2025 NBA playoffs – First round of the Eastern Conference TakeAways

The NBA playoffs from 2025 are in full swing, and our NBA insiders covered them for each game in March for the final.

No. 1 -seed Cleveland Cavaliers swept the No. 8 Saatgut Miami Heat on Monday and was the first team in the Eastern Conference to progress in the second round. The comeback of the Detroit Pistons for her first round fell briefly on Sunday when the New York Knicks return to the Madison Square Garden to close it on Tuesday.

No. 2 Boston Celtics can sweep No. 7 seeds Orlando Magic on Tuesday after they were taken in the series 3-1 in the series. And the No. 4 Seed Indiana Pacers also have the chance to close the series after defeating No. 5 seed Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

Since the East playoffs continue, what is most important and what can be seen in all four series is.

Jump to a series:
Cavaliers-Heat | Celtics-Magic
Knicks piston | Pacers-Bucks

Further reporting:
West round disk
Subjects and results | Offseason guides

Monday game

Game 4: Cavaliere 138, heat 83

What we learned:

It was 70-25 at the end of the second quarter of game 4-a lead, which represents a lot for the CAVS and the heat when the former continues into the second round of the playoffs after ensuring a four-game sweyep of the latter. It was such a one -sided score that you will probably ever see in an excretion game. The Cavs started 11 out of 20 from 3-point range, while heat 2 of 23 started. Let's just assume that the intensity levels of the two teams were not excited, with the lethargy of the heat a contrast to which the CAVS set up. Cleveland broke the heat on game 2 with a strong finish. In the games 3 and 4, when Cleveland Guard Darius Garland was traveling with a bricked -up toe, the Cavs refused to improve De'andre Hunter's season and to give Dean Wade for additional minutes, two strikers who shared the available season. The result was great standards that made Tyler Herro, which were effectively walled and hard for the heat, and mostly had a miserable series. Playing the big lineups is a lesson for the CAVS if you later got into a cucumber against stronger teams in the post -season. Back to them could prove to be a valuable curve ball, since one of the few weaknesses of Cleveland is a lack of size on the back court. Otherwise not much learned this evening.

– Brian Windhorst

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Cavs put on a clinic in a historical blowout to sweep the heat

The Cavaliers secure their biggest playoff victory in history with a 78-83 series victory.

Game 4: Knicks 94, Pistons 93

What we learned:

Above all, we learned that the officials had the knicks and pistons fight with fewer whistles on Sunday than they would expect because they would have contact during the entire game. In the first half it was countless times. It was the case with a loose ball, Jalen Brunson fought over before an ankle injury forced him to leave briefly. And with a controversial no-call, it was very important to the dismay of the pistons to close the game, as a Deut McBride contact with Tim Hardaway Jr. The physicality of the game and the last piece are obviously enlarged. But the clutch, which was shot by Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, drilled the deep triple, while Jalen Duren was draped over him. The star duo exceeded the Pistons 22-21 in the fourth quarter.

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Kat meets huge 3 in the coupling for Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns drives for a depth 3 and lets them off for the kinks against the pistons in the coupling.

Game 5: Knicks at Pistons (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)

What can be seen:

How do the young pistons start, who have been fighting until the last minute of the game in the last game recently and have been able to start game 5? The Knicks came out more in both games in Detroit. Pistons started playing 4 with 10 sales and 0-to-10 shootings before playing their first 3 achieved and forced Cade Cunningham & Co. The comebacks of the pistons were impressive, but they were neglected both times in the City Motor. Since the Knicks have the chance to complete things on Tuesday, the amount of garden will be at full gas. A better start for Detroit will be critical.

– Chris Herring

Game 4: Celtics 107, Magic 98

What we learned:

The seventh magic has dictated the pace and style of the game in the last two games and the Celtics with secondly Celtics with physicality and aggressive change defense, which undermines Boston's typical 3-point tension. But the Celtics showed in game 4 that they can hit it and, because of their talent richness, can find a victory on the other. So the Celtics would not prevail, since the magic of Boston's talented supporting actors completely closed and the starters of the Celtics scored all up to six of their 107 points. But Jayson Tatums 37 points and 14 rebounds made the difference. Boston also needed a Bounce Back game from Kristaps Porzingis and delivered with 19 points. Paolo Banchero from Orlando also had a spirited performance with 31 points, even if 32 field attempts were required. According to ESPN Research, his seven 25-point playoff games in a row are connected by a player young than 23 in the history of the NBA playoffs for the most successive players in NBA playoff history.

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Tatum 37 points help Celtics press magic to the edge

Jayson Tatum scored 37 points with 14 rebounds in the Celtics' Game 4 victory to achieve a 3-1 series against magic.

Game 5: Orlando in Boston (Tuesday, 8.30 p.m. ET, NBA TV)

What can be seen:

This was a grinding, exhausting series for the Celtics, and you can be sure that the defending champions will be desperate to end it in Boston on Tuesday to rest before he is faced with the winner of the Pistons Knicks series. It will be interesting to see whether the Celtics can play their style again at home – or whether the magic will continue to play these games on their conditions.

– Baxter Holmes

Game 4: Pacers 129, Bucks 103

What we learned:

The sold -out crowd in Milwaukee was silent when Damian Lillard stayed on the ground, while the rest of the lawsuit went down the court. Lillard had worked back after missing the last month of the season in his right leg because of a blood consultant, but he was unable to weight his left leg when he was helped in front of the square on Sunday evening. This nervous energy was still palpable for the rest of the game when the goats fell into a 3-1 hole in the series, never took the lead in the game and did not match the defensive intensity that they wore in the second half of game 3. The Pacers scored 60% from the field, and without Lillard the Bucks did not have the offensive against the evaluation attack by Indiana.

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Tyrese Haliburton Dimes Obi Toppin to paddle the leadership of the Pacers

Tyrese -Heliburton speaks Obi Toppin for a bucket to paddle the leadership of the Pacers.

Game 5: Dollars in Indiana (Tuesday, 6 p.m. et, NBA TV)

What can be seen:

Milwaukee will wait to find out the severity of Lillard's injury up to an MRI on Monday, but his status for the rest of the series is anything but safe and the goats have to find a way to reproduce its production to save their season. Giannis Antetocounmpo scored 28 points in the 9-of-20 shooting, but none of the other starters achieved double numbers. Kevin Porter Jr. was the team's second scorer with 23 points, but in the second half he only scored seven points. Milwaukee faces a hard fight in the series – with an excretion game, Lillard's status in danger and pressure on the supporting line -up to show Antetocounmpo that there are still championship shops in Milwaukee.

– Jamal Collier