MVP showdown, Cavs sport plan: Largest questions for Spherical 2 of the 2025 NBA playoffs – ESPN

Quentin Richardson and David Dennis Jr. preview the Nuggets’ playoff sequence vs. the Thunder. (1:39)
After an exhilarating two weeks of first-round play crammed with Recreation 7s and sequence sweeps, the second spherical of the 2025 NBA playoffs will get underway.
The No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers, after a dominating common season, swept the Miami Heat within the first spherical and have become the primary group within the East to say a spot within the convention semifinals. On Sunday, the Cavaliers will tackle Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers after they knocked out the Milwaukee Bucks from the playoffs for the second season in a row.
From the play-in match to the NBA Finals, ESPN has you lined all through the playoffs.
• Recreation-by-game evaluation: Conf. Semis
• Paine: What a title would say for each playoff team
• Herring: First-round playoff MVPs
• Shelburne: Jokic, SGA set for MVP clash
The Boston Celtics, the 2024 NBA champions, transfer one step nearer to a repeat Finals look. However Boston will first should face off Monday in opposition to a gritty New York Knicks group, which is coming off a tricky first-round sequence in opposition to the Detroit Pistons.
Within the West, after a grueling seven-game sequence in opposition to the LA Clippers, the Denver Nuggets will meet the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in an MVP showdown starting Monday between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. The Minnesota Timberwolves will tackle the Golden State Warriors after they defeated the Houston Rockets in Recreation 7 on Sunday.
Earlier than we kick off the second spherical, our NBA specialists break down the most important questions for every matchup, together with which underdog is most probably to advance and which participant matchup they’re most excited for.
Schedule and news | Round 2 expert picks | Offseason guide


In a battle of two elite offenses, which is able to prevail?
The hole between these two groups over the previous few months hasn’t been as extensive as their regular-season data would point out.
Since Jan.1, the Cavs are 35-14; the Pacers are 34-14. Nonetheless, Cleveland has led the Japanese Convention all season due to an elite offense that led the NBA in scoring with 121.9 factors per sport. That is the second-best mark for any group prior to now 40 years, behind the Pacers’ 123.3 factors in 2023-24. The Cavs (136.2) and Pacers (118.0) have been the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses, respectively, by factors per 100 possessions through the first spherical of the playoffs.
Each groups wish to push the tempo, and this sequence could possibly be determined by which offense establishes itself as extra dominant. — Jamal Collier
The Pacers will make their second straight ECF if _______.
Haliburton can dictate the circulate of this sequence in opposition to Cleveland’s All-Star backcourt. Indy comes into this sequence because the extra skilled group, advancing deeper in final 12 months’s playoffs than many of the core members of the Cavs. And the Pacers will go so far as Haliburton takes them. He is already produced some huge playoff moments prior to now two years — besting the Knicks at Madison Sq. Backyard final season and sending the Milwaukee Bucks dwelling in Recreation 5 of this season’s first spherical with a game-winning layup.
The Cavs usually are not speaking about the status of two-time All-Star Darius Garland, who missed the ultimate two video games of the primary spherical with a sprained left huge toe. If Haliburton will get comfy, begins spreading the ground and forcing Cleveland’s bigs to the perimeter, the Pacers can get the Cavs into some uncomfortable positions. — Collier
Finest guess: Cavaliers -1.5 video games (-180)
Put me down because the one who expects the Cavaliers to win and win convincingly. Sure, the Pacers received the season sequence, however that’s deceptive.
Two of these wins got here in April after the Cavs had clinched the highest seed and was beginning reserves. And the Pacers’ first win got here earlier than the commerce deadline deal that despatched De’Andre Hunter to Cleveland and with Ty Jerome out. The Cavaliers group at full power is considerably higher than the Pacers and may beat them at their very own model.
My official choose is Cavs in six video games, however I may see them taking this sequence in 5. — Andre Snellings
More bets for Cavaliers-Pacers


After going 0-4 in opposition to the Celtics within the common season, what would be the Knicks’ largest adjustment?
New York desperately must discover a approach to collapse on the Celtics’ shooters higher than it did through the common season.
No membership performed as a lot pick-and-roll drop protection in opposition to Boston because the Knicks did, and Tom Thibodeau’s membership paid handsomely for it, surrendering 21 made 3s per sport with the Celtics hitting 43.5% from deep in these 4 defeats.
A heavier presence of backup Mitchell Robinson, who has the agility to return increased up on screens, will probably be key, as will schematic adjustments on protection. — Chris Herring

Obtain the ESPN app and allow Shams Charania’s news alerts to obtain push notifications for the most recent updates first. Choose in by tapping the alerts bell within the high proper nook. For extra data, click here.
The Celtics’ largest concern on this sequence is _____?
Jrue Holiday‘s availability. Vacation missed the previous three video games of the first-round sequence in opposition to Orlando with a hamstring damage. He was an enormous difference-maker within the regular-season conferences with New York, averaging 16 factors and three assists on 67% capturing in three video games.
Maybe most vital: He is one of many Celtics’ high defensive choices for Jalen Brunson, who scored 30 or extra 5 instances in six video games through the first spherical.
In keeping with NBA.com’s matchup knowledge, Vacation defended him for 80 possessions, limiting Brunson to 3-for-6 capturing and 6 factors in that regular-season span. — Herring
Finest guess: Actual sequence whole video games — six (+295)
The Knicks have struggled in opposition to the Celtics, shedding eight of their previous 9 matchups.
They’re additionally coming off a hard-fought sequence in opposition to the Detroit Pistons. Whereas New York will give Boston extra of a problem than Orlando did in Spherical 1, the Celtics are just too potent offensively with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and glorious depth — together with Sixth Man of the Yr Payton Pritchard.
They’re additionally stout defensively. Boston will not sweep New York, however I envision it closing the sequence with relative ease. — Eric Moody
More bets for Celtics-Knicks


How do Murray and Jokic remedy OKC’s league-leading protection?
They will begin by watching the tape of the final time these groups met: a 140-127 win for the Nuggets in Oklahoma Metropolis on March 10.
It was Jokic’s solely environment friendly capturing outing in 4 conferences with the Thunder, however it was a dominant efficiency, as he scored 35 factors on 15-of-20 capturing and dished out eight assists. Murray scored 34 factors that evening, greater than he had mixed within the different two video games he performed in opposition to Oklahoma Metropolis this season.
He’ll need assistance from Jokic and different teammates to free him from Lu Dort, who’s nearly as good as any defender within the league at preventing over or by way of screens. — Tim MacMahon
Which MVP candidate can have the larger impression on this sequence?
It higher be Jokic if the Nuggets are going to have any probability to drag off the upset.
The Thunder are the far more proficient and deeper group, as evidenced by Oklahoma Metropolis cruising to a league-best 68 wins and shattering the NBA document for level differential in a season.
However the Thunder are as well-equipped as anybody to comprise Jokic, that includes a pair of defensive-minded 7-footers in Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, in addition to a number of guards and wings who’re pests within the passing lanes. Denver can be missing an All-Defensive candidate to take the first project on Gilgeous-Alexander. — MacMahon
Finest guess: Actual sequence whole video games — 5 (+175)
Over the summer season I predicted the Thunder have been going to win all of it this 12 months, and nothing I’ve seen has modified my thoughts to date. Nevertheless, any group with ‘Playoff Jamal Murray’ and Nikola Jokic is a risk to not solely win video games, however the sequence. It is robust to seek out worth on this sequence however I do like Denver to get no less than one sport and the +175 looks as if an affordable payout if the Thunder can win 4-1. The Thunder may sweep, or Denver may win a couple of sport, however 5 video games seems like the neatest guess to me. The groups cut up the season sequence 2-2, however I will be shocked if Denver will get that many wins on this one. — Steve Alexander
More bets for Thunder-Nuggets


How can Kerr plan on stopping Anthony Edwards?
Steve Kerr and his teaching workers, together with defensive coach Jerry Stackhouse, have a day to determine how one can decelerate Edwards for Recreation 1. Already loaded with confidence, Edwards enters this sequence on a excessive, averaging 26.8 factors, 8.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists within the first spherical win over the Lakers. Kerr is aware of how proficient Edwards is after teaching him with USA Basketball and averaged 26 factors in opposition to the Warriors this season however Minnesota went 1-3 in opposition to Golden State. The final time the 2 groups confronted one another was on Jan. 15, however each groups are completely different now with Minnesota enjoying with extra confidence and Golden State now in a rhythm with Jimmy Butler III. The Warriors must use their championship pedigree and huge playoff expertise to get the perfect of Edwards and must ship completely different defenders on the three-time All-Star. Kerr may additionally put his finest defender, Draymond Green, on Edwards, however Inexperienced can even have to fret concerning the Minnesota huge males. “He is enjoying with supreme confidence,” Curry stated of Edwards. “We all know they’d their run final 12 months [to the Western Conference Finals] and a brand new look with Randle. However similar Ant who’s attempting to take strides with each alternative he will get and it should be a tricky problem. We all know we acquired to ship a number of our bodies at him and work out a sport plan to go at him. However yeah, they’re scorching proper now.” — Ohm Youngmisuk
Friday, Might 9
Cavaliers at Pacers, 7:30 p.m.
Thunder at Nuggets, 10 p.m.
All instances Japanese
How do the smaller Warriors keep away from the Lakers’ destiny in opposition to Gobert, McDaniels, Randle and Reid?
In the beginning, Inexperienced has to keep up his composure and keep on the courtroom without getting into foul trouble and earn any potential technical and flagrant fouls in opposition to Rudy Gobert as these two have a historical past. He took onus that he set a poor tone in Recreation 6 by incomes an early flagrant foul and spoke to the group about it in an emotional gamers assembly on Saturday earlier than Recreation 7 in opposition to Houston. Golden State had all kinds of points in opposition to Houston’s big entrance line of Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams whereas having bother containing the athletic Amen Thompson inside as nicely. The Warriors have been outrebounded by a mixed whole of 51 rebounds within the seven-game sequence, successful the rebounding battle solely as soon as in Recreation 5. They will face one other difficult sequence on the glass in opposition to Gobert, Randle, McDaniels and Naz Reid. The Warriors may use Kevon Looney in a much bigger function and regardless of his struggles on the finish of the primary spherical, additionally make the most of rookie Quinten Post due to his means to stretch the ground. Butler may also assist by trying to make pictures and get the Minnesota bigs into foul bother. — Youngmisuk
Finest guess: Collection whole video games — over 5.5 (-175)
The juice right here is sort of robust, however no less than it is a wholly affordable place. Level being, that is the hardest second-round sequence to mission. It would not seem one group has an enormous benefit both approach, which might naturally result in expectations for an extended and aggressive sequence. The Timberwolves convey related dimensions of the toughness, athleticism and angle the Rockets confirmed of their first-round with the Warriors. In addition they convey way more offensive firepower in a wide range of kinds. This reads like an extended battle, so the worth is extra palatable in that context. — Jim McCormick
More bets for Timberwolves-Warriors
The underdog most probably to advance is _____.
The latest observe document for groups just like the Timberwolves, which go from underdogs in a single spherical to favorites within the subsequent, is combined. That is occurred six instances since 2020, with the newly minted favorites going 3-3 in these sequence. Minnesota fell into that class final 12 months within the convention finals. Underdogs in opposition to Denver in spherical two with out home-court benefit, the Timberwolves have been then favored to beat the Dallas Mavericks as the upper seed within the sequence, solely to lose in 5 video games. I am nonetheless choosing Minnesota to win as a result of Golden State has to expire of gasoline sooner or later, however I feel this sequence is finest thought of a toss-up. — Kevin Pelton
What’s the most intriguing participant matchup within the second spherical?
Do I get to say Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic? The final time the highest two finishers in MVP voting squared off within the playoffs was James Harden and Russell Westbrook in 2017. That 12 months was through the NBA’s short-lived awards present period, so we did not but know the outcomes. It is potential this time the trophy could possibly be handed out through the sequence, as in 1995, when David Robinson was offered with MVP earlier than Recreation 2 of the Western Convention finals in opposition to reigning MVP Hakeem Olajuwon. Olajuwon responded with 41 factors and 16 boards because the Rockets received in San Antonio. — Pelton

source