NBA Playoffs 2025: What to Expect as the Race for the Title Begins

The 2025 NBA Playoffs will begin on Saturday, 19 April, following the Play-In Tournament which runs from 15 to 18 April. A total of 20 teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences will compete for this season’s championship.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers are the top seeds in the West and East, respectively.

Key Playoff Fixtures (Starting 19 April)

• Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks – Gainbridge Fieldhouse

• Denver Nuggets vs LA Clippers – Ball Arena (20 April)

• New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons – Madison Square Garden (20 April)

• LA Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves – Crypto.com Arena (20 April)

• Boston Celtics vs TBD – TD Garden (20 April)

• Cleveland Cavaliers vs TBD – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (20 April)

• Houston Rockets vs TBD – Toyota Center (20 April)

• OKC Thunder vs TBD – Paycom Center (20 April)

Note: Teams marked as TBD (To Be Decided) will come from the Play-In games.

 Play-In Tournament (15–18 April)

The Play-In Tournament decides the final spots in the playoffs:

• 15 April:

  • Atlanta Hawks vs Orlando Magic – Winner becomes East’s 7th seed

  • Memphis Grizzlies vs Golden State Warriors – Winner becomes West’s 7th seed

• 16 April:

  • Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls (East)

  • Dallas Mavericks vs Sacramento Kings (West)

Winners from these matches will face the losers of the 7th/8th seed games for a final playoff place.

Eastern Conference Preview

• Cleveland Cavaliers (1st seed – 64-18): Strong season but may struggle with smaller players on the wings.

• Boston Celtics (2nd – 61-21): The defending champions rely heavily on staying injury-free.

• New York Knicks (3rd – 41-31): Have struggled against top teams, with no wins against Cavaliers or Celtics this season.

• Indiana Pacers (4th – 50-32): Much depends on Tyrese Haliburton’s form.

• Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons round out the top 6.

In the play-in positions:

• Orlando Magic (7th)

• Atlanta Hawks (8th)

• Miami Heat (9th)

• Chicago Bulls (10th)

Western Conference Preview

• Oklahoma City Thunder (1st seed – 68-14): A fantastic season, but they need a second reliable scorer to help Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

• Houston Rockets (2nd – 52-30): Talented team, but most players are new to the playoffs.

• LA Lakers: Made headlines by trading for Luka Dončić. Still building team chemistry.

• Denver Nuggets: Fired their coach and GM before the season ended. Now led by interim coach David Adelman.

• LA Clippers (5th): Their playoff hopes rest on Kawhi Leonard staying fit.

• Minnesota Timberwolves (6th): Recently traded Karl-Anthony Towns and are still finding their rhythm.

In the Play-In zone:

• Golden State Warriors (7th)

• Memphis Grizzlies (8th)

• Sacramento Kings (9th)

• Dallas Mavericks (10th)

The 2025 NBA Playoffs promise excitement, big stars, and unpredictable matchups. All eyes are now on whether the top seeds can live up to expectations—or if an underdog will rise to the challenge.