The second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs is officially underway, with eight teams battling it out to advance towards their ultimate goal of an NBA championship.
In the Eastern Conference, the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, fresh off a first-round sweep of the Miami Heat, face the No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers. Meanwhile, the defending champion Boston Celtics, seeded second, are set to clash with their Atlantic Division rivals, the third-seeded New York Knicks.
Out West, after a compelling seven-game opening series, the Denver Nuggets advance to take on the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. The remaining Western Conference matchup features the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves competing against the Golden State Warriors.
Following a first round that delivered both decisive sweeps and dramatic Game 7 finishes, our panel of NBA experts provides their series picks for each second-round confrontation.
Eastern Conference Second Round
Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. Indiana Pacers (4)
- Tim MacMahon: Cavaliers in 6
- Kevin Pelton: Cavaliers in 6
- Ramona Shelburne: Cavaliers in 6
- Andre Snellings: Cavaliers in 6
- Jorge Sedano: Cavaliers in 7
- Jerry Bembry: Cavaliers in 6
- Dave McMenamin: Cavaliers in 6
- Jamal Collier: Cavaliers in 6
- Chris Herring: Cavaliers in 6
- Marc Spears: Cavaliers in 6
- Jeremy Woo: Cavaliers in 6
- Tim Bontemps: Cavaliers in 7
- Ohm Youngmisuk: Cavaliers in 6
Final Tally: Cleveland 13, Indiana 0
Boston Celtics (2) vs. New York Knicks (3)
- Tim MacMahon: Celtics in 6
- Kevin Pelton: Celtics in 5
- Ramona Shelburne: Celtics in 6
- Andre Snellings: Celtics in 7
- Jorge Sedano: Celtics in 6
- Jerry Bembry: Celtics in 5
- Dave McMenamin: Celtics in 7
- Jamal Collier: Celtics in 6
- Chris Herring: Celtics in 5
- Marc Spears: Celtics in 6
- Jeremy Woo: Celtics in 6
- Tim Bontemps: Celtics in 5
- Zach Kram: Celtics in 5
- Ohm Youngmisuk: Knicks in 7
Final Tally: Boston 13, New York 1
Western Conference Second Round
Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs. Denver Nuggets (4)
- Kevin Pelton: Thunder in 6
- Ramona Shelburne: Thunder in 7
- Jorge Sedano: Thunder in 6
- Jerry Bembry: Thunder in 6
- Dave McMenamin: Thunder in 6
- Jamal Collier: Thunder in 7
- Chris Herring: Thunder in 7
- Marc Spears: Thunder in 6
- Jeremy Woo: Thunder in 7
- Andre Snellings: Thunder in 7
- Zach Kram: Thunder in 5
- Ohm Youngmisuk: Nuggets in 7
Final Tally: Oklahoma City 11, Denver 1
Minnesota Timberwolves (6) vs. Golden State Warriors (7)
- Omar Raja: Timberwolves in 7
- Jamal Collier: Timberwolves in 6
- Jorge Sedano: Timberwolves in 7
- Chris Herring: Timberwolves in 7
- Dave McMenamin: Timberwolves in 7
- Kevin Pelton: Timberwolves in 7
- Jeremy Woo: Timberwolves in 7
- Ohm Youngmisuk: Warriors in 7
- Andre Snellings: Timberwolves in 6
- Jerry Bembry: Timberwolves in 6
- Ramona Shelburne: Warriors in 6
- Zach Kram: Timberwolves in 7
Final Tally: Minnesota 10, Golden State 2