Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports
The final four is set in the 2025 NBA playoff bracket, and the conference finals are underway. The Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder both have 1-0 leads. The Pacers won Game 1 over the New York Knicks in ridiculous fashion on Wednesday night, erasing a 14-point deficit in the final three minutes and winning in overtime. The Thunder, meanwhile, ran away from the Minnesota Timberwolves for a Game 1 win on Tuesday.
All four teams left standing are all looking for long-awaited NBA Finals appearances. The Thunder last made the Finals in 2012. The Pacers have not been to the championship round since 2000, and the Knicks last got there in 1999. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, have never been to the NBA Finals. The last championship among these four franchises came in 1979 and was won by the Seattle SuperSonics (years before they moved to OKC).
The top-seeded Thunder, who needed seven games to get past the Denver Nuggets last round, were expected to be here in the playoff bracket. The Wolves, Knicks and Pacers have all pulled off upsets. The Timberwolves took out the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round before knocking out the seventh-seeded Golden State Warriors. The Knicks ousted the defending champion Boston Celtics last round, and the Pacers took down the East’s top seed in the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Heat, Grizzlies, Bucks, Magic, Pistons, Rockets and Clippers, alongside the Lakers, were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.
2025 NBA playoff bracket
Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports
2025 NBA playoffs: Conference finals schedule
All times Eastern
Tuesday, May 20
Game 1: Thunder 114, Timberwolves 88
Wednesday, May 21
Game 1: Pacers 138, Knicks 135 (OT)
Thursday, May 22
Game 2: Thunder vs. Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Friday, May 23
Game 2: Knicks vs. Pacers, 8 p.m., TNT/Max
Saturday, May 24
Game 3: Timberwolves vs. Thunder, 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
Sunday, May 25
Game 3: Pacers vs. Knicks 8 p.m., TNT/Max
Monday, May 26
Game 4: Timberwolves vs. Thunder, 8:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Tuesday, May 27
Game 4: Pacers vs. Knicks 8 p.m., TNT/Max
Wednesday, May 28
*Game 5: Thunder vs. Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Thursday, May 29
*Game 5: Knicks vs. Pacers, 8 p.m., TNT/Max
Friday, May 30
*Game 6: Timberwolves vs. Thunder, 8:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Saturday, May 31
*Game 6: Pacers vs. Knicks, 8 p.m., TNT/Max
Sunday, June 1
*Game 7: Thunder vs. Timberwolves, 8 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Monday, June 2
*Game 7: Knicks vs. Pacers, 8 p.m., TNT/Max
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
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
