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After a thrilling two weeks of first-round play full of Game 7s and sequence sweeps, the second one around of the 2025 NBA playoffs gets underway.
The No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers, after a dominating steady season, swept the Orlando Magic within the first around and was the 1st staff within the East to say a place within the convention semifinals. On Sunday, the Cavaliers will tackle Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers when they knocked out the Milwaukee Bucks from the playoffs for the second one season in a row.
The Boston Celtics, the 2024 NBA champions, transfer one step nearer to a repeat Finals look. But Boston will first have to stand off Monday in opposition to a gritty New York Knicks staff, which is coming off a difficult first-round sequence in opposition to the Detroit Pistons.
In the West, after a grueling seven-game sequence in opposition to the LA Clippers, the Denver Nuggets will meet the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in an MVP showdown starting Monday between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. The Minnesota Timberwolves look forward to the winners of Game 7 between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets (Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
Before we kick off the second one around, our NBA mavens destroy down the largest questions for every matchup, together with which underdog is possibly to advance and which participant matchup they are maximum excited for.
Schedule and information | Round 2 knowledgeable alternatives | Offseason information
Eastern Conference
Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. Indiana Pacers (4)
In a combat of 2 elite offenses, which is able to succeed?
The hole between those two groups during the last few months hasn’t been as extensive as their regular-season information would point out.
Since Jan.1, the Cavs are 35-14; the Pacers are 34-14. Still, Cleveland has led the Eastern Conference all season on account of an elite offense that led the NBA in scoring with 121.9 issues in line with recreation. That’s the second-best mark for any staff up to now 40 years, in the back of the Pacers’ 123.3 issues in 2023-24. The Cavs (136.2) and Pacers (118.0) had been the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses, respectively, by way of issues in line with 100 possessions all over the 1st around of the playoffs.
Both groups wish to push the tempo, and this sequence may well be made up our minds during which offense establishes itself as extra dominant. — Jamal Collier
The Pacers will make their moment immediately ECF if _______.
Haliburton can dictate the go with the flow of this sequence in opposition to Cleveland’s All-Star backcourt. Indy comes into this sequence because the extra skilled staff, advancing deeper in ultimate 12 months’s playoffs than lots of the core participants of the Cavs. And the Pacers will cross so far as Haliburton takes them. He’s already produced some giant playoff moments up to now two years — besting the Knicks at Madison Square Garden ultimate season and sending the Milwaukee Bucks house in Game 5 of this season’s first around with a game-winning layup.
The Cavs don’t seem to be speaking concerning the standing of two-time All-Star Darius Garland, who ignored the general two video games of the 1st around with a sprained left giant toe. If Haliburton will get at ease, begins spreading the ground and forcing Cleveland’s bigs to the fringe, the Pacers can get the Cavs into some uncomfortable positions. — Collier
Best wager: Cavaliers -1.5 video games (-180)
Put me down as the one that expects the Cavaliers to win and win convincingly. Yes, the Pacers received the season sequence, however this is deceptive.
Two of the ones wins got here in April after the Cavs had clinched the highest seed and used to be beginning reserves. And the Pacers’ first win got here prior to the industry cut-off date deal that despatched De’Andre Hunter to Cleveland and with Ty Jerome out. The Cavaliers staff at complete power is a lot better than the Pacers and will beat them at their very own taste.
My reputable choose is Cavs in six video games, however I may see them taking this sequence in 5. — Andre Snellings
More bets for Cavaliers-Pacers
Boston Celtics (2) vs. New York Knicks (3)
After going 0-4 in opposition to the Celtics within the steady season, what’s going to be the Knicks’ greatest adjustment?
New York desperately must give you the option to cave in at the Celtics’ shooters higher than it did all over the steady season.
No membership performed as a lot pick-and-roll drop protection in opposition to Boston because the Knicks did, and Tom Thibodeau’s membership paid handsomely for it, surrendering 21 made 3s in line with recreation with the Celtics hitting 43.5% from deep in the ones 4 defeats.
A heavier presence of backup Mitchell Robinson, who has the agility to come back upper up on monitors, shall be key, as will schematic adjustments on protection. — Chris Herring
The Celtics’ greatest fear on this sequence is _____?
Jrue Holiday‘s availability. Holiday ignored the previous 3 video games of the first-round sequence in opposition to Orlando with a hamstring harm. He used to be an enormous difference-maker within the regular-season conferences with New York, averaging 16 issues and 3 assists on 67% taking pictures in 3 video games.
Perhaps maximum vital: He’s some of the Celtics’ most sensible defensive choices for Jalen Brunson, who scored 30 or extra 5 instances in six video games all over the 1st around.
According to NBA.com’s matchup knowledge, Holiday defended him for 80 possessions, proscribing Brunson to 3-for-6 taking pictures and 6 issues in that regular-season span. — Herring
Best wager: Exact sequence general video games — six (+295)
The Knicks have struggled in opposition to the Celtics, shedding 8 in their previous 9 matchups.
They’re additionally coming off a hard-fought sequence in opposition to the Detroit Pistons. While New York will give Boston extra of a problem than Orlando did in Round 1, the Celtics are just too potent offensively with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and superb intensity — together with Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard.
They’re additionally stout defensively. Boston would possibly not sweep New York, however I envision it remaining the sequence with relative ease. — Eric Moody
Western Conference
Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs. Denver Nuggets (4)
How do Murray and Jokic remedy OKC’s league-leading protection?
They can get started by way of looking at the tape of the ultimate time those groups met: a 140-127 win for the Nuggets in Oklahoma City on March 10.
It used to be Jokic’s most effective environment friendly taking pictures day trip in 4 conferences with the Thunder, but it surely used to be a dominant efficiency, as he scored 35 issues on 15-of-20 taking pictures and dished out 8 assists. Murray scored 34 issues that evening, greater than he had blended within the different two video games he performed in opposition to Oklahoma City this season.
He’ll want lend a hand from Jokic and different teammates to unfastened him from Lu Dort, who’s as excellent as any defender within the league at preventing over or thru monitors. — Tim MacMahon
Which MVP candidate may have the larger have an effect on in this sequence?
It higher be Jokic if the Nuggets are going to have any likelihood to tug off the dissatisfied.
The Thunder are the a lot more gifted and deeper staff, as evidenced by way of Oklahoma City cruising to a league-best 68 wins and shattering the NBA document for level differential in a season.
But the Thunder are as well-equipped as somebody to comprise Jokic, that includes a couple of defensive-minded 7-footers in Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, in addition to a number of guards and wings who’re pests within the passing lanes. Denver could also be missing an All-Defensive candidate to take the principle task on Gilgeous-Alexander. — MacMahon
