{"id":854972,"date":"2025-06-11T22:12:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T03:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/11\/2025-nba-playoff-picture-eastern-conference-seeds-set-lakers-look-to-seal-no-3-in-a-still-messy-west\/"},"modified":"2025-06-11T22:12:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T03:12:41","slug":"2025-nba-playoff-picture-eastern-conference-seeds-set-lakers-look-to-seal-no-3-in-a-still-messy-west","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/11\/2025-nba-playoff-picture-eastern-conference-seeds-set-lakers-look-to-seal-no-3-in-a-still-messy-west\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 NBA playoff picture: Eastern Conference seeds set; Lakers look to seal No. 3 in a still messy West"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Oklahoma City Thunder tied up the 2025 NBA Finals with a dominant 123-107 Game 2 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. OKC bounced back from a stunning Game 1 loss, in which the Pacers erased a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit. Game 2 went much more smoothly, with the Thunder leading comfortably from the end of the first quarter until the final whistle.<\/p>\n

This sets the stage for what should be a captivating Game 3, scheduled for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n

The Thunder are back in the NBA<\/a> Finals for the first time since 2012 after eliminating the Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a> in five games in the Western Conference finals. The Pacers, meanwhile, eliminated the New York Knicks in six games to reach the Finals for the first time since 2000.<\/p>\n

The Thunder, who won 68 games in the regular season and are now 12-5 in the playoffs, entered the series as heavy favorites to win the title.\u00a0Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> is looking to become the first player to win the MVP award and an NBA title in the same season since Stephen Curry<\/a> pulled off the feat in 2015.<\/p>\n

In the East, the Pacers have pulled off several incredible comebacks this postseason alone, including a Game 1 stunner that put the Knicks back on their heels in the conference finals. They basically repeated that in Game 1 against the Thunder in the Finals.<\/p>\n

The postseason field has now been whittled from 20 teams down to two. The Kings, Mavericks, Bulls and Hawks were ousted in the Play-In Tournament. The Grizzlies<\/a>, Clippers<\/a>, Lakers, Rockets, Heat<\/a>, Bucks<\/a>, Pistons<\/a> and Magic<\/a> lost in the first round, and the Nuggets<\/a>, Warriors, Cavaliers<\/a> and Celtics<\/a> made it to the second round before bowing out. We said goodbye to the Timberwolves and Knicks in the conference finals to get where we are now — the homestretch.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

2025 NBA playoff bracket <\/h2>\n
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\"bracket-pacers-2nd-round.png\"<\/p>


\n Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports
\n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2025 NBA Finals schedule (Series tied, 1-1)<\/h3>\n

Thursday, June 5
<\/strong>Game 1: Pacers 111, Thunder 110<\/p>\n

Sunday, June 8<\/strong>
Game 2: Thunder 123, Pacers 107<\/p>\n

Wednesday, June 11<\/strong>
Game 3: Pacers vs. Thunder, 8:30 p.m., ABC\/fubo<\/a> <\/p>\n

Friday, June 13<\/strong>
Game 4: Pacers vs. Thunder, 8:30 p.m., ABC\/fubo<\/a> <\/p>\n

Monday, June 16<\/strong>
*Game 5: Thunder vs. Pacers, 8:30 p.m., ABC\/fubo<\/a> <\/p>\n

Thursday, June 19<\/strong>
*Game 6: Pacers vs. Thunder, 8:30 p.m., ABC\/fubo<\/a> <\/p>\n

Sunday, June 22
<\/strong>*Game 7: Thunder vs. Pacers, 8 p.m., ABC\/fubo<\/a> <\/p>\n

\n

2025 NBA playoffs: Conference finals schedule <\/h3>\n

All times Eastern<\/em> <\/p>\n

Tuesday, May 20
<\/strong>Game 1: Thunder 114, Timberwolves 88 <\/p>\n

Wednesday, May 21
<\/strong>Game 1: Pacers 138, Knicks 135 (OT) <\/p>\n

Thursday, May 22
<\/strong>Game 2: Thunder 118, Timberwolves 103 <\/p>\n

Friday, May 23
<\/strong>Game 2: Pacers 114, Knicks 109 <\/p>\n

Saturday, May 24
<\/strong>Game 3: Timberwolves 143, Thunder 101 <\/p>\n

Sunday, May 25
<\/strong>Game 3: Knicks 106, Pacers 100\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Monday, May 26
<\/strong>Game 4: Thunder 128, Timberwolves 126 <\/p>\n

Tuesday, May 27
<\/strong>Game 4: Pacers 130, Knicks 121 (Indiana leads 3-1) <\/p>\n

Wednesday, May 28
<\/strong>Game 5: Thunder 124, Timberwolves 94 (OKC wins 4-1) <\/p>\n

Thursday, May 29
<\/strong>Game 5: Knicks 111, Pacers 94 (Indiana leads 3-2) <\/p>\n

Saturday, May 31
<\/strong>Game 6: Pacers 125, Knicks 108 (Indiana wins 4-2) <\/p>\n

\n

2025 NBA playoffs: Second-round schedule, scores <\/h3>\n

All times Eastern<\/em> <\/p>\n

Sunday, May 4
<\/strong>Game 1: Pacers 121, Cavaliers 112 <\/p>\n

Monday, May 5
<\/strong>Game 1: Knicks 108, Celtics 105 (OT)
Game 1: Nuggets 121, Thunder 119 <\/p>\n

Tuesday, May 6<\/strong>
Game 2: Pacers 120, Cavaliers 119
Game 1: Warriors 99, Timberwolves 88 <\/p>\n

Wednesday, May 7<\/strong>
Game 2: Knicks 91, Celtics 90
Game 2: Thunder 149, Nuggets 106 <\/p>\n

Thursday, May 8<\/strong>
Game 2: Timberwolves 117, Warriors 93 <\/p>\n

Friday, May 9<\/strong>
Game 3: Cavaliers 126, Pacers 104
Game 3: Nuggets 113, Thunder 104 (OT) <\/p>\n

Saturday, May 10<\/strong>
Game 3: Celtics 115, Knicks 93\u00a0
Game 3: Timberwolves 102, Warriors 97 <\/p>\n

Sunday, May 11
<\/strong>Game 4: Thunder 92, Nuggets 87\u00a0
Game 4: Pacers 129, Cavaliers 109\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Monday, May 12<\/strong>
Game 4: Knicks 121, Celtics 113
Game 4: Timberwolves 117, Warriors 110\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Tuesday, May 13<\/strong>
Game 5: Pacers 114, Cavaliers 105 (Indiana wins 4-1)
Game 5: Thunder 112, Nuggets 105 <\/p>\n

Wednesday, May 14<\/strong>
Game 5: Celtics 127, Knicks 102
Game 5: Timberwolves 121, Warriors 110 (Minnesota wins 4-1) <\/p>\n

Thursday, May 15<\/strong>
Game 6: Nuggets 119, Thunder 107 <\/p>\n

Friday, May 16<\/strong>
Game 6: Knicks 119, Celtics 81 (New York wins 4-2) <\/p>\n

Sunday, May 18
<\/strong>Game 7: Thunder 125, Nuggets 93 (OKC wins 4-3) <\/p>\n

\n

2025 NBA playoffs: First-round scores <\/h3>\n

Saturday, April 19
<\/strong>Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98
Game 1: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110 (OT)
Game 1: Knicks 123, Pistons 112
Game 1: Timberwolves 117,\u00a0Lakers<\/a>\u00a095 <\/p>\n

Sunday, April 20
<\/strong>Game 1: Thunder 131, Grizzlies 80
Game 1: Celtics 103, Magic 86
Game 1: Cavaliers 121, Heat 100
Game 1: Warriors<\/a> 95, Rockets<\/a> 85 <\/p>\n

Monday, April 21
<\/strong>Game 2: Pistons 100, Knicks 94
Game 2: Clippers 105, Nuggets 102 <\/p>\n

Tuesday, April 22
<\/strong>Game 2: Pacers 125, Bucks 115
Game 2: Thunder 118, Grizzlies 99
Game 2: Lakers 94, Timberwolves 85 <\/p>\n

Wednesday, April 23
<\/strong>Game 2: Celtics 109, Magic 100
Game 2: Cavaliers 121, Heat, 112
Game 2: Rockets 109, Warriors 94 <\/p>\n

Thursday, April 24
<\/strong>Game 3: Knicks 118, Pistons 116
Game 3: Thunder 114, Grizzlies 108
Game 3: Clippers 117, Nuggets 83 <\/p>\n

Friday, April 25
<\/strong>Game 3: Magic 95, Celtics 93
Game 3: Bucks 117, Pacers 101
Game 3: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 104 <\/p>\n

Saturday, April 26
<\/strong>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 <\/p>\n

Sunday, April 27
<\/strong>Game 4: Knicks 94, Pistons 93
Game 4: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 113
Game 4: Celtics 107, Magic 98
Game 4: Pacers 129, Bucks 103\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Monday, April 28
<\/strong>Game 4: Cavaliers 138, Heat 83 (Cleveland wins 4-0)
Game 4: Warriors 109, Rockets 106\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Tuesday, April 29
<\/strong>Game 5: Pacers 119, Bucks 118 (Indiana wins 4-1)
Game 5: Pistons 106, Knicks 103\u00a0
Game 5: Celtics 120, Magic 89 (Boston wins 4-1)
Game 5: Nuggets 131, Clippers 115 <\/p>\n

Wednesday, April 30<\/strong>
Game 5: Rockets 131, Warriors 116
Game 5: Timberwolves 103, Lakers 96 (Minnesota wins 4-1) <\/p>\n

Thursday, May 1
<\/strong>Game 6: Knicks 116, Pistons 113 (New York wins 4-2)
Game 6: Clippers 111, Nuggets 105 (Series tied, 3-3) <\/p>\n

Friday, May 2
<\/strong>Game 6: Rockets 115, Warriors 107 <\/p>\n

Saturday, May 3
<\/strong>Game 7: Nuggets 120, Clippers 101 (Denver wins 4-3) <\/p>\n

Sunday, May 4
<\/strong>Game 7: Warriors 103, Rockets 89 (Golden State wins 4-3) <\/p>\n

2025 NBA Play-In Tournament schedule, scores <\/h2>\n

All times Eastern<\/em> <\/p>\n

Tuesday, April 15
<\/strong>Magic 120, Hawks<\/a> 95
Warriors 121, Grizzlies 116 <\/p>\n

Wednesday, April 16
<\/strong>Heat 109, Bulls<\/a> 90
Mavericks<\/a> 120, Kings<\/a> 106 <\/p>\n

Friday, April 18
<\/strong>Heat 123, Hawks 114 (OT)
Grizzlies 120, Mavericks 106 <\/p>\n

2025 NBA playoffs: Key dates <\/h2>\n