2025 NBA Playoffs: Matchups, schedule and how the play-in tournament works (2025)

Table of Contents

Eastern Conference Western Conference Play-In Tournament schedule Playoff schedule

The NBA's regular season is in the books. After a dramatic finish on Sunday, the top-six playoff spots in each conference have been secured, and the play-in tournament matchups are set.

Here are all of the matchups, along with the schedule. The play-in tournament began on Tuesday, with the 2025 NBA Playoffs starting on Saturday.

Eastern Conference

Playoff matchups
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Play-in team TBD
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Orlando Magic
(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons
(4) Indiana Pacers vs (5) Milwaukee Bucks

Play-in matchups
(7) Orlando Magic vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks
(9) Chicago Bulls vs. (10) Miami Heat

Western Conference

Playoff matchups
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Play-in team TBD
(2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Golden State Warriors
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
(4) Denver Nuggets vs (5) Los Angeles Clippers

Play-in matchups
(7) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies
(9) Sacramento Kings vs. (10) Dallas Mavericks

Play-In Tournament schedule

Tuesday

• (7) Orlando Magic 120, (8) Atlanta Hawks 95
• (7) Golden State Warriors 121, (8) Memphis Grizzlies 116

The winners advance to the playoffs as the No. 7 seeds; the losers will play again on Friday.

Playoff schedule

The 2025 NBA Playoffs begin Saturday, April 19.

Saturday, April 19
Game 1: Bucks at Pacers, 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 1: Clippers at Nuggets, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 1: Pistons at Knicks, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 1: Timberwolves at Lakers, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

Sunday, April 20
Game 1: West No. 8 at Thunder, 1 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 1: Magic at Celtics, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 1: East No. 8 at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 1: Warriors at Rockets, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)

Monday, April 21
Game 2: Pistons at Knicks, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 2: Clippers at Nuggets, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)

Tuesday, April 22
Game 2: Bucks at Pacers, 7 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Game 2: West No. 8 at Thunder, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 2: Timberwolves at Lakers, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)

Wednesday, April 23
Game 2: Magic at Celtics, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 2: East No. 8 at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Game 2: Warriors at Rockets, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)

Thursday, April 24
Game 3: Knicks at Pistons, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Thunder at West No. 8, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Nuggets at Clippers, 10 p.m. ET (NBA TV)

Friday, April 25
Game 3: Celtics at Magic, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 3: Pacers at Bucks, 8 p.m. ET (ESPNU/NBA TV)
Game 3: Lakers at Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Saturday, April 26
Game 3: Cavaliers at East No. 8, 1 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 4: Thunder at West No. 8, 3:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 4: Nuggets at Clippers, 6 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 3: Rockets at Warriors, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

Sunday, April 27
Game 4: Knicks at Pistons, 1 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 4: Lakers at Timberwolves, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 4: Celtics at Magic, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 4: Pacers at Bucks, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)

Monday, April 28
Game 4: Cavaliers at East No. 8, TBD (TBD)
Game 5: West No. 8 at Thunder, TBD (TBD)*
Game 4: Rockets at Warriors, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)

Tuesday, April 29
Game 5: Magic at Celtics, TBD (TBD)*
Game 5: Pistons at Knicks, TBD (TBD)*
Game 5: Bucks at Pacers, TBD (TBD)*
Game 5: Clippers at Nuggets, TBD (TBD)*

Wednesday, April 30
Game 5: Warriors at Rockets, TBD (TBD)*
Game 5: East No. 8 at Cavaliers, TBD (TBD)*
Game 5: Timberwolves at Lakers, TBD (TBD)*

Thursday, May 1
Game 6: Celtics at Magic, TBD (TBD)*
Game 6: Knicks at Pistons, TBD (TBD)*
Game 6: Thunder at West No. 8, TBD (TBD)*
Game 6: Nuggets at Clippers, TBD (TBD)*

Friday, May 2
Game 6: Cavaliers at East No. 8, TBD (TBD)*
Game 6: Pacers at Bucks, TBD (TBD)*
Game 6: Lakers at Timberwolves, TBD (TBD)*
Game 6: Rockets at Warriors, TBD (TBD)*

Saturday, May 3
Game 7: Magic at Celtics, TBD (TBD)*
Game 7: Pistons at Knicks, TBD (TBD)*
Game 7: West No. 8 at Thunder, TBD (TBD)*
Game 7: Clippers at Nuggets, TBD (TBD)*

Sunday, May 4
Game 7: East No. 8 at Cavaliers, TBD (TBD)*
Game 7: Bucks at Pacers, TBD (TBD)*
Game 7: Timberwolves at Lakers, TBD (TBD)*
Game 7: Warriors at Rockets, TBD (TBD)*

* denotes if necessary.