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 Detroit Pistons are back in their series against the No. 3 New York Knicks after hanging onto 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 Milwaukee Bucks await whether Damian Lillard will make his anticipated return for Tuesday’s crucial Game 2 matchup against the No. 4 Indiana Pacers. The other two East series — the No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the No. 8 Miami Heat and the No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. the No. 7 Orlando Magic — will pick back up on 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
Monday’s game
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 win since 2008.
The last few minutes of Game 2 almost felt like an alternate ending to Game 1. The circumstances were certainly 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 tie-breaking triple with 55 seconds that proved to be the difference, allowing Detroit to notch its first playoff victory since 2008.
Suddenly, we go from wondering if the Pistons can finally get back in the postseason victory column to wondering if they can take advantage of grabbing homecourt advantage and potentially win the slugfest-style series.
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Dennis Schroder’s clutch 3 puts Pistons ahead in final minute
Dennis Schroder hits a big 3 in the clutch for the Pistons 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 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 season-long averages. His lack of production, particularly on a night where 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.
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 Giannis 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 Pascal Siakam‘s 25.
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Shams: Damian Lillard eyes return for Game 2 or 3 vs. Pacers
Shams Charania and Udonis Haslem react to Damian Lillard’s rapid recovery and expected return against the Indiana Pacers.
Game 2: Bucks at Pacers (Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
What to watch:
Attention now turns to whether Bucks guard Damian Lillard will return for Game 2 after being sidelined since March 18 because of a blood clot in his right calf. Lillard returned to practice this week after being cleared of deep vein thrombosis, and the Bucks could certainly use his shotmaking after the cold shooting performance from Milwaukee’s supporting cast in Game 1. The nine-time All-Star has now been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s game.
— Stephen Holder
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.
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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.
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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’s right wrist will be worth monitoring after he suffered a hard foul and a harder fall on a driving dunk attempt in the fourth quarter. 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
