The squeak of shoes on the floor, the resounding thud of a ball striking the polished boards and the buzzer at the end of the game signal that the NBA playoffs have kicked into high gear with the first round almost over for some teams.
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In the playoffs, two teams go to play in a best of seven series in which the first to win four games wins the series. Once one team has won four games, they will have a spot in the next round. The championship also has this same style of matches.
Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers took down the Rockets in their round one series. Lakers forward LeBron James has been a leader offensively in getting the ball to his team with numerous rebounds. Rockets forward Kevin Durant has only played one game due to a bone bruise in his ankle. Despite this, in his only game in the series, he scored 23 points. The Rockets may have had a better chance against the Lakers if Durant wasn’t injured. Durant had a solid regular season averaging 26 points, 4.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds every game; with these stats, the Rockets may have put up a better fight.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns
The Thunder have swept the Suns in a quick first round. Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has proven to be a star player for the team, having put up over 30 points in three of their four games. The Suns could barely keep up; by the end, they had no wins against the 2025 NBA Champions.
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San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers
The San Antonio Spurs sent the Trail Blazers golfing with their 4-1 win. Spurs center power forward Victor Wembanyama served as an offensive weapon that was put to use against the Trail Blazers. Wembanyama was a consistent scorer throughout the series with only two lower scoring games.
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers came back from the depths of defeat and beat the Boston Celtics in the playoffs for the first time since 1982. Not only is this the first time they beat the Celtics since 1982, but they also added themselves to the list of teams that came back from a 3-1 deficit. 76ers center Joel Embiid was diagnosed with appendicitis on April 9 and underwent an emergency appendectomy during the season. After only three weeks, he came back to play the Celtics in the playoffs. Embiid had an average of over 20 points per game in the series.
New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks
The New York Knicks sent the Atlanta Hawks home after winning the series 4-2. Knicks forward guard O.G. Anunoby had a great series against the Hawks. In game four, he scored 22 points; in game five, he scored 17 points alongside Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson’s 39 points. In game six, Anunoby scored 29 points.
Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic
The Detroit Pistons were one of three teams to win their seventh game in the first round. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham had been an offensive beast by dropping over 30 points in each of the three last games of the series. The Magic put up a fight, bringing the competition to game seven, but the force of Cunningham was too overpowering.
Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers won over the Raptors, but these teams also went through to game seven. The combination of point guard James Harden, guard Donovan Mitchell and center Evan Mobley made up a winning Cavaliers offense. They all scored around 15 to 20 points in the last three games.
Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves won against the Nuggets 4-2. The Wolves put in great team effort in order to win. They saw almost three players score 20 points consistently in each game. The Nuggets defense just wasn’t enough to keep up with the well-rounded Wolves.
