2025 NBA playoffs: Convention semifinals takeaways

The No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers kicked off the East semis Sunday night time by taking home-court benefit away from the No. 1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers with a 121-112 victory. The Cavs fell to the Pacers once more on Tuesday, this time 120-119, after Tyrese Haliburton drilled a 3-pointer with one second remaining.

Additionally on Tuesday, the No. 7 seed Golden State Warriors face off in opposition to the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves of their first recreation of the second spherical.

On Monday, the East’s third-seeded New York Knicks beat the 2-seed Boston Celtics in an additional time thriller in Sport 1 behind Jalen Brunson’s 29 factors. In Monday’s different Sport 1, the 4-seed Denver Nuggets toppled the No. 1 seed Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder within the West after a fourth-quarter surge.

As groups proceed to chase the Larry O’Brien Trophy, here is what issues most in each conferences and what to look at for in all 4 collection.

Leap to a collection:
Cavaliers-Pacers | Knicks-Celtics
Thunder-Nuggets

Extra protection:
Schedules and outcomes | Offseason guides

Japanese Convention

Sport 2: Pacers 120, Cavaliers 119

What we discovered: Tyrese Haliburton did it once more. The Pacers had been behind all recreation lengthy earlier than a livid comeback within the fourth quarter, when Indiana outscored Cleveland 36-21, punctuated by a step-back game-winning 3-pointer from Haliburton to stun the house crowd and provides Indiana a commanding 2-0 lead within the collection. The Pacers had been down by as many as 20 factors due to a famous person efficiency from Donovan Mitchell, who completed with 48 factors, 9 assists and 5 rebounds, becoming a member of LeBron James as the one Cavs gamers with 45 factors and 5 assists in a playoff recreation. But it surely wasn’t sufficient to rally a top-seeded Cavs workforce lacking three key rotation gamers; after dropping two house video games to open the collection, they head to Indianapolis needing a quick response.

Sport 3: Cleveland at Pacers (Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

What to look at: The short-handed Cavs journey to Indy down 0-2, and their harm issues might be a query mark for the remainder of the collection. Not one of the three Cavs on the harm report for Sport 2 — Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter — took the ground for a exercise on Tuesday, and there’s concern about their standing going ahead. Garland hasn’t performed since April 23, and Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson expressed concern over placing him on the courtroom at lower than one hundred pc with the fast-paced nature of this collection. Mobley has been strolling with a noticeable limp since Sunday’s recreation, and Hunter dislocated the thumb on his taking pictures hand in Sport 1. — Jamal Collier

Sport 1: Knicks 108, Celtics 105 (OT)

What we discovered: The Knicks, down 20 within the third quarter and with the tide of momentum seemingly going fully in opposition to them, had been very a lot nonetheless alive. That is as a result of they confirmed unimaginable grit — and likewise as a result of the Celtics toyed with the lead far an excessive amount of within the second half. The defending champs took 20 photographs within the third, with a whopping 19 coming from past the 3-point arc; the Celtics completed with an NBA-playoff-record 60 3-point makes an attempt.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown & Co. taking part in solely from the arc hindered the Celtics, who had no manner of getting simple factors from the foul line. It additionally benefited the Knicks, who’d had a trio of starters — Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Cities and Josh Hart — in foul bother. The sport went to additional time, however by then the momentum had shifted sufficient to provide the Knicks a shot that they doubtless by no means ought to have had based mostly on how a lot Boston was main by within the third.

Sport 2: Knicks at Celtics (Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, TNT)

What to look at: What does the shot weight loss program appear like for Tatum and Brown, who relied far too closely on the three on Monday night time, after they hit simply 5 of 25 treys mixed. Will Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis be again for Sport 2? He performed simply 13 minutes in Sport 1 and did not see any motion within the second half as a result of sickness. This come-from-behind win for New York ought to give the Knicks confidence, as they now know they’ll definitively beat the Celtics after having gone winless in opposition to Boston in the course of the common season. — Chris Herring

Western Convention

Sport 1: Nuggets 121, Thunder 119

What we discovered: The Nuggets haven’t any worry in any way of the West’s prime seed. Denver stormed again from a 14-point deficit within the second half to steal Sport 1 on the street regardless of a six-day relaxation drawback. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic was a dominant drive, recording 42 factors, 22 rebounds and 6 assists to provide the Nuggets hope. Oklahoma Metropolis’s offense dried up down the stretch, and a pair of missed free throws from Chet Holmgren left the door cracked open. Aaron Gordon delivered one other recreation winner for a Denver squad attempting to win its second NBA title in three years. — Tim MacMahon

Sport 2: Nuggets at Thunder (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT)

What to look at: Denver didn’t shoot the ball properly or handle it, as you’d count on from a drained workforce that simply wrapped up a grueling seven-game collection in opposition to the LA Clippers. The Nuggets shot simply 29% from behind the 3-point arc (9-for-31) on Monday and turned the ball over 18 instances, resulting in 23 OKC factors. And so they nonetheless gained! Nikola Jokic was sensible with 42 factors and 22 rebounds, and Aaron Gordon has a knack for drilling recreation winners throughout these playoffs. If Denver can clear issues up and shoot nearer to its standard 37.6% from 3, Sport 2 might look very completely different. In fact, OKC will make changes too. Do not count on Alex Caruso to be the Thunder’s second-leading scorer fairly often or Jalen Williams (16 factors) and Chet Holmgren (12 factors) to be as quiet offensively as they had been in Sport 1. — Ramona Shelburne