2025 NBA playoffs – Eastern Conference first-round takeaways

The 2025 Nba Playoffs are in full swing, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game in the march to the finals.

On Thursday, the No. 3-seeded New York Knicks Defeated the No. 6 Detroit pistons in game 6 to Advance to the second round by winning on a 3-point dagger from Jalen brunsonThe clutch player of the year.

They ‘ 2 Boston CelticsWho Ousted the No. 7 Orlando Magic In Five Games in the first round.

The no. 4 Indiana Pacers Eliminated the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks In Overtime Tuesday and Advanced to Take on the No. 1 d Cleveland Cavalierswho swept the no. 8 seed MIAMI HEAT On Monday.

As the East Playoffs Continue, Here’s what matters most and what to watch with the second rounding.

Jump to a series:
Cavaliers-Heat | Celtics-magic
Knicks-postons | Pacers-Bucks

More Coverage:
West first-round takeaways
Schedules and results | Offseason Guides

Game 6: Knicks 116, pistons 113

What we learned:

Jalen brunson And the knicks-no matter how many doubles-digit leads they squandered-had just enough to take down a pesky pistons squad that did every time to push the series to a seventh game.

New York Came Into the Game Expressing the Importance of Not Letting Its Foot Off the Pedal and Playing A Full, 48-Minute Game. The knicks raced to a 14-point advantage in the first Half Before Watching the pistons overtake them at the break. Then, after coach tom Thibodeau’s group jumped out to an 11-point advantage in the Third, detroit close that gap, too, beefore ultimately pulling ahead the stretch. The pistons Led By as many as seven, 112-105, with 2:35 to play.

Detroit scored only one point the rest of the way, and the clutch player of the year, Brunson – Playing without Karl-genery townswho fouled out and wont 3-for-13 from the field-broke free for the deciding 3-point to finally shut the door.

Play

Jalen Brunson’s Clutch 3 in Final Seconds Wins Series for Knicks

Jalen Brunson Knocks Down a Hughe 3-Pointer in the close seconds to put the knicks ahead in their series-clinching win over the pistons.

ROUND 2, GAME 1: Knicks at Celtics (Monday)

What to Watch:

Can the knicks, who got swept by the celtics and be generally uncompitative Against the defending champions during the regular season, find a way to take a game in booston? Perhaps Most Key to Watch: How new york, which has played more drop pick-and-rol cover than the cele, any other club, defend booston’s 3-point attack? Having closed out detroit on Thursday, they’ll have decent rest and time for the coaches to prepare the series opener in booston.

– chris herring

Game 5: Pacers 119, Bucks 118 (OT)

What we learned:

The pacers containing their dominance over the bucks, rallying from a 20-point deficit in game 5 to come back and win the series-clinching contact in overtime on a game-winning layup from TYRESE HALIBURTON. Indiana Eliminated Milwaukee for the second conscious season and the pacers are 8-3 Against the bucks in the playoffs during that span.

It sets up a second-round matchup betwean the pacers and top-seeded Cleveland CavaliersWho has the best offense in the Nba and just swept the MIAMI HEAT In their first-round series. If the pacers can Pull Off an Upset, they could return to the estern conference finals for the second straight sea.

The bucks do not go down without a fig, thanks to a 30-point, 20-reebound triple-double from Giannis antetokounmpo And a new starting lineup that began the game on a 13-0 run. Coach Doc Rivers Made a Surprising Change, Inserting Bobby portis, Aj green And Kevin Porter Jr. Into the starting unit in Favor of Kyle kuzma, Brook lopez And the injured Damian Lillard. But the season ended in heartbreaking fashion with Gary trent jr. Committing Two Turnovers in the Final 30 Seconds of Ot After Having Just One The ENTIRE SERIES BEFORE.

– Jamal Collier

Play

Haliburton Aknowledges His Dad Got ‘CAUGHT UP IN MOMENT’ WITH GIANNIS

Tyrease Haliburton Says He and His Dad Apologied to Giannis Antetokounmpo Following The Exchange After Game 5 of the Pacers’ Win.

Game 5: Celtics 120, Magic 89

What we learned:

Even with the seventh-seeded magic, you better believe that the defending champion celtics are glad to be done with this series.

The Magic Feature Sever length, aggressive defenders, and they spent the celtics off the 3-point line and bohering them with a physical, bruising defense, which is contact in Game 5, Making the celtics visibly frustrated.

But Orlando is also (Very) Offensively challenged, and where is Star Forward Paolo Banchero Picked up three fouls in Quick Succulation Early in the Third Quarter, Momentum Shifted in a Hughe Way. Banchero Went to the Bench with 9:46 Remaining in the Third, and the celtics outscored the magic 30-9 the quarter, including out the three on a 24-4 Run. Ballgame.

Do the magic provide a blueprint for how to slow the celtics’ 3-point barge? Or they just just worse to do so? The latter seems to be more likely, as the celtics have struggled against Orlando in Recent Years, But Now, The Celtics Can Enjoy Some Rest Before Facing The Winner of the Pistons-Knicks Series in the Next Round.

– BAXTER HOLMES

Play

Jayson Tatum ensures celtics close out the magic

Jayson Tatum’s 35 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists lead the celtics to a series-clinching win over the magic.

Game 4: Cavaliers 138, Heat 83

What we learned:

It was 70-25 last in the second Quarter of Game 4-A Margin Repention a Lot for Both The Cavs and the Heat, as the second round of the playoffs after directing a for-game sweep of The latter.

It was as lopsided a score as you will probably every search in an electricity game. The Cavs Started 11-OF-20 from 3-Point Range, where the heat started 2-of-23. Let’s just say the intensity levels of the two tims without leveled up, with the Heat’s Lethargy Setting Quite the contrast to that of the caves.

Cleveland broke the heat with a strong finish to game 2. In Games 3 and 4, when Cleveland Guard Darius garland Was out with a sprained toe, the caves leaned into boosting De’ other hunter‘s playing time and giving addictional minutes to Dean wadeTwo forwards who shared the available playing time. The result was Big Lineups that effectively walled off the heat and made for hard denials of Tyler herroWho Largely had a miserable series.

Playing the Big Lineups is a lesson for the caves should they get in a pickle agientst stronger tims later in the position; Going back to them could prove to be a valuable curveball, as one of Cleveland’s Few Weaknesses is a lack of size in the backcourt. Otherwise, there was much learning to be had this even.

– Brian Windhorst

Play

Stephen a.: It time for pat riley to move on

Stephen A. Smith says it’s time for a change in miyami and questions whether the right person to lead the Heat’s Front Office.