The lineup for the final four teams in the 2025 NBA playoff bracket is now complete, and the conference finals are actively underway. In the Western Conference finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder have established a 1-0 series advantage over the Minnesota Timberwolves, following a decisive victory in the opening game on Tuesday evening. The Eastern Conference finals commenced on Wednesday, with the New York Knicks hosting the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden.
All four teams currently competing are striving to reach the NBA Finals after significant droughts. The Thunder`s last trip to the Finals was in 2012. The Pacers have not made it to the championship round since 2000, while the Knicks` most recent appearance was in 1999. The Timberwolves, notably, have never participated in the NBA Finals. The last championship claimed by any of these franchises dates back to 1979, won by the Seattle SuperSonics (the team that later relocated and became the Thunder).
The top-seeded Thunder, who advanced past the Denver Nuggets in seven games in the previous round, were widely expected to reach this stage of the playoffs. However, the Timberwolves, Knicks, and Pacers have all navigated their way here through upset victories. The Timberwolves eliminated the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round before defeating the seventh-seeded Golden State Warriors. The Knicks ousted the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, in their last series, and the Pacers took down the Eastern Conference`s top seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Teams that were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs include the Heat, Grizzlies, Bucks, Magic, Pistons, Rockets, Clippers, and the Lakers.
2025 NBA Playoff Bracket
2025 NBA Playoffs: Conference Finals Schedule
All times Eastern
Tuesday, May 20
Game 1: Thunder 114, Timberwolves 88
Wednesday, May 21
Game 1: Knicks vs. Pacers, 8 p.m.
Thursday, May 22
Game 2: Thunder vs. Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m.
Friday, May 23
Game 2: Knicks vs. Pacers, 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 24
Game 3: Timberwolves vs. Thunder, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 25
Game 3: Pacers vs. Knicks 8 p.m.
Monday, May 26
Game 4: Timberwolves vs. Thunder, 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 27
Game 4: Pacers vs. Knicks 8 p.m.
Wednesday, May 28
*Game 5: Thunder vs. Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 29
*Game 5: Knicks vs. Pacers, 8 p.m.
Friday, May 30
*Game 6: Timberwolves vs. Thunder, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 31
*Game 6: Pacers vs. Knicks, 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 1
*Game 7: Thunder vs. Timberwolves, 8 p.m.
Monday, June 2
*Game 7: Knicks vs. Pacers, 8 p.m.
2025 NBA Playoffs: Second-round schedule, scores
All times Eastern
Sunday, May 4
Game 1: Pacers 121, Cavaliers 112
Monday, May 5
Game 1: Knicks 108, Celtics 105 (OT)
Game 1: Nuggets 121, Thunder 119
Tuesday, May 6
Game 2: Pacers 120, Cavaliers 119
Game 1: Warriors 99, Timberwolves 88
Wednesday, May 7
Game 2: Knicks 91, Celtics 90
Game 2: Thunder 149, Nuggets 106
Thursday, May 8
Game 2: Timberwolves 117, Warriors 93
Friday, May 9
Game 3: Cavaliers 126, Pacers 104
Game 3: Nuggets 113, Thunder 104 (OT)
Saturday, May 10
Game 3: Celtics 115, Knicks 93
Game 3: Timberwolves 102, Warriors 97
Sunday, May 11
Game 4: Thunder 92, Nuggets 87
Game 4: Pacers 129, Cavaliers 109
Monday, May 12
Game 4: Knicks 121, Celtics 113
Game 4: Timberwolves 117, Warriors 110
Tuesday, May 13
Game 5: Pacers 114, Cavaliers 105 (Indiana wins 4-1)
Game 5: Thunder 112, Nuggets 105
Wednesday, May 14
Game 5: Celtics 127, Knicks 102
Game 5: Timberwolves 121, Warriors 110 (Minnesota wins 4-1)
Thursday, May 15
Game 6: Nuggets 119, Thunder 107
Friday, May 16
Game 6: Knicks 119, Celtics 81 (New York wins 4-2)
Sunday, May 18
Game 7: Thunder 125, Nuggets 93 (OKC wins 4-3)
2025 NBA Playoffs: First-round scores
Saturday, April 19
Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98
Game 1: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110 (OT)
Game 1: Knicks 123, Pistons 112
Game 1: Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95
Sunday, April 20
Game 1: Thunder 131, Grizzlies 80
Game 1: Celtics 103, Magic 86
Game 1: Cavaliers 121, Heat 100
Game 1: Warriors 95, Rockets 85
Monday, April 21
Game 2: Pistons 100, Knicks 94
Game 2: Clippers 105, Nuggets 102
Tuesday, April 22
Game 2: Pacers 125, Bucks 115
Game 2: Thunder 118, Grizzlies 99
Game 2: Lakers 94, Timberwolves 85
Wednesday, April 23
Game 2: Celtics 109, Magic 100
Game 2: Cavaliers 121, Heat, 112
Game 2: Rockets 109, Warriors 94
Thursday, April 24
Game 3: Knicks 118, Pistons 116
Game 3: Thunder 114, Grizzlies 108
Game 3: Clippers 117, Nuggets 83
Friday, April 25
Game 3: Magic 95, Celtics 93
Game 3: Bucks 117, Pacers 101
Game 3: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 104
Saturday, April 26
Game 3: Cavaliers 124, Heat 87
Game 4: Thunder 117, Grizzlies 115 (Oklahoma City wins 4-0)
Game 4: Nuggets 101, Clippers 99
Game 3: Warriors 104, Rockets 93
Sunday, April 27
Game 4: Knicks 94, Pistons 93
Game 4: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 113
Game 4: Celtics 107, Magic 98
Game 4: Pacers 129, Bucks 103
Monday, April 28
Game 4: Cavaliers 138, Heat 83 (Cleveland wins 4-0)
Game 4: Warriors 109, Rockets 106
Tuesday, April 29
Game 5: Pacers 119, Bucks 118 (Indiana wins 4-1)
Game 5: Pistons 106, Knicks 103
Game 5: Celtics 120, Magic 89 (Boston wins 4-1)
Game 5: Nuggets 131, Clippers 115
Wednesday, April 30
Game 5: Rockets 131, Warriors 116
Game 5: Timberwolves 103, Lakers 96 (Minnesota wins 4-1)
Thursday, May 1
Game 6: Knicks 116, Pistons 113 (New York wins 4-2)
Game 6: Clippers 111, Nuggets 105 (Series tied, 3-3)
Friday, May 2
Game 6: Rockets 115, Warriors 107
Saturday, May 3
Game 7: Nuggets 120, Clippers 101 (Denver wins 4-3)
Sunday, May 4
Game 7: Warriors 103, Rockets 89 (Golden State wins 4-3)
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
Heat 123, Hawks 114 (OT)
Grizzlies 120, Mavericks 106
2025 NBA Playoffs: Key Dates
- April 15-18: Play-In Tournament
- April 19: Playoffs begin
- May 5-6 (or May 3-4): Second round begins
- May 12: NBA Draft Lottery
- May 20-21 (or May 18-19): Conference finals begin
- June 5: NBA Finals begin
Jasper Hawthorne