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Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports

The final four is set in the 2025 NBA playoff bracket, and the conference finals are underway. The Oklahoma City Thunder have a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves after running away for a series-opening win Tuesday night. The Eastern Conference finals get going on Wednesday, with the New York Knicks hosting the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden.

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

bracket-pacers-2nd-round.png
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: Knicks vs. Pacers, 8 p.m., TNT/Max

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
Mavericks 120, Kings 106

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 12NBA Draft Lottery
  • May 20-21 (or May 18-19): Conference finals begin
  • June 5NBA Finals begin