NBA playoffs 2025: Ranking every possible final showdown

Whatever two teams from the NBA conference finals will create a final matchup that we have never seen before. But not all of them are created the same.

While the final of the conference in game 2 on Friday between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers (8 p.m. et, TNT) and on Saturday between the Timberwolves by Oklahoma City and Minnesota Timberwolves (8:30 p.m. et from 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), we take a closer look at the potential final meetings from the four starts. This includes connections between the two teams, players matchups and playing style.

This is inevitably a subjective process, but some combinations of the four star guards that lead the remaining teams (Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards, newly anointed MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton) from a narrative point of view.

Nevertheless, the top election is obvious because a unique potential of an NBA final meeting between two teams (Timberwolves and Knicks), which redesign their starting compartments with a daring trade on the eve of the training camp. Let us break down the wolves-knicks and all four possible series.

• Top storyline: Determination of the trading winner on the pitch




• Additional action lines: Tom Thibodeau Revenge series, Star Guards vs. Wing Stopers




• Home Court advantage: Kink




• Regular seasonal series: Bound (1-1)

There has never been an NBA final like a potential matchup in Minnesota-New York. This week, Dan Feldman found in the DAILY DUNCS newsletter from “Dunc'd on Basketball” NBA Podcast that since 1977 teams (in this case the Denver Nuggets and Seattle Supersonics, both in the west), who have exchanged starters and both the conference finals, let alone the finals that finals.

Even this retail Paul Silas and Marvin Webster for Seattle for Bob Wilkerson's blubs compared to the size of the Knicks and Timberwolves who exchange all-stars.

To be clear when these teams achieve the final, they both have won the trade, regardless of the result. The deal worked as hoped: Karl-Anthony Towns recharged the New York crime, while Julius Randle is ideal in Minnesota and Donte Divincenzo, has delivered the necessary extent despite a cold-exhaustive playoff run.

A Knicks-Wolves final would also hire Thibodeau against his former team. Minnesota hired Thibodeau in the double role of the trainer and president of basketball operations, in the hope of getting to this point, but his term in office led to a single exit in the first round before he was sunk by Jimmy Butler's trade request.

There are many convincing matchups on the square. New York would have to find out how OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart can best be used against Randle and Anthony Edwards, both of them rely more on strength than the smooth bridges. At the other end, Minnesota has many ways to defend Jalen Brunson, and would probably stow Rudy Gobert on the light hard to let him free to roam them defensively.

• Top storyline: Matchup from Top Young American Guards




• Additional action lines: Unbelievable finalists, Mike Conley's return home




• Home Court advantage: Pacers




• Regular seasonal series: Pacers (2-0)

Edwards vs. Haliburton would be a lot of fun. Of the five American guards that made the all-NBA teams last season (alongside Canada's Gilgeous-Alexander and Slovenia Luka Doncic), they are the lonely two that are currently under 28. Haliburton is a long shot this year after a slow first half. In addition to their skills, Edwards and Haliburton are both exhibitions with a feeling of the moment. A final matchup would both cement both among the best young Americans in an increasingly international league.

Indiana and Minnesota would be the NBA championship series of all time “nobody believed in the US”. There has never been a finale without a top three seeds from both conferences all three other potential matchups would comprise Pacers.

Finally, the Timberwolves, who compared Indiana in the final, would produce a return for the 37-year-old Conley, who played for 20 minutes northeast of Gainbridge Fieldhouse at the Lawrence North High School. Conleys 105 career playoff games (and) are among most for a player without reaching the final. In the conference finale with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2013 and last year with Minnesota lost in the conference finale, and finally it would be a great story.

• Top storyline: Battle of the International Point Guards




• Additional action lines: SGA's Canadian security guard Gauntlet, the top offense against top defense




• Home Court advantage: thunder




• Regular seasonal series: Donner (2-0)

When Gilgeous-Alexander feels familiar to Haliburton, you may have seen the third game of the 2023 Fiba World Cup. Gilgeous-Aalexander had 31 points and 12 templates when Canada came back to beat a USA team that started Haliburton (six points, seven templates) against him at Point Guard. In view of his age, Haliburton is probably the long-term start of Team USA at the position-what means more clashes with Gilgeous-Alexander on the world stage.

Although Gilgeous-Alexander is undoubtedly the better player, Haliburton in the playoffs is the control of the remaining top offensive. So far, Indiana has achieved an average of 118.5 points per 100 possessions, more than three points per 100 better than Oklahoma City. This would be tested against the defense of the thunder, which allows more than seven fewer points per 100 possessions than any other.

In particular, there are some matchups in which uninhibited power affects an immovable object. The Pacers have the third best sales rate of the league both in the regular season and in the playoffs, which is probably not continued against the top team when force sales. In addition, Indiana has so far shot 41% on 3S in the playoffs. After a depth of 34%, the opponents of Oklahoma City only shot 31% from the playoffs in the regular season, which could make thunder a rare defense that can consistently influence the accuracy of the opponents.

Gilgeous-Alexander will have his national team Luguentz there on the background next to him, but he would stand in front of a Canadian guard for the third time in a row. After SGA Jamal Murray and Denver Nuggets defeated Alexander Walker in the conference final in the conference semi-final and the Timberwolves in the conference finale, the Pacers wing Andrew Nembhard probably defended the Gilgeous-Alexander in Times. Nembhard did not play an average of 8.3 points per game at the Olympic Games in three games outside of the bank at the latest World Cup.

4. Donner against Knicks

• Top storyline: Brunson against OKC's defense




• Additional action lines: Isaiah Hartenstein's return




• Home Court advantage: thunder




• Regular seasonal series: Donner (2-0)

No team in the NBA seems to be better equipped to protect Brunson than The Thunder, who could throw a rotating series of one-ball stopper against him. There would probably be the call if both teams had their starters on the pitch, followed by the printing of Cason Wallace, with Alex Carusos Chaos creation having another option as another option.

Brunson achieved an average of 24.5 points per game in two meetings with Oklahoma City this season, both losses per week in January. But his percentage shooting of .534 in these games was his third parties against every opponent that he was faced with several times this season.

The thunder is also set up for slow cities. Hartenstein, who faces his former team, might start the game in cities to free Chet Holmgren to roam through. And when Oklahoma gets small, Holmgren cities can hunt around the scope.

On the track we would probably defend Caruso after the success he enjoyed Caruso in cities that he enjoyed, Nikola Jokic in game 7 of the Thunder's Conference Semifinal Series against Denver.

It is difficult to describe this as a Revenge series for Hartenstein, which increased its value in two years in New York to the point where the Knicks could not realistically sign him again this summer. Nevertheless, his return is an interesting memory of how New York has changed compared to last season. At that time Hartenstein was an indispensable playoff employee who has an average of almost 30 minutes per game in the Knicks two playoff series.