As the NBA Playoffs arrive, so too comes the most electrifying period of basketball of the entire season. It’s when regular-season records don’t count, superstars play when it matters most, and every possession becomes the one that sends the difference between going home or moving forward. For the fans, it’s the perfect combination of high-stakes tension, emotional roller coasters, and the kind of rivalries that make the league so iconic.
This playoff bracket is packed with storylines. From the return of old rivalries to the new challengers, the playoffs will be some of the most competitive in years. With new faces in the limelight and veteran workhorse teams trying to stay in the picture, the below is a preview of the best match-ups, rivalries, and title hopefuls in the playoffs this season.
Eastern Conference:
New Blood Meets Old Heat
Number one-seed Cleveland Cavaliers, built on Donovan Mitchell’s MVP-level season and rediscovery of his dominant self with the best record in the East, get to start it all off with Tyler Herro- and Bam Adebayo-led Miami Heat. This one has the makings to get ugly in a hurry–two hard-nosed teams with two different styles and everything to prove.
Defending champion Boston Celtics play the young and athletic Orlando Magic. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are battle-worn, but Orlando newbie Paolo Banchero won’t let them wreck the party. It’s all about experience pitted against energy.
The New York Knicks, who were riding a fine regular season streak, fight it out with the physical and hard-nosed Detroit Pistons in a throwback-style playoff series with a great deal of grit and grind.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers see a narrow 6-7 game battle, If the Bucks wish to control the game against the Pacers’ high-powered scoring and the excellent passing of Tyrese Haliburton, the team must close it out and defend collectively by holding back the scoring.
Western Conference:
The Wild, Wild West
The top-seed Oklahoma City Thunder, out West, are no longer a promising, young team but genuine contenders. With MVP-level basketball from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and freshman Chet Holmgren patrolling the interior on the defensive end, OKC has a 3–0 lead over the Memphis Grizzlies and appears poised for a long run.
The Houston Rockets return to the playoffs with a vengeance behind Jalen Green and young gun Alperen Sengun. The veteran Golden State Warriors also have Steph Curry and Draymond Green—names that never fail in the playoffs. Youth will also get to match wits with experience, and Houston needs to demonstrate they belong. Too bad Playoff Jimmy Butler got hurt, and his return is in question.
In a star-studded competition, the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves are locked in an era battle. LeBron James and Luka Doncic are spearheading the charge for L.A., but Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns are countering with athleticism and passion. This one is every bit as physical as it is personal—and far from over.
And lastly, the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers battle it out in the traditional 5-6 game battle. Nikola Jokić continues to put Denver on his back, and Kawhi Leonard and James Harden respond. This one could go the full distance and end in 7.
Who’s Favored to Win It All?
Title favorites, according to the oddsmakers, remain the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics, who were virtually in a dead heat. Close behind them were the Cavs, and the Lakers and Warriors remain long shots who nobody wants to tussle with. But as any basketball fan can tell you, playoff basketball is a crapshoot. Records don’t matter. Heroes are made. And one hot series can change everything. Whether you’re here for the rivalries, the comebacks, or the buzzer-beaters, the 2025 NBA Playoffs are now underway—and anything can happen in the race for the title.