What an Action-Packed NBA Playoff This is Turning Out To Be!

Thirty (30) teams charged out of the starting gate last October 2024 to compete in the world’s most prestigious and most eagerly-watched basketball spectacle on the planet, the NBA. And after nearly 7 months of grueling duels and bloodied noses, 16 worthy teams weathered the regular season slugfest. Of the 16, half have since faltered and packed their bags for home as we move on to the 2nd round of this prestigious 2025 NBA Playoffs.

Which 8 teams survived the first round of elimination?

From the east, the top 4 seeds marched into the next round as expected. There were no anxious moments as the steady top-seed Cleveland Cavs, the defending champs and 2nd seed Boston Celtics, the tough-as-nails 3rd seed New York Knicks, and the speed demons 4th seed Indiana Pacers all disposed their respective rivals easily. Now comes the difficult part as the Cavs and the Pacers come to blows, while the Celts and the Knicks renew the long-awaited return of an unfinished rivalry.

From the more competitive western conference, 2 teams had to pass through the proverbial eye-of-the-needle with hard-fought Game 7 wins over equally-gritty rivals. Only the top seed OKC Thunder finished off their opening round date unscathed. The multi-titled but lower seed Golden State Warriors nipped the 2nd seeds, but playoff rookies Houston Rockets 4-3, stealing the final game right at Houston’s homecourt. The 3rd seed LA Lakers, one of the favorites to reach deep in the playoffs, were humbled by a tenacious 6th seed Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1. Finally, the former champs and 4th seed Denver Nuggets outlasted a suddenly resurgent 5th seed LA Clippers 4-3, to finalize the line-up of the elite 8.

And so, it’s now on to round 2. As expected, it’s the (1) Cavs, (2) Celtics, (3) Knicks, and (4) Pacers stepping forward in the east. Over in the wild, wild west, it’s the (1) Thunder, (4) Nuggets, (6) Twolves, and (7) Warriors moving on to the next round, with the upset axe already claiming the scalps of the 2nd seed Rockets and the 3rd seed Lakers. It’s the Cavs vs the Pacers, and the Celts vs the Knicks in the east; while the Thunder battle the Nuggets, and the Twolves take on the Warriors in the west.

And indeed, what an exciting round in this year’s NBA Playoff this is turning out to be. As of this writing, the east has come alive with the 2 lower seeds shocking the sporting world with comfortable 2-0 leads via a series of nail-biting thrillers. Over in the west, both series duels are tied at 1-1 apiece.

The East’s top seed Cleveland Cavs suddenly find themselves in unfamiliar ground, trailing a resurgent 4th seed Indiana Pacers 0-2 despite the homecourt advantage. The Cavs are now playing minus injured starters Darius Garland and Defensive Player of the Year contender, Evan Mobley. Another key reliever, DeAndre Hunter is also on the injured list. The Pacers have taken advantage of the absence of these key players to suddenly take a comfortable lead. Donovan Mitchell is heavy-lifting for the Cavs, averaging a heroic 40.5 points in the 2 games, but all these have been negated by the all-around brilliance of Pacer guard Tyrese Haliburton, whose last second 3-pointer stole Game 2 from the Cavs 120-119. With the Cavs starting 5 missing 2 important set pieces, and the series now moving to Indiana, it looks like the Pacers could be looking at a slot in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Boston Celtics, defending champs and seasoned veterans in the playoffs, are suddenly looking disoriented and disorganized. They have allowed the upstarts New York Knicks to steal 2 games in the TD Garden; the first in overtime 108-105, and the second overcoming a 20-point deficit to win 91-90. The Celtic collapse in game 2 looks bad for the team, as it somehow diminishes the mantle of invincibility that usually cloaks a reigning champ. This has given Jalen Brunson and his cohorts the needed confidence boost, despite the clear advantage in personnel the Celtics have. However, with the heavy minutes the Knicks’ starters are putting in, this could still look difficult if the Celtics are able to prolong the series. The Celts’ Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will need to recover their form, if they intend to join the final 4.

In the west, the 2023 champs Denver Nuggets stole game 1 from the top seeeded OKC Thunder 121-119 via Aaron Gordon’s last second 3-pointer. The Thunder then pummeled the Nuggets early in game 2 to win by a mile 149-106, making sure to negate the Nuggets’ last second wizardry. But with the series now moving to the Nuggets homecourt, things remain iffy in this series. If the Nuggets succeed in keeping the games close in the first first 3 quarters, they have a chance against the playoff newbie Thunder. Shai Gilgeous Alexander and the Thunder must create big leads early, as the veteran savvy of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Russell Westbrook, and end-game specialist Aaron Gordon could concoct mesmerizing spells on the Thunder’s young players. This will be a test for 2 Player-of-the-year top contenders in Jokic and SGA.

Finally, the Golden State Warriors, another former champ, is trying to force its will on another young league upstart, the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite the Warriors’ lower seed, they are tied 1-1, as Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler showcase their cage smarts. It is a battle between the Warriors’s wisdom versus the Timberwolves talent. It is the Warriors slow and steady game, versus the Twolves’ fast and furious flight. It is the vets versus the young ones. Pure skill versus speed. A contrast in styles and outlook. Unfortunately, it looks bad for the Warriors as Steph Curry joined the injured list with a bad hamstring. The veteran Warriors were able to adjust in time in game 1 without their star shooter, surprising the Wolves 99-88. But the Twolves came prepared for game 2, winning by a mile 117-93. In this series, the Wolves’ Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle will need to gain separation early, otherwise the Warriors’ smarts could turn the tide in the endgame.

Two former champs – the Nuggets and the Warriors – are banking on their veteran cage IQ to bring them to the next stage. The defending champs Celtics, on the other hand, have yet to show their championship flair. This is a golden opportunity for the upstarts in the playoffs to learn, albeit on the fly, if they are to compete for the bigger battles ahead. Indeed, the playoff duels are a different set of games. And it will take more than just raw talent, physical strength and youthful exuberance to make it to the top.

This has been an action-packed playoff round indeed. Who you got moving on to the Conference Finals?

Cover pic courtesy of: UPI. Other pics courtesy of NBC News, Sports Illustrated, Last Word on Sports, GMA Network, Yahoo Sports, MPR News, Powell River Peak, Cleveland.com, AZ Central and Inquirer.net. For a closer look, pls click on the pics.