beryllium a Celtics killer, mimicking their five-out discourtesy portion incorporating positive helping defenders to dilatory down Tatum and Brown.
That hasn't truly happened successful practice. Josh Hart's shaky shooting has been a anemic constituent for the Knicks and gives the Celtics a large spot to fell Kristaps Porzingis. These 2 teams met successful the archetypal crippled of the season, and that strategy of sagging disconnected Hart led to a blowout triumph for Boston. The Knicks haven't recovered a mode retired of that issue, and Hart has been excessively invaluable successful different aspects of the crippled to sit.
Winner: Celtics
(1) Thunder vs. (4) Nuggets
These teams person divided the play bid 2-2. Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander person taken turns being the champion subordinate successful these games.
The Nuggets person excessively overmuch moving against them though. Murray has been amended towards the extremity of the season, but his wellness is inactive a large question mark. Russell Westbrook has been adjacent much uneven, and his relation has shrunk since the team's coaching change. Is Jalen Pickett truly the reply against the Thunder?
The Nuggets are counting mode excessively heavy connected Jokic. The supporting formed isn't there. The Thunder meantime person excessively galore guys to play. They person the size successful Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren to conflict with Denver. And cipher connected Denver tin halt SGA.
Winner: Thunder
(7) Warriors vs. (3) Lakers
LeBron versus Steph would beryllium the league's imagination matchup. And it whitethorn conscionable extremity up happening.
Both of these teams person been overmuch amended since transforming their teams astatine the deadline. They played successful a wildly entertaining crippled connected April 3 that saw immense shotmaking down the agelong from some sides, ending successful a 123-116 Lakers win.
These are besides some older teams. The Lakers should payment from an other week of remainder during the Play-In tourney that the Warriors missed retired on. And if Golden State does marque it past Houston, they volition beryllium bruised and battered.
This 1 could genuinely spell either way. The stars volition find the winner. Luka and LeBron person the flimsy borderline implicit Curry and Butler.
Winner: Lakers
NBA Playoffs predictions: Conference Finals picks
(1) Thunder vs. (3) Lakers
The Lakers surely person the acquisition vantage successful this matchup. That's astir each that they person to thin on, though. The Thunder are acceptable to instrumentality the adjacent measurement aft falling successful six games successful the 2nd circular past season.
The Thunder person a ridiculous magnitude of elite defenders to propulsion astatine Luka and LeBron successful bid to dilatory them down. Lu Dort has guarded Luka good successful the past. Alex Caruso is close down him. Jalen Williams is different All-Defensive caliber defender who has guarded each presumption this season. Cason Wallace doesn't person the size to instrumentality connected either of those two, but helium tin beryllium an fantabulous enactment to dilatory down Austin Reaves.
Oklahoma City has the champion defence that we've seen since the Bill Russell Celtics. The Lakers person surely improved connected that extremity of the floor, but this bid against a drive-heavy squad is wherever cracks successful their defence could commencement to show. Los Angeles' large 3 don't person the ft velocity to enactment successful beforehand of those speedy guards, and their deficiency of playable interior size extracurricular of Jaxson Hayes could yet drawback up to them here.
Winner: Thunder
(1) Cavaliers vs. (2) Celtics
This is the matchup that everyone has been waiting for. These 2 teams person been destined to conscionable since aboriginal successful the play and person been head-and-shoulders supra everyone other successful the East.
All 4 of their regular play games person been decided by single-digits, and they've divided the matchup 2-2. The Celtics person looked stronger overall, but Brown's genu could alteration the calculus of this series.
Jrue Holiday's shooting was a anemic spot to onslaught earlier successful the season. It looks similar his enarthrosis issues person gotten nether control, and he's changeable it overmuch amended successful the 2nd fractional of the year. The Cavs inactive mightiness marque him beryllium it by sagging disconnected him.
Ultimately, this bid volition travel down to however effectual Brown is. The Celtics request him much locked successful and astatine afloat health. He gives them different prime defender to propulsion astatine Mitchell and Darius Garland. Given however he's taken a sizeable measurement backmost this play connected some ends of the floor, I'm not trusting that helium tin beryllium astatine his highest effectiveness.
Winner: Cavaliers
NBA Finals prediction
(1) Thunder vs. (1) Cavaliers
These were the 2 champion teams during the regular season. Neither 1 was capable to marque it past the 2nd circular past season, truthful a travel to the Finals would beryllium a bully motion of growth.
The Thunder person a wide vantage successful this matchup. They'd person location tribunal vantage acknowledgment to their 68 to 64 borderline successful wins during the regular season. They person the perimeter defenders that each different squad lacks erstwhile it comes to throwing bodies astatine Mitchell and Garland. And they tin lucifer Cleveland's treble large lineup of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen with Hartenstein and Holmgren.
The Thunder besides person the champion subordinate successful the series, which is what it often boils down to successful the playoffs. Mitchell has been outstanding and a borderline top-10 talent. SGA is either No. 1 oregon 2, depending connected who you ask.
The Thunder person the apical extremity talent, the depth, and the dominance to bushed a large Cavs team. This could beryllium the commencement of a dynasty successful Oklahoma City.
Winner: Thunder
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