NBA playoff takeaways: OKC routs Denver in Game 7 to advance to the WCF

The moment around of the 2025 NBA playoffs is right here, and our NBA insiders have you ever coated for each sport of the Eastern and Western Conference semifinals.

The No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers kicked off the East semis through taking a 2-0 lead over the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers and not seemed again, finishing the collection ultimate Tuesday evening to turn into the primary staff to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

Without Jayson Tatum, the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics held off the No. 3 seed New York Knicks in Game 5 on Wednesday evening. But it wasn’t sufficient because the Knicks, of their greatest playoff win in franchise historical past, eradicated the Celtics in Game 6 in Madison Square Garden to transport directly to the Eastern Conference finals for the primary time since 2000.

In the West, the No. 4 seed Denver Nuggets fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Sunday’s Game 7.The Thunder advance to stand the Minnesota Timberwolves within the Western Conference finals.

The Timberwolves defeated the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 previous within the week to advance.

As groups proceed to chase the Larry O’Brien Trophy, here is what issues maximum in each meetings and what to look forward to in all 4 collection.

Jump to a sequence:
Cavaliers-Pacers | Knicks-Celtics
Thunder-Nuggets | Warriors-Timberwolves

More protection:
Schedules and effects | Offseason guides

Western Conference

Game 7: Thunder 125, Nuggets 93

What we discovered: Aaron Gordon proved he is unbelievably difficult through even making an attempt to play with a Grade 2 hamstring pressure right through Sunday’s Game 7. But toughness on my own wasn’t going to win this hard-fought collection. Clutch performances from celebrity avid gamers, training changes and Oklahoma City’s awesome intensity in the end did. After a coarse get started, the Thunder were given fantastic performances from Jalen Williams (24 issues on 10-of-17 taking pictures) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (35 issues on 12-of-19 taking pictures) to run away with this one. From 3:11 of the second one quarter till halftime, the Thunder went on an 18-5 run to fully turn the sport and collection. Williams had 11 of the ones issues on 5-for-5 taking pictures and all the surprising, a taught sport gave the look of a blowout. Denver performed with grit, as one would be expecting from a former champion, however with out Gordon and with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. suffering from the sector — the pair blended to hit simply 9 of 24 pictures for 19 issues — the Nuggets simply did not have sufficient.

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Thunder unharness scoring avalanche to cap off first part

Oklahoma City rattles off an enormous run on the finish of the primary part to increase its result in 14.

What to look forward to within the Western Conference finals: The Timberwolves and Thunder cut up the season collection 2-2 however most effective a type of video games integrated Julius Randle. The maximum noteworthy factor from the ones video games that applies to the approaching matchup is the good fortune Minnesota had working zone in opposition to the Thunder, one thing the Nuggets discovered as smartly. According to GeniusIQ, Minnesota ran zone for 52 possessions in opposition to Oklahoma City within the steady season. The Thunder averaged simply 0.81 issues on the ones possessions. The Thunder will want to hit 3s at a significantly better clip than they did on this collection if Minnesota is going with that means defensively. On the opposite facet of the ball, it will be attention-grabbing to look how the Thunder make a choice to protect Anthony Edwards, just because they’ve such a lot of just right choices between Lu Dort, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace. — Ramona Shelburne

Game 5: Timberwolves 121, Warriors 110

What we discovered: With Stephen Curry gazing from the bench, hoping that he may get an opportunity to go back for a possible Game 6, the Warriors seemed like a shell of the staff that disillusioned the Houston Rockets within the first around and stole Game 1 right here in Minneapolis. They could not muster sufficient offense, weren’t a danger from the fringe to permit Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga to paintings within and had no solutions for Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. While the Warriors went on an 18-6 run within the fourth to chop what used to be as soon as a 25-point deficit to 99-90, they could not get sufficient stops or use the 3-point line to stay their season alive. Butler battled an sickness in Game 4 and took most effective 9 pictures. In Game 5, he took 11 pictures and completed with 17 issues. Brandin Podziemski in the end snapped out of a taking pictures funk and scored 28 issues. And Kuminga completed with 26 issues and 11-of-23 taking pictures. But none of it used to be sufficient with out Curry. — Ohm Youngmisuk

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Ant’s full-court move reveals Randle for a bucket

Anthony Edwards passes to Julius Randle for a breakaway layup for the Wolves.

What to look forward to within the Western Conference finals: Minnesota were given this some distance a yr in the past, getting rid of a former champ within the Denver Nuggets and apparently having the entire momentum conceivable sooner than being bounced from the West finals in 5 video games. With extra enjoy and a made over roster — Randle has been helpful those playoffs and Donte DiVincenzo had his ultimate sport of the postseason within the Wolves’ closeout Game 5 — Minnesota gets the risk to turn how a lot more it’s supplied to earn its first NBA Finals look in franchise historical past this time round. The sixth-seeded Wolves will get started at the street with both a rematch in opposition to the Nuggets or a showdown with the No. 1 general seed within the Oklahoma City Thunder. And Edwards will put his skills up in opposition to Nikola Jokic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to turn that the MVP vote is not gospel with regards to figuring out the most productive participant within the league. — Dave McMenamin

Eastern Conference

Game 6: Knicks 119, Celtics 81

What we discovered: That the Knicks, who would have confronted a Game 7 at the street with a loss, were not going to depart issues to likelihood any more. The short-handed Celtics landed a cast jab in Game 5 with out famous person Jayson Tatum to stave off removal. Still, New York threw a devastating knockout punch in the second one quarter Friday, outscoring Boston 38-17 to take a large 27-point merit into the second one part. The Knicks stored pronouncing all over the collection that they hadn’t performed their ultimate basketball, even after a trio of double-digit comeback victories. But the second one length — a mixture of physicality, desperation and fantastic shotmaking — used to be on the subject of that stage. And it used to be sufficient to extinguish what used to be left of the protecting champs.

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Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks: Game Highlights

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks: Game Highlights

What to look forward to within the Eastern Conference finals: So many stuff will likely be value gazing on this postseason rematch between longtime opponents. It will likely be difficult to attract anything else conclusive from the regular-season collection because the groups did not play each and every different after the All-Star spoil, and since middle Mitchell Robinson — possibly an important X issue within the Knicks’ second-round win over Boston — neglected their earlier matchups. How does the fast moving Pacers’ assault carry out in opposition to the Knicks’ methodical one? More than anything else, after each and every staff had fantastic comebacks within the first two rounds, which membership performs higher in snatch time? — Chris Herring

Game 5: Pacers 114, Cavaliers 105

What we discovered: The Pacers were given good performances from their stars whilst the Cavs watched their ultimate avid gamers battle, and it made the adaptation right through this Eastern Conference semifinal collection. Tyrese Haliburton used to be extra special, scoring 28 issues whilst racking up 8 assists, and he additionally were given assist from Pascal Siakam‘s 21 issues, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Meanwhile, the Cavs were given up-and-down performances from their core 4. Donovan Mitchell gutted out 35 issues regardless of a foul left ankle, however he shot 8-of-24 from the sector. Jarrett Allen scored 9 issues, Evan Mobley completed with 24 however scored most effective 4 issues within the fourth quarter, and Darius Garland shot 4-of-16 and completed with 11 issues, striking a stamp on a disappointing end for Cleveland. The Cavs gained 64 video games right through the steady season, however they turned into the fourth 60-win staff in NBA historical past to lose a best-of-seven collection in 5 video games or fewer previous to the convention finals.

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Tyrese Haliburton drops 31 to near collection for Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton is going off for 31 issues to assist the Pacers conquer a 19-point deficit and shut out the collection vs. the Cavaliers.

What to look forward to within the Eastern Conference finals: The Pacers are headed to the convention finals for the second one directly season and coming in with enjoy, self assurance and swagger after provoking the top-seeded Cavs. Now, the Pacers watch for their opponent, with two attainable playoff rematches from ultimate season at the horizon. Indiana defeated New York in seven video games in ultimate yr’s moment around after successful Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. And the Pacers met the Celtics in ultimate yr’s Eastern Conference finals, however they have been swept en path to Boston’s 2024 NBA championship. The Pacers proceed to make come-from-behind victories a signature on this postseason as Indiana trailed through 19 within the first part of Game 5 however gained its 3rd sport of the playoffs after trailing through 19 or extra issues, the primary staff in NBA historical past to take action, in line with ESPN Research. — Jamal Collier