2025 NBA playoffs – Eastern Conference first-round takeaways

The NBA Play Office of 2025 is all over the swings, and our NBA internal you covered every game in the final in March.

After winning the Game 2 in Madison Square Garden, Cadd Kiningham and No. 6 Detroit Piston No. 3 have returned to their series against New York Nix. The match -up has now returned to Motor City, which is looking for his first win in the playoffs since 2008.

Elsewhere in the east, the No. 5 Melvaki Box is waiting for the Damine Lillard on Tuesday to make its expected return for the main game 2 match -up against the No. 4 Indian Pacers. Second two East Series – No. 1 Cleveland Caulieres vs. No. 8 Miami Heat and No. 2 Boston Selts vs. 7 and Lando Magic – will return on Wednesday.

As the East Playoff is underway, the most important here is and what to see in all four series.

Go in a series:
Caulieres Hat | Selts megak
Knox-Pesnesis | Pacers-bix

More coverage:
The way to the first round of the west
System and results | Offers Guides

Monday’s game

Game 2: Piston 100, Nix 94

What did we learn:

This young piston, after handing over a large scale run of 21-0 in the fourth quarter, has faced the necessary and mental hardship to hold (barely) in the MSG-and has won his first play-off game since 2008.

The last few minutes of Game 2 looked like the replacement end of Game 1. Things were quite the same: Detroit helped eight points after three quarters, Nixes charged it late and tied the score to play with about a minute. But the pistons protector Dennis screwder, with 55 seconds, linked the tie -breaking triple to the nail, which proved to be the difference.

Suddenly, we go to think about whether the piston eventually can return to the post season Victorian column to see if they can benefit from taking advantage of the domestic court and potentially win this slug fest -style series.

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Dennis screwder clutch pushes the pistons in the last minute

Dennis screwder hit a large 3 in the clutch for piston vs Nix.

Game 3: Nicks in the piston (Thursday, evening 7pm ET, TNT)

What to see:

In addition to how things are performed, Piston dropped Nixes on Monday at the Free Throw Line 34-19-what is the answer to the Carl-Anthony cities?

The big man of Nixes had one of the most quiet out of the season in Game 2, with 10 points and six boards – which are less than his season longer. Its lack of production, especially in one night when Jillon Bronson (37 points) and Cad Kaningham (33 points) must have canceled each other.

When he was asked why Mitchell Robinson played on the towns to close the first half, Coach Tom Thaibodo said, “Mach was a boy who was returning to health.”

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Game 1: Nix 123, Piston 112

What did we learn:

Whether or not, entering the series, there was so much talk about Nixon’s collective playoff experience that he was against the pistons, in which a handful of important youths were displayed. It was difficult to deny this aspect late, when Detroit opened the fourth period in the Madison Square Garden with a five -second internal violation, then the shot clock violated the business. It was a sign of things to come, as New York jumped on mistakes and started running a run for the best 21-0 to 4-4 minutes of the season.

Detroit had a lot to feel good through three circles. He worked defensively on Jillian Bronson. His ability to turn Og Anonobi into a personal crime. The piston spacing and the movement of the ball were solid, even as Cade Kangham was kept in the scoring column. But all of this was separated to start the fourth-a period in which New York dropped Detroit out of 40-21-and the veteran Knox never looked back.

– Chris Herring

Game 1: Pacers 117, Box 98

What did we learn:
The depth of the pacers was clear throughout the game, the deep rotation of Indiana overcome the Gianis Antitoconampo-Mercos attack of Malwaki. Indiana had some defensive responses against anti -antitonampo, which won and won with 36 points and 12 reabounds in the first round of the last season’s first round series. But twice the MVP won with only one help, as the pacers clipped and restricted the remaining Melvaki players to 34 % shooting from the field.

An important indicator of the difference between the teams between the teams was evidence of the overall number. Indiana won with 28 while Malwaki had only 15. Due to this, the pacers tried to score a common balance, with five players in double figure points, headed by Pascal Seicam 25.

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Shams: Demian Lillard’s Eye Game 2 or 3 vs 3 vs Pacers

Shams Charania and Adonis Hassam reacted to the rapid restoration of Damine Lillard and the expected return against the Indiana pacers.

Game 2: Boxes on pacers (Tuesday, 7pm ET, NBA TV)

What to see:
The focus now turns to whether the box guard will return for the Damien Lilard Game 2 after taking blood in his right calf from March 18. Lellard returned for practice this week after the deep vein was cleansed of the thrombosis, and after the cold shooting performance of Milwaukee’s auxiliary cast in Game 1, boxes can definitely use their shotmaking. The nine -time All -Star has now been regarded as objectionable for Tuesday’s game.

– Stephen Holder

Game 1: Caulieres 121, heat 100

What did we learn:

Kiwes have two all -star guards, but if you ask someone around the team, they are sure they have three. Donovin Mitchell and Darus Garland looked fresh and dynamic, clearly after a plan to attack the rum and especially to target the hatguard Tyler hero in isolated conditions.

But Cleveland is the third man and has always been Tie Jerome, who is in his role as a sixth man all the season. The three guards scored Kiwis’s win more than 20 points. Jerome was a final, which broke the heat zone with three points of three fourth quarters when he took the hero several times. The heat eventually had to be trapped in Jerome so that the ball could be pulled down with his hands.

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Donovin Mitchell departed for 30 in Game 1 win

Donovin Mitchell’s 30 -point game gives Caulariers a comfortable game 1 win vs. Heat.

Game 2: Heat in Caulieres (Wednesday, evening 7:30 pm ET, NBA TV)

What to see:

The heat did not go to their patent zone until the end of the third quarter, only after the first 30 minutes or more paints of Kiwis played 44 points. This curvy hair surprised Cleveland, and the heat reduced their deficit to just seven points in the early fourth. Cleveland has been contradictory to its 3 -point shooting over the past month, and the hat coach Eric Splastra may challenge Kaoes here and use this zone in Game 2 first and more often.

– Brian Wind Horst

Game 1: Selts 103, Magic 86

What did we learn:
Even when the celtics appear to be trapped in the mud, and even when Jillin Brown and Jason Tatum are finished at night-the El NBA pair has a deeply aggressive weapon with a deeply aggressive champion to shoot 14-For-36 and 1-For-10 deeply. Putin Pharard and Derek White, who targeted 11 of Boston’s 16 3 points, helped to turn the one -point half -time deficit into the fourth quarter on Sunday to 11 points. Most importantly, for Selts: Brown, 2024 final MVP, the last three regular seasoned games went well with bone wounds in his right knee, and finished with 16 points in 30 minutes.

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Derek White’s Seven 3 Points Power Boston win Game 1

Derek White dropped seven 3 points for a 30 -point night as Celtics takes the game 1 on magic.

Game 2: Magic (Wednesday, 7 ET, TNT) in Saltics

What to see:
The driving sting in the fourth quarter will be able to monitor the right wrist of the tatum after experiencing severe dirt and severe fall. For magic, the star forward Paulo Benchiro (36 points) can only do. He and teammate Franz Wagner scored 77 points out of 77 points of magic. If Orlando has to make a better aggressive effort in Game 2, it will likely need to avoid Jrue holidays. According to ESPN Research, Boston’s stopper magic the 2-For-11 shooting with five turnover as a primary protector in Sport 1.

– Bexter Holmes