NBA Playoffs 2025: A Guide To The Matchups, How To Watch Live

Stage is set for the 2025 NBA Playoffs and basketball fans can’t keep calm!

The 16 teams that came out top after the regular season will battle out with an aim to enter the NBA Championship Finals. 

The NBA Playoffs will get underway from Saturday, 19 April. Teams will compete in a best-of-seven series, with the winner advancing to the conference semi-finals starting 5-6 May, or earlier if the series wraps up early.

Ahead of the postseason, the NBA Play-In Tournament on Tuesday, 15 April, which will decide which teams will take the seventh and eighth seeds for the playoffs in each conference bracket.

The four teams who finished the regular season in seventh through to tenth place will compete in this preliminary playoff event.

But before that journey can start, the postseason will begin with the NBA Play-In Tournament on Tuesday, 15 April, which will decide which teams will take the seventh and eighth seeds for the playoffs in each conference bracket. The four teams who finished the regular season in seventh through to tenth place will compete in this preliminary playoff event.

Conference finals are then expected to begin around the third week of May, with the NBA Finals slated to start on Thursday 5 June.

NBA Playoffs 2025: Postseason Line-ups

Western Conference

• No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 Seed (Play-In)
• No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 Seed (Play-In)
• No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves
• No. 4 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers

Eastern Conference

• No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Seed (Play-In)
• No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Seed (Play-In)
• No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Detroit Pistons
• No. 4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks

2025 NBA Playoffs: Play-In Tournament: Schedule

The 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament to determine the 7th and 8th seeds for the Playoffs will take place from 15-18 April.

Western Conference

• Game 1: No. 7 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies, 9 p.m. Tuesday (TNT)
• Game 2: No. 9 Sacramento Kings vs. No. 10 Dallas Mavericks 9 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN)
• Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, TBD Friday (ESPN)

Eastern Conference

• Game 1: No. 7 Orlando Magic vs. No. 8 Atlanta Hawks, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (TNT)
• Game 2: No. 9 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 10 Miami Heat, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN)
• Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, TBD Friday (TNT)

Also Read: NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest: Full List Of Winners

NBA Playoffs First Round: Schedule

Eastern Conference

All times in EST.

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Play-In Winner

Series 0-0

• Game 1: Cavaliers v TBD – Rocket Arena, Sunday 20 April, TBD
• Game 2: Cavaliers v – TBD – Rocket Arena, TBD
• Game 3: Cavaliers v TBD – TBD
• Game 4: Cavaliers v TBD – TBD
• Game 5: Cavaliers v TBD – Rocket Arena*
• Game 6: Cavaliers v TBD – TBD*
• Game 7: Cavaliers v TBD – Rocket Arena*

*if necessary

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Play-in Winner

Series 0-0

• Game 1: Celtics v TBD – TD Garden, Sunday 20 April (TBD)
• Game 2: Celtics v TBD – TD Garden, TBD
• Game 3: Celtics v TBD – TBD
• Game 4: Celtics v TBD – TBD
• Game 5: Celtics v TBD – TD Garden, TBD*
• Game 6: Celtics v TBD – TBD*
• Game 7: Celtics v TBD – TD Garden, TBD*

*if necessary

(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons

Series 0-0

• Game 1: Knicks v Pistons – Madison Square Garden, Saturday 19 April, 6 pm, ESPN
• Game 2: Knicks v Pistons – Madison Square Garden, TBD
• Game 3: Knicks v Pistons – Little Caesars Arena, TBD
• Game 4: Knicks v Pistons – Little Caesars Arena, TBD
• Game 5: Knicks v Pistons – Madison Square Garden, TBD*
• Game: 6: Knicks v Pistons – Little Caesars Arena, TBD*
• Game 7: Knicks v Pistons – Madison Square Garden, TBD*

*if necessary

(4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks

Series 0-0

• Game 1: Pacers v Bucks – Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Saturday 19 April, 1 pm, ESPN
• Game 2: Pacers v Bucks – Gainbridge Fieldhouse, TBD
• Game 3: Pacers v Bucks – Fiserv Forum, TBD
• Game 4: Pacers v Bucks – Fiserv Forum, TBD
• Game 5: Pacers v Bucks – Gainbridge Fieldhouse, TBD*
• Game 6: Pacers v Bucks – Fiserv Forum, TBD*
• Game 7: Pacers v Bucks – Gainbridge Fieldhouse, TBD*

*if necessary

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Play-In Winner

Series 0-0

• Game 1: Thunder v TBD – Paycom Center, TBD
• Game 2: Thunder v TBD – Paycome Center, TBD
• Game 3: Thunder v TBD – TBD
• Game 4: Thunder v TBD – TBD
• Game 5: Thunder v TBD – Paycom Center, TBD*
• Game 6: Thunder v TBD – TBD*
• Game 7: Thunder v TBD – Paycome Center, TBD*

*if necessary

(2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Play-In Winner

Series 0-0

• Game 1: Rockets v TBD – Toyota Center, Sunday 20 April, TBD
• Game 2: Rockets v TBD – Toyota Center
• Game 3: Rockets v TBD – TBD
• Game 4: Rockets v TBD – TBD
• Game 5: Rockets v TBD – Toyota Center, TBD*
• Game 6: Rockets v TBD – TBD*
• Game 7: Rockets v TBD – Toyota Center, TBD*

*If necessary

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

Series 0-0

• Game 1: Lakers v Timberwolves – Crypto.com Arena, Saturday 19 April, 8:30 pm, ABC
• Game 2: Lakers v Timberwolves – Crypto.com Arena, TBD
• Game 3: Lakers v Timberwolves -Target Center, TBD
• Game 4: Lakers v Timberwolves – Target Center, TBD
• Game 5: Lakers v Timberwolves – Crypto.com Arena, TBD*
• Game 6: Lakers v Timberwolves – Target Center, TBD*
• Game 7: Lakers v Timberwolves – Crypto.com Arena, TBD*

*If necessary

(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers

• Game 1: Nuggets v Clippers – Ball Arena, Saturday 19 April, 3:30 pm, ESPN
• Game 2: Nuggets v Clippers – Ball Arena, TBD
• Game 3: Lakers v Timberwolves – Inuit Dome, TBD
• Game 4: Lakers v Timberwolves, Intuit Dome, TBD
• Game 5: Lakers v Timberwolves, Ball Arena, TBD*
• Game 6: Lakers v Timberwolves, Intuit Dome, TBD*
• Game 7: Lakers v Timberwolves, Ball Arena, TBD*

*If necessary

2025 NBA Playoffs schedule: Key dates

Below are the start dates for every round of the 2025 NBA playoffs.

• Play-in tournament: 15 April
• First round: 19 April
• Conference semifinals: 5-6 May (3-4 May if moved up due to previous series)
• Western Conference finals: 20 May (18 May if moved up)
• Eastern Conference finals: 21 May (19 May if moved up)
• NBA Finals: 5 June

NBA Playoffs 2025: How to watch the live

Here’s where to watch the 2025 NBA Playoffs and Finals:

Region	Event	Platforms
North America	NBA Playoffs	ESPN, ABC, TNT, NBA TV
	NBA Finals (from June 5)	ABC (exclusive)
United Kingdom	All NBA Games	TNT Sports, NBA League Pass
Global (Worldwide)	All NBA Games	NBA League Pass, Local TV & Digital Partners