The NBA’s final four is almost set.
The No. 3 New York Knicks will take on the No. 4 Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA playoffs, while the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves have advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
This is the second straight postseason that Indiana and Minnesota, two title-less franchises, have reached the conference finals. New York, meanwhile, is making its first appearance in the round since 2000.
The East Finals feature a rematch from the second round of last year’s playoffs when the Pacers overcame a 3-2 series deficit against the Knicks, winning Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. Indiana rolled through the first two rounds of this postseason, bouncing both the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks and the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.
Tyrese Haliburton and Co. now look to book the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2000, and just second overall. Indiana has lost eight of its nine conference final series.
The Knicks got past the No. 6 Detroit Pistons in a highly competitive six-game series before beating the defending champion No. 2 Boston Celtics. New York jumped out to a 3-1 series lead as Boston lost star Jayson Tatum to a ruptured Achilles late in Game 4. The Knicks closed out the series with a Game 6 rout, moving them another step closer to their first championship since all the way back in 1973.
Anthony Edwards and the Wolves, like Indiana, needed just five games to win their two playoff series, taking down the No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers and the No. 7 Golden State Warriors, who lost Steph Curry to a hamstring injury in Game 1. Minnesota has never made the NBA Finals as it makes a third-ever conference final appearance.
In order to secure their first-ever NBA Finals berth, the Wolves will need to beat either the No. 1 overall-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder or the No. 4 Denver Nuggets. Denver and OKC will square off in a deciding Game 7 on Sunday.
So, when will the conference finals tip off and what’s the schedule? Here’s what to know:
What are the NBA Eastern, Western Conference Final matchups?
- Eastern Conference Finals: No. 4 Pacers vs. No. 3 Knicks
- Western Conference Finals: No. 6 Timberwolves vs. No. 4 Nuggets/No. 1 Thunder
Who has home-court advantage in the Eastern, Western Conference Finals?
Home-court advantage goes to the higher-seeded team, which means the Pacers and Wolves will both start the conference finals on the road.
When do the NBA Eastern, Western Conference Finals start?
The West Finals begin Tuesday, May 20, followed by the East Finals on Wednesday, May 21.
What is the NBA Western Conference Finals schedule?
- Game 1: Wolves at Thunder/Nuggets — Tuesday, May 20, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 2: Wolves at Thunder/Nuggets — Thursday, May 22, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 3: Thunder/Nuggets at Wolves — Saturday, May 24, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 4: Thunder/Nuggets at Wolves — Monday, May 26, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 5 (if necessary): Wolves at Thunder/Nuggets — Wednesday, May 28, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 6 (if necessary): Thunder/Nuggets at Wolves — Friday, May 30, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 7 (if necessary): Wolves at Thunder/Nuggets — Sunday, June 1, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
What is the NBA Eastern Conference Finals schedule?
- Game 1: Pacers at Knicks — Wednesday, May 21, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 2: Pacers at Knicks — Friday, May 23, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 3: Knicks at Pacers — Sunday, May 25, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 4: Knicks at Pacers — Tuesday, May 27, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 5 (if necessary): Pacers at Knicks — Thursday, May 29, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 6 (if necessary): Knicks at Pacers — Saturday, May 31, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 7 (if necessary): Pacers at Knicks — Monday, June 2, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
When do the 2025 NBA Finals start?
The NBA Finals will tip off Thursday, June 5, with a potential Game 7 slated for Sunday, June 22.
