The second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs is now underway, featuring eight teams battling fiercely to advance one step closer to realizing their championship dreams.
In the Eastern Conference, the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers are set to clash with the No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers. The Cavaliers secured their spot after sweeping the Miami Heat in the first round. Meanwhile, the defending champions, the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics, face a tough challenge against the No. 3 seed New York Knicks.
Out in the Western Conference, following a hard-fought seven-game series, the Denver Nuggets have advanced to take on the top seed, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The other Western Conference matchup features the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves competing against the No. 7 seed Golden State Warriors.
After a compelling first round that included both swift sweeps and dramatic Game 7 deciders, our panel of NBA experts has provided their forecasts for each of the highly anticipated second-round series.
Eastern Conference Second Round Matchups
Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. Indiana Pacers (4)
Tim MacMahon: Cavaliers in 6
Kevin Pelton: Cavaliers in 6
Ramona Shelburne: Cavaliers in 6
Andre Snellings: Cavaliers in 6
Jorge Sedano: Cavaliers in 7
Jerry Bembry: Cavaliers in 6
Dave McMenamin: Cavaliers in 6
Jamal Collier: Cavaliers in 6
Chris Herring: Cavaliers in 6
Marc Spears: Cavaliers in 6
Jeremy Woo: Cavaliers in 6
Tim Bontemps: Cavaliers in 7
Ohm Youngmisuk: Cavaliers in 6
Final tally: Cleveland 13, Indiana 0
Boston Celtics (2) vs. New York Knicks (3)
Tim MacMahon: Celtics in 6
Kevin Pelton: Celtics in 5
Ramona Shelburne: Celtics in 6
Andre Snellings: Celtics in 7
Jorge Sedano: Celtics in 6
Jerry Bembry: Celtics in 5
Dave McMenamin: Celtics in 7
Jamal Collier: Celtics in 6
Chris Herring: Celtics in 5
Marc Spears: Celtics in 6
Jeremy Woo: Celtics in 6
Tim Bontemps: Celtics in 5
Zach Kram: Celtics in 5
Ohm Youngmisuk: Knicks in 7
Final tally: Boston 13, New York 1
Western Conference Second Round Matchups
Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs. Denver Nuggets (4)
Kevin Pelton: Thunder in 6
Ramona Shelburne: Thunder in 7
Jorge Sedano: Thunder in 6
Jerry Bembry: Thunder in 6
Dave McMenamin: Thunder in 6
Jamal Collier: Thunder in 7
Chris Herring: Thunder in 7
Marc Spears: Thunder in 6
Jeremy Woo: Thunder in 7
Andre Snellings: Thunder in 7
Zach Kram: Thunder in 5
Ohm Youngmisuk: Nuggets in 7
Final tally: Oklahoma City 11, Denver 1
Minnesota Timberwolves (6) vs. Golden State Warriors (7)
Omar Raja: Timberwolves in 7
Jamal Collier: Timberwolves in 6
Jorge Sedano: Timberwolves in 7
Chris Herring: Timberwolves in 7
Dave McMenamin: Timberwolves in 7
Kevin Pelton: Timberwolves in 7
Jeremy Woo: Timberwolves in 7
Ohm Youngmisuk: Warriors in 7
Andre Snellings: Timberwolves in 6
Jerry Bembry: Timberwolves in 6
Ramona Shelburne: Warriors in 6
Zach Kram: Timberwolves in 7
Final tally: Minnesota 10, Golden State 2
Expert picks compiled based on the initial assessments for the 2025 NBA Playoff second round.
