NBA Announces Dates for 2025 2nd-Round Eastern Conference Playoff Bracket Matchups

With the four-team field nearly set, the NBA announced Wednesday the dates for the two Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers will tip things off on May 4, and the series could extend to May 18 if it goes the full seven games. The Boston Celtics will play either the New York Knicks or Detroit Pistons starting on May 5, and they could keep going as late as May 19.

The Cavaliers dropped three of their four head-to-head meetings with the Pacers during the regular season. Granted, two of those defeats came after Cleveland had secured the top seed in the East. Stars Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley sat out both contests.

In general, the Cavs didn't have a strong finish to the year. They went on a four-game losing streak in mid-March and lacked the sharpness they displayed earlier in the season as they inched toward a first-place finish.

By sweeping the Miami Heat, Cleveland is looking pretty formidable again. Only one of the four games was decided by fewer than 21 points, and the 55-point margin of victory in Game 4 was the fourth-biggest in postseason history.

The Pacers figure to be big underdogs as they attempt to punch a ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year.

The Celtics had a harder time putting away the Orlando Magic. Orlando took Game 3, while Games 2 and 4 were decided by single digits.

Boston will nonetheless be favored by many to advance regardless of whether it's the Knicks or Pistons.

Having ended a five-year playoff drought, Detroit is probably another season or two from being a serious contender with its young roster. New York, meanwhile, went 0-4 against the Celtics. In general, neither squad has been all that impressive.

Anything other than Cavs vs. Celtics in the conference finals will be a surprise.