2025 NBA playoffs – Eastern Conference first-round takeaways

The 2025 NBA playoffs are underway, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game in the march to the Finals.

Saturday’s slate of Eastern Conference games saw the No. 4 Indiana Pacers easily handle the 5-seed Milwaukee Bucks, who’ll now wait on whether Damian Lillard will return to action for Game 2. Meanwhile, the No. 3 seed New York Knicks stormed to a Game 1 win behind a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd to beat the No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons.

Sunday will see the East’s top two teams begin their postseason runs. The No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers welcome the Miami Heat, who became the first 10-seed team to escape the play-in tournament and reach the playoffs. That precedes the defending champion Boston Celtics, who will start their title defense as the No. 2 seed against the 7-seed Orlando Magic.

Here’s what stood out from Saturday’s results as we get you ready for Sunday’s games.

Jump to a series:
Cavaliers-Heat | Celtics-Magic
Knicks-Pistons | Pacers-Bucks

More coverage:
West first-round takeaways
Schedules and results |Offseason guides

Game 1: Knicks 123, Pistons 112

What we learned:

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Fair or not, entering the series, there had been so much talk about the Knicks’ collective playoff experience relative to the Pistons, who feature a handful of key youngsters. It was hard to deny that aspect late, when Detroit opened the fourth period at Madison Square Garden with a five-second inbound violation, then followed up that turnover with a shot clock violation. That was a sign of things to come, as New York jumped on the mistakes and embarked on a season-best 21-0 run over a 4½-minute stretch.

Detroit had so much to feel good about through three quarters. The job it did defensively on Jalen Brunson. Its ability to turn OG Anunoby into a one-man offense. The Pistons’ spacing and ball movement were solid, even as Cade Cunningham was held down in the scoring column for stretches. But it all fell apart to begin the fourth — a span in which New York outscored Detroit 40-21 — and the veteran Knicks never looked back.

Game 2: Pistons at Knicks (Monday, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)

What to watch:
The health of Brunson, who began the game by shooting 2-for-13, but then, after appearing to tweak his ankle — and changing his shoes — looked like a different player late. He connected on five of his seven shots during the team’s dominant fourth quarter. Asked about his star guard’s status and late-game shoe change, coach Tom Thibodeau said, “I think he grabbed his cape.”

On the other side of the ledger, and arguably more important since his availability is at risk, is Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, who exited Game 1 with an apparent knee issue and didn’t return. His physicality behind Jalen Duren could be a key to the series, especially with Mitchell Robinson looking strong off New York’s bench.

— Chris Herring

Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98

What we learned:
The Pacers’ depth was evident throughout the game, with Indiana’s deep rotation overcoming Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo-centric attack. Indiana had few defensive answers against Antetokounmpo, who finished with 36 points and 12 rebounds and displayed periods of dominance in this rematch of last season’s first-round series. But the two-time MVP finished with just one assist, as the Pacers clamped down and limited Milwaukee’s remaining players to 34% shooting from the field.

A key indicator of the difference in ball movement among the teams was evidenced in the overall assist numbers; Indiana finished with 28 while Milwaukee had just 15. That led to a typical balanced scoring effort from the Pacers, with five players in double-figure points, led by Pascal Siakam‘s 25.

Game 2: Bucks at Pacers (Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV)

What to watch:
Attention now turns to whether Bucks guard Damian Lillard will return for Game 2 after being sidelined since March 18 because of a blood clot in his right calf. Lillard returned to practice this week after being cleared of deep vein thrombosis, and the Bucks could certainly use his shotmaking after the cold shooting performance from Milwaukee’s supporting cast in Game 1.

— Stephen Holder

Game 1: Heat at Cavaliers (Sunday, 7 p.m. ET, TNT)

One thing to watch from the Cavaliers:
Will they be elite from 3? Before March 11, the Cavs were No. 1 in 3-point shooting percentage and had been on top for months. Since then, they are 19th. Which will it be when it matters? Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are great playmakers and shotmakers, and the Cavs cover for their defensive shortcomings with a great back line in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. But it works a lot better when their lead guards are making 3s. Mitchell shot 39% before the All-Star break and 30% after. Garland shot 43% before and 34% after. They combine to take 16 triples a game, so these percentage swings make a big difference for their margin for error. — Brian Windhorst

One thing to watch from the Heat:
There’s no way the Heat can do this again … or can they? After becoming the first 10-seed to make the playoffs by dispatching both the Bulls and Hawks on the road in a span of three days, the Heat will now try to advance out of the first round from the play-in once again. Not having Jimmy Butler III this time, however, is a big difference. But the Heat spent all season playing well for three quarters, only to repeatedly implode in the fourth. If they can avoid that in this series, then they at least have the capability of making this one slightly interesting. — Tim Bontemps

Game 1: Magic at Celtics (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

One thing to watch from the Celtics:
Given Orlando’s issues on offense, there shouldn’t be much drama on the court in this series. But for the Celtics, the main focus will be Jaylen Brown‘s right knee. The All-Star guard has been dealing with a bone bruise for weeks and recently received injections to manage the pain. Boston won’t need Brown at his best to win this series, or even the next one, but it will need him to defend its title. How he looks after some rest will be a heavy focus for everyone after this series. — Bontemps

One thing to watch from the Magic:
Can Orlando take advantage of Brown’s balky right knee by applying more defensive pressure on Jayson Tatum and the other Celtics? Orlando is relentless on that end of the court, and if they spot and exploit a weakness in that regard, the matchup could become the sort of low-possession, grind-it-out series the low-scoring Magic would ultimately prefer. — Herring