The 2025 NBA playoffs are ready to tip off.
The last two playoff berths were awarded on Friday night as the play-in tournament wrapped up.
The 10th-place Miami Heat first made play-in history with a wild overtime win against the eighth-place Atlanta Hawks. Tyler Herro and Co. clinched the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot with the road victory, becoming the first 10th-place team to advance to the playoffs since the play-in was introduced in 2021. The Heat previously crushed the Bulls in Chicago in the 9-10 game.
But the Western Conference’s 10th-place team, the Dallas Mavericks, failed to match Miami’s feat. The eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies cruised past Dallas to grab the No. 8 playoff seed out West.
With the 16-team bracket locked in, here’s a look at the first-round matchups, schedule, and more to know:
When do the NBA playoffs start?
The playoffs begin Saturday, April 19.
How do the NBA playoffs work?
First-round matchups in each conference are No. 1 vs. No. 8, No. 2 vs. No. 7, No. 3 vs. No. 6, and No. 4 vs. No. 5. All postseason series are best of seven where the higher seed has home-court advantage in Games 1, 2, 5 and 7.
Do the NBA playoffs reseed teams?
The playoffs follow a bracket format and don’t reseed teams after the first round. That means, for instance, the winner of a 1-8 matchup will meet the winner of a 4-5 matchup in Round 2, regardless of the other first-round results.
What teams are in the NBA playoffs?
The six automatic playoff berths in the East were claimed by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons. The Orlando Magic and the Heat then joined the field via the play-in.
Out West, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves secured top-six spots before the Golden State Warriors and the Grizzlies advanced through the play-in.
What are the NBA playoff matchups?
Here’s a look at the bracket:
Eastern Conference
1. Cavaliers
8. Heat
4. Pacers
5. Bucks
3. Knicks
6. Pistons
2. Celtics
7. Magic
Western Conference
1. Thunder
8. Grizzlies
4. Nuggets
5. Clippers
3. Lakers
6. Timberwolves
2. Rockets
7. Warriors
What’s the schedule for the first round of the NBA playoffs?
Here are the schedule details for each first-round series ( * = if necessary):
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Heat
- Game 1: Heat at Cavaliers — Sunday, April 20, 7 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 2: Heat at Cavaliers — Wednesday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV
- Game 3: Cavaliers at Heat — Saturday, April 26, 1 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 4: Cavaliers at Heat — Monday, April 28, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 5*: Heat at Cavaliers — Wednesday, April 30, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 6*: Cavaliers at Heat — Friday, May 2, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 7*: Heat at Cavaliers — Sunday, May 4, time TBD, TV channel TBD
No. 2 Celtics vs. No. 7 Magic
- Game 1: Magic at Celtics — Sunday, April 20, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 2: Magic at Celtics — Wednesday, April 23, 7 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 3: Celtics at Magic — Friday, April 25, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 4: Celtics at Magic — Sunday, April 27, 7 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 5*: Magic at Celtics — Tuesday, April 29, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 6*: Celtics at Magic — Thursday, May 1, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 7*: Magic at Celtics — Saturday, May 3, time TBD, TV channel TBD
No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Pistons
- Game 1: Pistons at Knicks — Saturday, April 19, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 2: Pistons at Knicks — Monday, April 21, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 3: Knicks at Pistons — Thursday, April 24, time TBD, TNT
- Game 4: Knicks at Pistons — Sunday, April 27, 1 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 5*: Pistons at Knicks — Tuesday, April 29, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 6*: Knicks at Pistons — Thursday, May 1, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 7*: Pistons at Knicks — Saturday, May 3, time TBD, TV channel TBD
No. 4 Pacers vs. No. 5 Bucks
- Game 1: Bucks at Pacers — Saturday, April 19, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 2: Bucks at Pacers — Tuesday, April 22, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV
- Game 3: Pacers at Bucks — Friday, April 25, 8 p.m. ET, NBA TV/ESPNU
- Game 4: Pacers at Bucks — Sunday, April 27, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 5*: Bucks at Pacers — Tuesday, April 29, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 6*: Pacers at Bucks — Friday, May 2, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 7*: Bucks at Pacers — Sunday, May 4, time TBD, TV channel TBD
Western Conference
No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 Grizzlies
- Game 1: Grizzlies at Thunder — Sunday, April 20, 1 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 2: Grizzlies at Thunder — Tuesday, April 22, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 3: Thunder at Grizzlies — Thursday, April 24, time TBD, TNT
- Game 4: Thunder at Grizzlies — Saturday, April 26, 3:30 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 5*: Grizzlies at Thunder — Monday, April 28, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 6*: Thunder at Grizzlies — Thursday, May 1, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 7*: Grizzlies at Thunder — Saturday, May 3, time TBD, TV channel TBD
No. 2 Rockets vs. No. 7 Warriors
- Game 1: Warriors at Rockets — Sunday, April 20, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 2: Warriors at Rockets — Wednesday, April 23, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 3: Rockets at Warriors — Saturday, April 26, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 4: Rockets at Warriors — Monday, April 28, 10 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 5*: Warriors at Rockets — Wednesday, April 30, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 6*: Rockets at Warriors — Friday, May 2, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 7*: Warriors at Rockets — Sunday, May 4, time TBD, TV channel TBD
No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Timberwolves
- Game 1: Timberwolves at Lakers — Saturday, April 19, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 2: Timberwolves at Lakers — Tuesday, April 22, 10 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 3: Lakers at Timberwolves — Friday, April 25, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 4: Lakers at Timberwolves — Sunday, April 27, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 5*: Timberwolves at Lakers — Wednesday, April 30, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 6*: Lakers at Timberwolves — Friday, May 2, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 7*: Timberwolves at Lakers — Sunday, May 4, time TBD, TV channel TBD
No. 4 Nuggets vs. No. 5 Clippers
- Game 1: Clippers at Nuggets — Saturday, April 19, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 2: Clippers at Nuggets — Monday, April 21, 10 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 3: Nuggets at Clippers — Thursday, April 24, time TBD, NBA TV
- Game 4: Nuggets at Clippers — Saturday, April 26, 6 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 5*: Clippers at Nuggets — Tuesday, April 29, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 6*: Nuggets at Clippers — Thursday, May 1, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 7*: Clippers at Nuggets — Saturday, May 3, time TBD, TV channel TBD
Where to watch and stream games in the 2025 NBA playoffs
First-round games will air nationally across ESPN, ABC, TNT and NBA TV.
ESPN and ABC broadcasts can be streamed on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
TNT broadcasts can be streamed on TNTDrama.com, the TNT app and Max.
NBA TV broadcasts are available to stream on NBA.com and the NBA app.
What are the 2025 NBA playoff dates?
The second round is slated to get underway May 5-6, though those start dates could be moved up to May 3-4. The conference finals will start as early as May 18-19 and as late as May 20-21.
When are the 2025 NBA Finals?
The Finals are scheduled to start Thursday, June 5, with a potential Game 7 slated for Sunday, June 22.
Editor’s note: The original version of this story was published on April 11.
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