We’re going to return to our Portland Trail Blazers season review tomorrow, but today it’s hard to miss that the brackets for the 2025 NBA Playoffs are almost set. It’s a fascinating set of matchups in a season that’s more unusual than any I can remember. The Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Nikola Jokic MVP race, the ascendance of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers, Luka Doncic and Jimmy Butler getting traded mid-season…it’s been a whirlwind. It’s about to intensify too, as the playoffs battles—particularly in the Western Conference—are likely to be epic.
As we take a deep breath before the festivities begin, we’re going to ask you to answer a few questions about the postseason.
Here are the matchups for the first round:
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Hawks/Heat (Friday game)
No. 2 Celtics vs. No. 7 Magic
No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Pistons
No. 4 Pacers vs. No. 5 Bucks
Western Conference
No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 Grizzlies/Mavericks (Friday game)
No. 2 Rockets vs. No. 7 Warriors
No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Timberwolves
No. 4 Nuggets vs. No. 5 Clippers
Here are the questions at hand:
- Who wins the final Play-In games in the East and West? Will it be Atlanta or Miami facing Cleveland, Dallas or Memphis facing OKC?
- Which of the first-round matchups is most interesting to you, personally?
- Which of the first-round matchups is most likely to see an upset?
- Are there ANY teams in the bracket you think the current Trail Blazers could take in a seven-game series?
- Who comes out of the East and West eventually?
- Who’s the 2025 NBA Champion?
Register your thoughts about the upcoming playoffs in the comments section! I’ll share my thoughts there too.
