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The 2025 NBA Playoffs have arrived with three clear powerhouses leading the charge: the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West, and the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers in the East. While a Celtics-Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals showdown seems inevitable, the Western Conference presents a far more unpredictable battlefield behind the top-seeded Thunder.
Each playoff matchup brings its own fascinating storylines and statistical advantages. Below is a breakdown of every first-round series with each team’s key performance metrics – Net Rating, Offensive Efficiency, and Defensive Efficiency – providing insight into potential strengths and vulnerabilities that could determine who advances.
Eastern Conference• 1. Cleveland Cavaliers (2nd Net Rating, 1st Offensive Rating, 8th Defensive Rating) vs. 8. Miami Heat (15th Net Rating, 21st Offensive Rating, 10th Defensive Rating)
• 2. Boston Celtics (3rd Net Rating, 2nd Offensive Rating, 5th Defensive Rating) vs. 7. Orlando Magic (17th Net Rating, 27th Offensive Rating, 2nd Defensive Rating)
• 3. New York Knicks (8th Net Rating, 5th Offensive Rating, 13th Defensive Rating) vs. 6. Detroit Pistons (13th Net Rating, 16th Offensive Rating, 11th Defensive Rating)
• 4. Indiana Pacers (12th Net Rating, 9th Offensive Rating, 14th Defensive Rating) vs. 5. Milwaukee Bucks (11th Net Rating, 11th Offensive Rating, 12th Defensive Rating)
Western Conference• 1. Oklahoma City Thunder (1st Net Rating, 3rd Offensive Rating, 1st Defensive Rating) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (6th Net Rating, 6th Offensive Rating, 9th Defensive Rating)
• 2. Houston Rockets (7th Net Rating, 13th Offensive Rating, 4th Defensive Rating) vs. 7. Golden State Warriors (10th Net Rating, 14th Offensive Rating, 7th Defensive Rating)
• 3. Los Angeles Lakers (14th Net Rating, 12th Offensive Rating, 15th Defensive Rating) vs. 6. Minnesota Timberwolves (4th Net Rating, 8th Offensive Rating, 6th Defensive Rating)
• 4. Denver Nuggets (9th Net Rating, 4th Offensive Rating, 22nd Defensive Rating) vs. 5. Los Angeles Clippers (5th Net Rating, 15th Offensive Rating, 3rd Defensive Rating)
