April 28, 2025, 03:37 PM ET
The first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs is now in its second week. We have already seen some interesting matchups, including a sweep of the West 8th seeded Memphis Grizzlies by the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
At the Eastern Conference, four top seed teams are on the verge of punching tickets in the second round. The No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers were able to complete the sweep of the 8-seeded Miami Heat on Monday, but the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics and the third seed New York Knicks aim to clean up the No. 7 seed Orlando Magic and No. 6 seed Detroit Piston, respectively.
The fifth-seeded Milwaukee Bucks will try to extend the series against the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, but face a tremendous fight following catastrophic news that Damian Lillard suffered a torn Achilles heel.
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The fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets and fifth-seeded Raclipper opened the series with a dunk that won the game-winning buzzer from Denver Aaron Gordon, as the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets and fifth-seeded Raclipper were necked and necked. The future of the 7-seeded Golden State Warriors remains uncertain as they await Jimmy Butler III (pelvis) status. And the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers are aiming to bounce back after dropping LA 3-1 to the series after a disappointing defeat at the six-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
Week 1 provided the fourth quarter of superstar highlights and nail biting. Our NBA insiders analyze what caught your eye in the first week and what to look at next.
What’s next for the Bucks after Damian Lillard’s Achilles injury?
Not only is Milwaukee down 3-1 in two of Indianapolis’ remaining three games, but the Bucks know that Lillard is not in the rest of this playoff and beyond, due to Achilles’ rupture.
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The priority for Bucks Coach Doc Rivers heading towards Game 5 is to find a lineup that will stop. The Pacers scored at least 120 points per 100 possessions in all three wins. The solution is to start Ryan Rollins, who replaced Lillard for most of the Bucks’ season-ending eight-game winning streak. Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. will move forward with Giannis Antetocomo and Brooke Lopez.
Porter is looming heavily to make up for Lillard’s lost score. He averaged 15.3 ppg in the last 12 games he played during the regular season, shooting 57% in 2 seconds and 38% in 3-point attempts, adding 5.0 APG as a secondary playmaker. Looking forward to the offseason, Lillard’s injuries complicate Milwaukee’s plans. The Bucks don’t have a realistic pass to cap space and face luxury taxes when they re-sign Pat Connaughton and Bobby Portis exercise players options and unlimited free agent Lopez. Porter has a veteran minimum ($2.5 million) player option that could decline.
With only non-bird rights to Porter, the Bucks will likely have to choose to use a mid-level exception to replace Lillard. What dawns on everything is whether Antetokounmpo feels that Milwaukee can realistically compete for the championship. It’s difficult to consider title contenders as the Bucks lose their third consecutive season in the first round and head towards 2025-26 with Lillard’s uncertain ability. – Kevin Pelton
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Why Carlos Boozer watches the Bucks’ long offseason
Carlos Boozer explains how Damian Lillard’s Achilles injury affects the Bucks moving forward.
The Cavaliers are 3-0, and the Celtics lead 3-1 in their respective series. Is this an Eastern Conference Finals Matchup?
I won’t ignore the Pacers, who are also rising 3-1 in the injured Milwaukee Bucks. Indiana was 14-4 to finish the season and Tyrees Halliburton looked healthy – it took over in the postseason. The Pacers can play big to match the Cavaliers and can also stretch the floor. And certainly, after Boston took the regular season series 4-0, they managed to prefer the Celtics in a series with the Knicks. The Cavs were also a favorite in the next round, playing the best basketball in weeks against the Miami Heat, but they respected their potential matchup against Indy. I promise you, the Cavs camp will. – Brian Windholst
Which teams in the East need to adjust the biggest midseries?
Detroit’s pistons played well against the Knicks and rose 3-1. However, the Pistons youth and poor decision-making have repeatedly hurt them, so they’re down 3-1 instead. One of the perpetrators of Nailbiter Game 4? Detroit got 19 turnovers, as they did in Game 1 loss. Lost possessions are game changers. Especially considering the pistons don’t have a solid offensive rebounder from Isaiah Stewart and struggle with long stretches (35.2% to 35.2%). Detroit doesn’t have a game of this series yet in more shot attempts than New York. It’s not a victory ceremony. Alongside Cade Cunningham, he’s leaning towards Dennis Schroeder (and previously) but could be a solution for Detroit to take care of the ball better. – Chris Haring
The Detroit Pistons are 1-5 when they kick out 3-1 in the playoff series. (Photo of Brian Sevald/Nbae via Getty Images)
What will the Warriors need to do to win Game 4 and lead Houston 3-1?
Reclaiming Butler would be a huge boost for Golden State. Butler, doubtful, would have spent five days suffering from deep glut muscle contempt in the first quarter of Game 2.
From the play-in tournament to the NBA finals, ESPN covers the entire playoffs.
• Game-by-game analysis: East | West
•Windhorst Brunson? Donsi? Six stars that are paying attention to the title
•Shellburn is fishing ads and comebacks of Kawi
•Pelton: Project each series through the final
•Off Season Guide: What’s next for the eliminated team?
• Things you need to know: news, schedule, scores, highlights
Even if the Warriors have to play their second full game without “Playoff Jimmy,” they have a blueprint for how to win from a 104-93 victory in Game 3.
Stephen Curry will have to carry the team like he did in Game 3 when he registered 36 points (25 in the second and third quarters), nine assists and seven rebounds. However, he got help from Buddy Heald, who spread the floor with 17 points and five threes, and Gary Payton II, who scored 16 points while Houston was focused on Curry.
Defensively, the Warriors have to hold Jalen Green down. With two rocket losses, Greene scored 7 and 9 points, with Houston struggling with other scoring options. -Ohm Youngmisuk
What is the Grizzlies offseason plan after firing the coach and being swept through the first round?
The Griz must first make up for their future and sign the expansion to Jalen Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama. After that, they need to choose a direction and stick to it. Over the past few seasons, they have tried different approaches in offensive – hired three independent coaches (Patrick St Andrews, Noaraloche and Tuomas iisalo) with three different offensive visions. Whatever they do, if they want to compete in a competitive Western conference, they need to create a solid identity. – Ramona Shelburn
The Lakers-Timberwolves series looks like this: _____?
Depth. The Wolves bench outscored the Los Angeles reserve 25-6 in Game 4. This is after it’s already plus 42 through the first three games of the series. Lakers coach JJ Redick only used five players later on Sunday, leaving Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jordan Goodwin, who were consistent parts of LA’s second unit. Of course, part of that gap is the team structure. Redick isn’t sure that Alex Len is a viable backup center. And in the series’ trendy way, he’s not even keen to play Jaxson Hayes. Meanwhile, Minnesota has received major performances from Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reed to compensate for the lead roles of Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. – Dave McMenamin
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Can LeBron of the Lakers bounce off the hole in the 3-1 series?
After the Lakers’ intense loss to the Timberwolves in Game 4, can LeBron James lead another 3-1 series comeback?
What was your biggest surprise in the first round of the Western Conference Series so far?
Both Redick and Nuggets coach David Adelman relied almost exclusively on top five players, beating the team 2-1. Adelman’s hands were forced by an injury to Russell Westbrook (foot) who missed Game 4, but were playing less reserves than Denver’s 25.6-minute bench he played Saturday in the past 20 years. Redick made Adelman one better on Sunday by becoming the first coach in a play-by-play era where he plays five players throughout the second half without subs, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. – Pelton
Which team in the West has the best chance to knock off the lightning?
Fighting the nuggets for the right to face the first-place seed in the next round, the Clippers have all the ingredients to thunder and thunder. The clip, which is the winner of 20 of the last 25 games, is an elite defensive team where Kawi Leonard’s superstar can become the best player in any series, and in addition to the offseason, Chris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. led defensive efforts against Gilgauss Alexander who can’t shut down completely. But the former Gilgeous-Alexander team can at least make him work on every shot. – Tim McMahon
