2025 NBA playoff bracket: Postseason picture, matchups, schedule as Warriors clinch West’s No. 7 seed

The 2025 NBA postseason got started this week, and the Warriors and Magic are now officially in the playoffs. Golden State and Orlando earned the No. 7 seeds in the West and East, respectively, as they were victorious in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday night. The postseason schedule continued with play-in games on Wednesday as the Heat eliminated the Bulls, and the Mavericks eliminated the Kings. The first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs gets started on Saturday. 

The Warriors will face the Rockets in the first round, and the Magic will go up against the reigning champion Celtics in a best-of-seven series. We’ll know all eight first-round matchups by Friday night, and four of them were set at the end of the regular season: Knicks vs. Pistons and Pacers vs. Bucks in the East, Lakers vs. Timberwolves and Nuggets vs. Clippers in the West.

All eight first-round series will begin this weekend, and the first round could run through May 4. The NBA Finals are set to begin June 5.

2025 NBA playoff bracket

Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports

East first-round matchups

No. 1 Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Hawks/Heat
No. 2 Celtics vs. No. 7 Magic
No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Pistons
No. 4 Pacers vs. No. 5 Bucks

West first-round matchups

No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 Grizzlies/Mavericks
No. 2 Rockets vs. No. 7 Warriors
No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Timberwolves
No. 4 Nuggets vs. No. 5 Clippers

2025 NBA Play-In Tournament schedule, scores

All times Eastern

Tuesday, April 15
Magic 120, Hawks 95
Warriors 121, Grizzlies 116

Wednesday, April 16
Heat 109, Bulls 90
Mavericks 120, Kings 106

Friday, April 18
Hawks vs. Heat, 7 p.m., TNT/Max
Grizzlies vs. Mavericks, 9:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo

2025 NBA playoffs: First-round schedule, scores

All times Eastern

Saturday, April 19
Game 1: Pacers vs. Bucks, 1 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 1: Nuggets vs. Clippers, 3:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 1: Knicks vs. Pistons, 6 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 1: Lakers vs. Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo

Sunday, April 20
Game 1: Cavaliers vs. TBD, Time/Channel TBD
Game 1: Celtics vs. Magic, Time/Channel TBD
Game 1: Thunder vs. TBD, Time/Channel TBD
Game 1: Rockets vs. Warriors, Time/Channel TBD

Monday, April 21
Game 2: Knicks vs. Pistons, 7:30 p.m., TNT/Max
Game 2: Nuggets vs. Clippers, 10 p.m., TNT/Max

Tuesday, April 22
Game 2: Pacers vs. Bucks, 7 p.m., NBA TV/fubo
Game 2: Thunder vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m., TNT/Max
Game 2: Lakers vs. Timberwolves, 10 p.m., TNT/Max

Wednesday, April 23
Game 2: Celtics vs. Magic, 7 p.m., TNT/Max
Game 2: Cavaliers vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV/fubo
Game 2: Rockets vs. Warriors, 9:30 p.m., TNT/Max

Thursday, April 24
Game 3: Pistons vs. Knicks, Time/TV channel TBD
Game 3: TBD vs. Thunder, Time/TV channel TBD
Game 3: Clippers vs. Nuggets, Time/TV channel TBD

Friday, April 25
Game 3: Magic vs. Celtics, 7 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 3: Bucks vs. Pacers, 8 p.m., ESPNU/NBA TV/fubo
Game 3: Timberwolves vs. Lakers, 9:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo

Saturday, April 26
Game 3: TBD vs. Cavaliers, 1 p.m., ABC/fubo
Game 4: TBD vs. Thunder, 3:30 p.m., TNT/Max
Game 4: Clippers vs. Nuggets, 6 p.m., TNT/Max
Game 3: Warriors vs. Rockets, 8:30 p.m., TV TBD

Sunday, April 27
Game 4: Pistons vs. Knicks, 1 p.m., ABC/fubo
Game 4: Timberwolves vs. Lakers, 3:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
Game 4: Magic vs. Celtics, 7 p.m., TNT/Max
Game 4: Bucks vs. Pacers, 9:30 p.m., TNT/Max

Monday, April 28
Game 4: TBD vs. Cavaliers, Time/TV TBD
*Game 5: Thunder vs. TBD, Time/TV TBD
Game 4: Warriors vs. Rockets, 10 p.m., TNT/Max

Tuesday, April 29
*Game 5: Celtics vs. Magic, Time/TV TBD
*Game 5: Knicks vs. Pistons, Time/TV TBD
*Game 5: Pacers vs. Bucks, Time/TV TBD
*Game 5: Nuggets vs. Clippers, Time/TV TBD

Wednesday, April 30
*Game 5: Cavaliers vs. TBD, Time/TV TBD
*Game 5: Rockets vs. Warriors, Time/TV TBD
*Game 5: Lakers vs. Timberwolves, Time/TV TBD

Thursday, May 1
*Game 6: Magic vs. Celtics, Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: Pistons vs. Knicks, Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: TBD vs. Thunder, Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: Clippers vs. Nuggets, Time/TV TBD

Friday, May 2
*Game 6: TBD vs. Cavaliers, Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: Bucks vs. Pacers, Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: Warriors vs. Rockets, Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: Timberwolves vs. Lakers, Time/TV TBD

Saturday, May 3
*Game 7: Celtics vs. Magic, Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Knicks vs. Pistons, Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Thunder vs. TBD, Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Nuggets vs. Clippers, Time/TV TBD

Sunday, May 4
*Game 7: Cavaliers vs. TBD, Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Pacers vs. Bucks, Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Rockets vs. Warriors, Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Lakers vs. Timberwolves, Time/TV TBD

2025 NBA playoffs: Key dates

April 13: Final day of regular season
April 15-18: Play-In Tournament
April 19: Playoffs begin
May 12: NBA Draft Lottery
June 5: NBA Finals begin