NBA playoff games today: Schedule, bracket update, predictions

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The 2025 NBA playoffs feature three games on tap for Tuesday. All three are Game 2s in their first-round series with a pair of home teams holding 1-0 leads.

The Indiana Pacers snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Milwaukee Bucks with a 117-98 trouncing in Game 1 behind Pascal Siakam's 25 points and seven rebounds. Bucks guard Damian Lillard missed that game with a blood clot in his calf but did practice in full on Monday. He's listed as questionable for Game 2.

The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder made an emphatic statement in blowing out the Memphis Grizzlies 131-80 in their series opener.

The lone road team looking to go up 2-0 tonight is the No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, who routed the homestanding Los Angeles Lakers 117-95 on Saturday. LA needs to match Minnesota's physicality, coach JJ Redick said, in order to get back on track.

Here's what to know to watch Tuesday's NBA playoff games, including start times and TV options.

NBA playoff games today: Schedule, start times for Tuesday

All times Eastern

• Game 2: Bucks at Pacers | 7 p.m. (NBA TV) | Pacers lead series 1-0
• Game 2: Grizzlies at Thunder | 7:30 p.m. (TNT, truTV) | Thunder lead series 1-0
• Game 2: Timberwolves at Lakers | 10 p.m. (TNT, truTV) | Timberwolves lead series 1-0

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NBA playoff predictions today

Bucks vs. Pacers

Sports Illustrated: Pacers win again

Peter Dewey writes: "Even if (Damian) Lillard is able to go on Tuesday night, he hasn’t played in weeks and is coming off of a pretty serious ailment (a blood clot) to return to a playoff setting ... I just don’t think even a huge game from both (Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo) is enough to beat the Pacers in Indiana. Plus, there’s a chance Lillard’s role will be limited even if he does come back. The line movement in this game has been too much for my liking, so I’ll back Indiana – who I picked to win the series – to go up 2-0."

Grizzlies vs. Thunder

Covers.com: Another Thunder win

Zak Hanshew writes: "The Oklahoma City Thunder won’t blow out the Memphis Grizzlies by 51 again, but they’ll head to Memphis up 2-0 in the series. OKC is in a different class, and they’ve won by 15+ points in eight of their last nine meetings."

Timberwolves vs. Lakers

Sporting News: Lakers 111, Timberwolves 104

Sloan Piva writes: "It's also hard to fathom the Wolves shooting anywhere near as well as they did in Game 1. Minnesota shot a blistering 21-of-42 from three-point land, getting 18 more points than its per-game average from the three-ball ... Look for Los Angeles to go back to the drawing board and focus on getting stops and clearing rebounds on Tuesday evening. And on offense, Luka and LeBron should hit Minnesota with plenty of high screen-and-rolls to capitalize on Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle's deficient perimeter defense."

NBA playoff bracket, results

NBA Play-In Tournament

All times Eastern.

Tuesday, April 15

Game 1: Orlando Magic def. Atlanta Hawks, 120-95, Orlando advances to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the East

Game 2: Golden State Warriors def. Memphis Grizzlies, 121-116, Golden State Warriors advance to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the West

Wednesday, April 16

Game 3: Miami Heat def. Chicago Bulls, 109-90; the Miami Heat advance in the Play-In Tournament

Game 4: Dallas Mavericks def. Sacramento Kings 120-106; the Dallas Mavericks advance in the Play-In Tournament

Friday, April 18

Game 5: Miami Heat def. Atlanta Hawks 123-114 (OT), the Heat advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the East.

Game 6: Memphis Grizzlies def. Dallas Mavericks 120-106, the Grizzlies advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the West.

2025 NBA Playoffs first round schedule: Results and scores

All times Eastern. *-if necessary

Eastern Conference

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Miami Heat

• Game 1: Cavaliers 121, Heat 100
• Game 2: Heat at Cavaliers | Wednesday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV
• Game 3: Cavaliers at Heat | Saturday, April 26, TBD | TNT
• Game 4: Cavaliers at Heat | Monday, April 28, TBD | TBD
• Game 5: Heat at Cavaliers | Wednesday, April 30, TBD | TBD *
• Game 6: Cavaliers at Heat | Friday, May 2, TBD | TBD *
• Game 7: Heat at Cavaliers | Sunday, May 4, TBD | TBD *

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Orlando Magic

• Game 1: Celtics 103, Magic 86
• Game 2: Orlando Magic at Celtics | Wednesday, April 23, 7 p.m. | TNT
• Game 3: Celtics at Orlando Magic | Friday, April 25, 7 p.m. | ESPN
• Game 4: Celtics at Orlando Magic | Sunday, April 27, 7 p.m. | TNT
• Game 5: Orlando Magic at Celtics | Tuesday, April 29, TBD | TBD*
• Game 6: Celtics at Orlando Magic | Thursday, May 1, TBD | TBD*
• Game 7: Orlando Magic at Celtics | Saturday, May 3, TBD | TBD*

(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons

• Game 1: Knicks 123, Pistons 112
• Game 2: Pistons 100, Knicks 94
• Game 3: Knicks at Pistons | Thursday, April 24, TBD | TNT
• Game 4: Knicks at Pistons | Sunday, April 27, 1 p.m. | ABC
• Game 5: Pistons at Knicks | Tuesday, April 29, TBD | TBD*
• Game 6: Knicks at Pistons | Thursday, May 1, TBD | TBD*
• Game 7: Pistons at Knicks | Saturday, May 3, TBD | TBD*

(4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks

• Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98
• Game 2: Bucks at Pacers | Tuesday, April 22, 7 p.m. | ESPN
• Game 3: Pacers at Bucks | Friday, April 25, 8 p.m. | ESPN
• Game 4: Pacers at Bucks | Sunday, April 27, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN
• Game 5: Bucks at Pacers | Tuesday, April 29, TBD | TBD *
• Game 6: Pacers at Bucks | Friday, May 2, TBD | TBD *
• Game 7: Bucks at Pacers | Sunday, May 4, TBD | TBD *

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies

• Game 1: Thunder 131, Grizzlies 80
• Game 2: Grizzlies at Thunder | Tuesday, April 22, 7:30 p.m. | TNT
• Game 3: Thunder at Grizzlies | Thursday, April 24, TBD | TNT
• Game 4: Thunder at Grizzlies | Saturday, April 26, 1 p.m. | TNT
• Game 5: Grizzlies at Thunder | Monday, April 28, TBD | TBD *
• Game 6: Thunder at Grizzlies | Thursday, May 1, TBD | TBD *
• Game 7: Grizzlies at Thunder | Saturday, May 3, TBD | TBD *

(2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Golden State Warriors

• Game 1: Warriors 95, Rockets 85
• Game 2: Warriors at Rockets | Wednesday, April 23, 9:30 p.m. | TNT
• Game 3: Rockets at Warriors | Saturday, April 26, 9:30 p.m. | ABC
• Game 4: Rockets at Warriors | Monday, April 28, 9:30 p.m. | TNT
• Game 5: Warriors at Rockets | Wednesday, April 30, TBD | TBD*
• Game 6: Rockets at Warriors | Friday, May 2, TBD | TBD*
• Game 7: Warriors at Rockets | Sunday, May 4, TBD | TBD*

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

• Game 1: Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95
• Game 2: Timberwolves at Lakers | Tuesday, April 22, 10 p.m. | TNT
• Game 3: Lakers at Timberwolves | Friday, April 25, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN
• Game 4: Lakers at Timberwolves | Sunday, April 27, 3:30 p.m. | ABC
• Game 5: Timberwolves at Lakers | Wednesday, April 30, TBD | TBD*
• Game 6: Lakers at Timberwolves | Friday, May 2, TBD | TBD*
• Game 7: Timberwolves at Lakers | Sunday, May 4, TBD | TBD*

(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers

• Game 1: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110 (OT)
• Game 2: Clippers 105, Nuggets 102
• Game 3: Nuggets at Clippers | Thursday, April 24, TBD | NBA TV
• Game 4: Nuggets at Clippers | Saturday, April 26, 6 p.m. | TNT
• Game 5: Clippers at Nuggets | Tuesday, April 29, TBD | TBD*
• Game 6: Nuggets at Clippers | Thursday, May 1, TBD | TBD*
• Game 7: Clippers at Nuggets | Saturday, May 3, TBD | TBD*

Conference semifinals

The conference semifinals are scheduled to begin May 5, but could move up to May 3-4 depending on first-round outcomes.

Conference Finals schedule

All times Eastern. *-if necessary

Eastern Conference Finals

The series could be moved up as early as May 19.

• Game 1, May 21: TNT, 8 p.m.
• Game 2, May 23: TNT, 8 p.m.
• Game 3, May 25: TNT, 8 p.m.
• Game 4, May 27: TNT, 8 p.m.
• Game 5, May 29: TNT, 8 p.m.*
• Game 6, May 31: TNT, 8 p.m.*
• Game 7, June 2: TNT, 8 p.m.*

Western Conference Finals

The series could be moved up as early as May 18.

• Game 1, May 20: ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
• Game 2, May 22: ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
• Game 3, May 24: ABC, 8:30 p.m.
• Game 4, May 26: ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
• Game 5, May 28: ESPN, 8:30 p.m.*
• Game 6, May 30: ESPN, 8:30 p.m.*
• Game 7, June 1: ESPN, 8 p.m.*

2025 NBA Finals schedule

*-if necessary

• Game 1, June 5: ABC
• Game 2, June 8: ABC
• Game 3, June 11: ABC
• Game 4, June 13: ABC
• Game 5, June 16: ABC (if necessary)
• Game 6, June 19: ABC (if necessary)
• Game 7, June 22: ABC (if necessary)