By Floyd Barber

5 4 2025

> Conference semifinals

The schedule for the conference semifinal round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs Presented by Google is below:

Eastern Conference

All times Eastern Standard Time

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Indiana Pacers

• Game 1: Pacers at Cavaliers (Sun. May 4, 6 ET, TNT)
• Game 2: Pacers at Cavaliers (Tue. May 6, TBD)
• Game 3: Cavaliers at Pacers (Fri. May 9, TBD)
• Game 4: Cavaliers at Pacers (Sun. May 11, TBD)
• Game 5: Pacers at Cavaliers (Tue. May 13, TBD)*
• Game 6: Cavaliers at Pacers (Thu. May 15, TBD)*
• Game 7: Pacers at Cavaliers (Sun. May 18, TBD)*
* if necessary
Series tied 0-0

The Cavaliers are trying to get back to the Conference Finals for the first time since LeBron James led them to four straight between 2015-18. 

The Pacers were there last year.

They’ll begin their quest at 6 ET on TNT.

Both teams boast All-Star guards – Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland in Cleveland, Tyrese Haliburton in Indiana – and All-Star power forwards, in Evan Mobley and Pascal Siakam.

• Clutch Squads: The Cavs rank second in clutch win percentage (26-12) this season, while the Pacers were fourth (24-14). They’re both undefeated in clutch scenarios this postseason
• Waves Of Talent: Both teams have 7+ players averaging more than 10 PPG
• Historic Offenses: The Cavaliers averaged 126 PPG in the first round, winning the series by the largest combined margin of victory in NBA history (+122). The Pacers are right behind them, dropping 117.8 PPG, and leading the playoffs in assists by four per game

Cleveland has been great all season – the Cavs won 64 games, setting records for offensive firepower, and held the No. 1 seed in the East every day since Oct. 30. Indiana, under .500 at the end of December, came together later, posting the fourth-best record in the NBA since Jan. 1 (34-14).

• Know Your Personnel: Indy was the only team to beat Cleveland three times this season, but the Cavs only played their usual starters in two games, which they split
• “They’ve been dominant in the East all year,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Friday. “They’re as precise as any team in the league. The preparation has got to be very detailed and very precise.”

There are differences in their high-powered offenses as well.

• The Pacers rely more on the fast break – they scored the sixth-highest percentage of their points on the run in the regular season, while the Cavs were 25th
• The Cavs excel from deep – they scored the fifth-greatest percentage of their points from three in the regular season, while the Pacers were 20th

Can the Pacers make the Cavaliers play their game? The series may come down to Haliiburton’s playmaking, which thrives in open space, versus Mitchell’s explosive streak shooting.

• A Dimer Extraordinaire: Haliburton averages 9.1 APG for his playoff career – the fourth-highest in NBA history (min. 20 games).
• Buckets For Days: Mitchell’s 27.8 PPG playoff scoring average is the eighth-best in league history (min. 20 games).
• Watch The Guards: The Cavs got the most points per game from their pick-and-roll ballhandlers of any team in the league
• “Our goal is to win a championship,” Haliburton said. “In order to do that, you’ve got to beat the best. We’re excited to compete against these guys.”

(2) Houston vs. (7) Golden State

• Game 1: Warriors 95, Rockets 85
• Game 2: Rockets 109, Warriors 94
• Game 3: Warriors 104, Rockets 93
• Game 4: Warriors 109, Rockets 106
• Game 5: Rockets 131, Warriors 116
• Game 6: Rockets 115, Warriors 107
• Game 7: Warriors at Rockets (Sun. May 4, 8:30 ET, TNT)
Series tied 3-3

Some of the game’s brightest stars will play to stay alive on Sunday night, as the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors prepare for a climactic matchup (8:30 ET, TNT).

The Rockets are looking to become the 14th team in NBA history to rally from a 3-1 deficit.

• Being A Warrior: The Warriors were on both sides of a 3-1 comeback in 2016, as they fought back against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, then lost to the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals
• Twice Lucky: Only three teams have rallied from a 3-1 deficit on two occasions – the Rockets, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets. The Rockets can become the first franchise to do it three times

Golden State will look to Stephen Curry to lead them through this contest.

• Classic Curry: In his last Game 7, Curry dropped 50 points on the road – as the Warriors will be again against the Rockets – to defeat the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs
• Shooting The Moon: Curry has a career average of 32.6 pts in five Game 7s, third highest in NBA history (min. 5 games)
• Last Time: Curry scored 27 points against the Rockets in Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals
• Experience Matters: The Warriors have a combined 19 Game 7 appearances, led by Curry (5), Draymond Green (5) and Jimmy Butler (4). The Rockets have 10, led by Jeff Green (4) and Fred VanVleet (3)

Houston will turn to VanVleet, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, who have caught fire as the Rockets lifted off in the series.

• The Lead Guard: VanVleet has 25+ points in three straight playoff games – the first Rocket to do that since James Harden in 2020
• Stepping It Up: After scoring 30 points in the first three games of the series, Thompson’s put up 56 in the last three, adding nine steals

The Rockets have gone big successfully in the series, winning with Steven Adams and Sengun on the floor simultaneously.

• A Houston Tower: Sengun is leading the Rockets in points, assists, rebounds and steals in the series.
• Legendary Company: Sengun joins Luka Dončić, Jayson Tatum and Magic Johnson as the only players to average 20 / 10 / 5 in a six-game span in the playoffs before turning 23
• Carrying The Weight: The Adams-Sengun duo is +39 in the series
• “I just follow the game plan, bro,” Adams said when asked about his defensive impact in the Rockets’ Game 6 win. “Just read, communicate.”
• “We do a good job of rebounding, holding them to one shot,” Adams added.

Watch the defensive battle in Game 7.

• The Butler’s Impact: After adding Jimmy Butler III, the Warriors had the best defensive rating in the league over their final 31 games of the season
• Rocket Power: The Rockets came in with the fifth-best defensive rating this season
• Keep Possession: The Rockets are 3-1 when the Warriors have 14+ turnovers during the series. Houston’s averaging 18.2 PPG off turnovers – fourth-best in the playoffs

COURTESY NBA COMMUNICATIONS