NBA playoffs 2025: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights

ByESPN

Sunday, April 20, 2025 4:36PM

The first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs tips has begun, and fans can expect an action-filled postseason.

After a historic season of dominance, the Cleveland Cavaliers have claimed the No. 1 seed in the East. The defending champions Boston Celticswrapped up the No. 2 seed, led by Jayson Tatum and reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown./p>

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In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder are ready to rumble after commanding the No. 1 seed for a second straight season behind MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Finishing at No. 2 were the Houston Rockets, one of the season’s most improved teams. LeBron James and Luka Doncic led the Los Angeles Lakers to a No. 3 seed.

After the play-in tournament concluded on Friday, the 16-team NBA playoffs begin on Saturday with four games, followed by and four more on April 20. Eight teams from each conference reach the first round and face off in a best-of-seven series to advance. All four rounds of the NBA playoffs are best-of-seven, and teams are not reseeded after each round. The team with the better regular-season record in each series will have home-court advantage for that series. All series are played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the team with the better record hosting Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 (if necessary).

We’ll have complete coverage of the NBA playoffs all the way through the 2025 NBA Finals, which tip off June 5 on ABC and the ESPN App.