NBA

NBA Playoffs: Matchups, Schedule and who is playing in the play-in tournament 2025

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By
Oliver Taliku
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Oliver Taliku Sports Editor

Olly Taliku has worked with highly respected sports and gambling websites such as The Sports Daily, Basketball Insiders, Augusta Free Press and Business2Community where he has produced hundreds of articles alongside being published with Burton Albion and Chesterfield FC. At Burton Olly worked closely alongside the women's team, producing mainly matchday content including reports and interviews, while at Chesterfield he worked in a similar role but with the academy side, as well as some first team content. He also has experience as an accredited Premier League and EFL writer for Prost International where he worked during the 2021/22 season to produce matchday content as an on location reporter. Olly specialises in football as well as long form SEO content plus news, tips and betting but also produces content on basketball, baseball and American football. Some of his sports betting work can be found on www.sportslens.com and www.thesportsdaily.com.

All posts by Oliver Taliku
Sports Editor

Updated14 Apr 2025

NBA playoffs

The NBA regular season has reached its conclusion and after 82 games, the action is just getting started. See here for a full guide to the postseason including who is playing in the play-in tournament this week.

NBA Play-in Tournament

The Eastern Conference was all wrapped up well before the final game of the regular season this year, but there was still a lot to play for in the West on Sunday night.

With the Warriors falling to the Clippers in overtime on Sunday they sacrificed a place in the playoffs and instead will have to compete in the NBA play-in tournament again.

Golden State will face off against the Grizzlies in the play-in tournament where they are looking to avoid the same fate as last year at this stage – when they were eliminated before the playoffs had even begun.

The injury plagued Dallas Mavericks earned a playoff against the Kings this week, with the winner taking on whoever loses in the Grizzles-Warriors head to head.

  • Golden State Warriors (7) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (8) – winner advances to face Houston Rockets
  • Sacramento Kings (9) vs. Dallas Mavericks (10) – winner advances to play loser of 7 vs. 8

With every position in the East already locked before the final game of the season, there was much less drama on Sunday than in the West.

The Hawks, Bulls and Heat already knew that they would be in the play-in tournament this week so almost all of the starters on those rosters were handed a well earned rest over the weekend.

  • Orlando Magic (7) vs. Atlanta Hawks (8) – winner advances to face Boston Celtics
  • Chicago Bulls (9) vs. Miami Heat (10) – winner advances to play loser of 7 vs. 8

There is just one day break for the NBA ahead of the postseason, with the seven and eight seed from both conferences facing off on Tuesday night. The Kings, Mavericks, Bulls and Heat all play on Wednesday night.

NBA Playoff bracket

There are of course six teams from each conference that already know their fate for the postseason, and those games have already been locked in for next weekend.

The first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs will get underway on Saturday, April 19th, with the No. 3-6 seeds from both conferences going head to head.

On Sunday the top seeds from each conference are in action, with the players from the play-in tournament given an extra day of rest to recover for the first round.

Western Conference

  • Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs. No. 7, 8, 9 OR 10 seed
  • Houston Rockets (2) vs. Golden State Warriors OR Memphis Grizzlies
  • Los Angeles Lakers (3) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (6)
  • Denver Nuggets (4) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (5)

Eastern Conference

  • Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. No. 7, 8, 9 OR 10 seed
  • Boston Celtics (2) vs. Orlando Magic OR Atlanta Hawks
  • New York Knicks (3) vs. Detroit Pistons (6)
  • Indiana Pacers (4) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (5)

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Author photo
Oliver Taliku
Sports Editor

Olly Taliku has worked with highly respected sports and gambling websites such as The Sports Daily, Basketball Insiders, Augusta Free Press and Business2Community where he has produced hundreds of articles alongside being published with Burton Albion and Chesterfield FC. At Burton Olly worked closely alongside the women's team, producing mainly matchday content including reports and interviews, while at Chesterfield he worked in a similar role but with the academy side, as well as some first team content. He also has experience as an accredited Premier League and EFL writer for Prost International where he worked during the 2021/22 season to produce matchday content as an on location reporter. Olly specialises in football as well as long form SEO content plus news, tips and betting but also produces content on basketball, baseball and American football. Some of his sports betting work can be found on www.sportslens.com and www.thesportsdaily.com.

All posts by Oliver Taliku
Author photo
Oliver Taliku Sports Editor

Olly Taliku has worked with highly respected sports and gambling websites such as The Sports Daily, Basketball Insiders, Augusta Free Press and Business2Community where he has produced hundreds of articles alongside being published with Burton Albion and Chesterfield FC. At Burton Olly worked closely alongside the women's team, producing mainly matchday content including reports and interviews, while at Chesterfield he worked in a similar role but with the academy side, as well as some first team content. He also has experience as an accredited Premier League and EFL writer for Prost International where he worked during the 2021/22 season to produce matchday content as an on location reporter. Olly specialises in football as well as long form SEO content plus news, tips and betting but also produces content on basketball, baseball and American football. Some of his sports betting work can be found on www.sportslens.com and www.thesportsdaily.com.

All posts by Oliver Taliku