The NBA Playoffs 2025 first round continues on Thursday with three game threes tonight.
Wednesday’s first-round action saw no surprises, though lower seeds Miami Heat and Orlando Magic put up a tougher fight. We’ve got the full recap along with previews of tonight’s games below.
Updated NBA Playoffs 2025 Bracket
Here’s the current NBA Playoffs bracket after Wednesday’s first-round Game 2s:
Wednesday, April 23 – Game 2 Recaps
Celtics 109, Magic 100
Celtics lead series 2–0
Jaylen Brown led the Boston Celtics to victory without Jayson Tatum, who missed his first playoff game ever due to a bone bruise incurred on a hard foul by the Magic’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Brown did more than fill the void, scoring 36 points, shooting 71.4% from three. He also had 10 rebounds and five assists.
Kristaps Porziņģis had a strong game on both ends of the court — contributing 20 points along with two blocks and two steals.
The Orlando Magic’s two young stars, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, showed just why this team has a bright future, putting up 32 and 25 points, respectively. As for right now, they’re simply overmatched by the Celtics, who went on a run in the third quarter and never looked back.
Series Prediction: Expect the Celtics to sweep this series.
Next Game: Friday, April 25, 7:00 PM Eastern — Kia Center, Orlando, FL
Cavaliers 121, Heat 112
Cavaliers lead series 2–0
Threes made the difference in this game. The Miami Heat actually made more baskets than the Cleveland Cavaliers and shot better from the field overall (51.9% to 47.6%). But the Cavs had a success rate of nearly 50% from downtown, compared to just 36% for the Heat.
Tyler Herro was once again the hero, putting up a 33-point performance for Miami, which saw six players score in double digits. However, it wasn’t enough as Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points while shooting 70% from behind the arc.
Series Prediction: The Cavs could sweep this series, but the Heat do have what it takes to pull off at least one win.
Next Game: Saturday, April 26, 1:00 PM Eastern — Kaseya Center, Miami, FL
Rockets 109, Warriors 94
Series tied 1–1
The Houston Rockets bounced back to even the series, with Jalen Green scoring 38 points — knocking down eight three-pointers. Alperen Sengun also had a big night, nearing a triple-double with 17 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Jimmy Butler exited the game in the first quarter after a hard fall, suffering a pelvis contusion.
The Golden State Warriors were already down 15-22 by that point, and then the Rockets pulled away in the second quarter, leading by as much as 20 points.
The Rockets’ defense sparkled once again, limiting the Warriors to just 41.3% from the field. The Warriors also made 15 turnovers.
Butler’s status may ultimately determine how this series ends. If he returns, this first-round matchup could go the distance. If not, Houston may seal the deal much earlier.
Next Game: Saturday, April 26, 8:30 PM Eastern — Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Thursday, April 24 – Game 3 Previews
New York Knicks at Detroit Pistons
Series tied 1–1
The series shifts to Detroit after both teams split the first two games in New York. The Pistons now have the home-court advantage with the next three games being played in Detroit.
Detroit not only led in the fourth quarter of their Game 1 loss, but they also won the season series against New York. They’ve been wrongly labeled as the underdogs.
Series Prediction: Expect the Pistons to win tonight and clinch the series in six.
Time: 7:00 PM Eastern
Venue: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
TV: TNT
Streaming: TNT app, Max, Hulu + Live TV, Sling, YouTube TV
Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies
Thunder lead series 2–0
This is about as lopsided as an NBA playoff series can get. The Oklahoma City Thunder have simply dominated the Memphis Grizzlies in their first two games.
The series now heads to Memphis, which aims to respond at home and avoid a 3–0 deficit. But don’t expect the humiliation to end for the Grizzlies.
Series Prediction: OKC sweep.
Time: 9:30 PM Eastern
Venue: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
TV: TNT
Streaming: TNT app, Max , Hulu + Live TV, Sling, YouTube TV
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers
Series tied 1–1
This may be the most competitive first-round series. Game 1 ended with the Denver Nuggets prevailing in overtime. The LA Clippers tied the series, winning Game 2 by a three-point margin. The first two games have been decided by an average margin of 2.5 points.
Back at home, a healthy Kawhi Leonard could make the difference tonight. He put up 39 points off 15-of-19 shooting on Monday night. Turnovers were key to the Nuggets’ defeat in Game 2, with Nikola Jokic committing seven of Denver’s 20 turnovers — negating another stellar triple-double performance.
Series Prediction: This series will go to seven games, with the Nuggets narrowly winning.
Time: 10:00 PM Eastern
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
TV: NBA TV
Streaming: NBA TV app, NBA League Pass, Hulu + Live TV, Sling, YouTube TV
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