THE 2025 NBA Playoffs are underway, and our NBA initiates have covered you for each match on the go to the final.
The slate matches of the Eastern Conference on Saturday saw No. 4 Indiana Pacers easily manage seeds at 5 Milwaukee Buckswho will now wait if Damian Lillard will return to the action for match 2. Meanwhile, seeded n ° 3 New York Knicks stormed a victory for match 1 behind a noisy crowd of the Madison Square garden to beat the seeder n ° 6 Detroit pistons.
Sunday will see the two best teams in the East start their shopping series. Seed n ° 1 Cleveland riders Welcome the Miami HeatWho became the first team at 10 strikes to escape the game tournament and reach the playoffs. Which precedes the reigning champion Boston Celticswhich will start his defense of the title as a seeded n ° 2 against the 7 seeds Orlando Magic.
Here is what stood out from Saturday’s results while we are preparing for Sunday matches.
Jump in a series:
Riders | Celtics-Magic
Knicks-Pistons | Pacers-bucks
More cover:
West in the first take -out round
Hours and results |
Dissessing guides
Game 1: Knicks 123, pistons 112
What we have learned:
Just or not, entering the series, there had been so many discussions on the collective experience of the Knicks compared to the pistons, which present a handful of young keys. It was difficult to deny this aspect late, when Detroit opened the fourth period at the Madison Square Garden with an incoming violation of five seconds, then followed this turnover with a timer violation. It was a sign of things to come, when New York jumped on the mistakes and embarked on a 21-0 race of season 21-0 on a 4½ minute section.
Detroit had so much good to feel good through three -quarters. The work on which he did defensively Jalen Brunson. His ability to turn OG Anunoby in an offense of a single man. The spacing of the pistons and the movement of the ball were solid, even as Cade Cunningham was maintained in the score column for stretching. But everything collapsed to start the fourth – a duration in which New York has outraged Detroit 40-21 – and the veterans knicks never looked back.
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Knicks use 21-0 run to take control in 4th against Pistons
The Knicks leave for 21 points unanswered to send Madison Square Garden to a frenzy against the pistons.
Game 2: Pistons in Knicks (Monday, 7:30 p.m. he, TNT))
What to look:
The health of Brunson, who started the game by pulling 2 for 13, but then, after seeing changing his ankle – and changing his shoes – looked like another player late. He connected five of his seven shots during the dominant fourth quarter of the team. Asked about the status of his stars and the change of end of game shoes, coach Tom Thibodeau said: “I think he caught his cape.”
On the other side of the big book, and undoubtedly more important since his availability is in danger, is the great man of the pistons Isaiah StewartWho left match 1 with an apparent knee problem and has not returned. His physique behind Jalen Duren could be a key to the series, especially with Mitchell Robinson Look hard on the New York bench.
– Chris Herring
Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98
What we have learned:
The depth of the Pacers was obvious throughout the match, the deep rotation of Indiana overcoming Giannis antetokounmpo-Man centered. The Indiana had few defensive answers against Antetokounmpo, which finished with 36 points and 12 rebounds and displayed periods of domination in this revenge of the first round series of last season. But the MVP twice ended with a single assist, while the Pacers repressed and limited the remaining players of Milwaukee to 34% of the field.
A key indicator of the difference in ball movement among the teams has been highlighted in the overall assistance numbers; Indiana finished with 28 while Milwaukee was only 15 years old. Pascal Siakam“S 25.
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The Pacers confuse the dollars in the victory of match 1
Pascal Siakam leads the pacers with 25 points and 7 rebounds as they crush the Bucks 117-98.
Game 2: Bucks at Pacers (Tuesday, 7 p.m. he, nba tv))
What to look:
Attention now turns to Si Bucks Guard Damian Lillard will come back for match 2 after being sidelined since March 18 due to a blood clot in his right calf. Lillard returned to train this week After being rid of deep venous thrombosis, and the Bucks could certainly use its shooting after the cold shooting casting of Milwaukee in match 1.
– Stephen Holder
Game 1: Heat the riders (Sunday, 7 p.m. he, tnt))
One thing to monitor horsemen::
Will they be elites of 3? Before March 11, the Cavs were n ° 1 as a 3 -point shooting percentage and had been at the top for months. Since then, they have been 19th. What will it be when it is important? Donovan Mitchell And Darius Garland are big playing dies and shooters, and the Cavs cover their defensive gaps with an excellent back line Evan Mobley And Jarrett Allen. But it works much better when their main guards are 3. Mitchell pulled 39% before the stars break and 30% after. Garland pulled 43% before and 34% after. They combine to take 16 triples per game, so these percentage oscillations make a big difference for their margin of error. – Brian Windhorst
One thing to monitor heat::
There is no way that the heat can redo this … or can it? After having become the first 10 series heads to make the playoffs by sending the bulls and the hawks on the road in three days, the heat will now try to get out of the first round of the game. Not having Jimmy Butler III This time, however, it’s a big difference. But the heat spent the whole season to play well for three quarters, to implose several times in the fourth. If they can avoid this in this series, they have at least the ability to make it slightly interesting. – TIM BONEMPS
Game 1: Magic at Celtics (Sunday, 3.30 p.m., ABC))
One thing to look at Celtics::
Given the problems of Orlando in attack, there should not be a lot of drama on the ground in this series. But for the Celtics, the main objective will be Jaylen Brownis the right knee. Star care has been faced with bone bruising for weeks and has recently received injections to manage pain. Boston will not need Brown to his best to win this series, or even the next one, but he will need him to defend his title. The way he takes care of certain rest will be a heavy goal for everyone after this series. – Osteples
One thing to look at magic::
Can he orlando take advantage of Brown’s sleeping right knee by applying more defensive pressure on Jayson Tatum What about the other Celtics? Orlando is relentless at this end of the courtyard, and if they spot and exploit a weakness in this regard, the match could become the kind of series with low possession and grind-out that the magic with low score would ultimately prefer. – herring