NBA playoff guide: Who plays when, how to watch, what the odds are

By Canadian Press on May 10, 2025.

The No. 1 seed in the East is facing a 2-1 deficit in the conference semifinals and seems to have momentum. The No. 1 seed in the West is facing a 2-1 deficit in the conference semifinals and seems to have issues.

And on Saturday, the defending NBA champions will try to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole.

Top-seeded Cleveland cut Indiana’s lead in their East series to 2-1 on Friday, getting a 43-point game from Donovan Mitchell and never trailing in a 126-104 win. Denver survived an off night from Nikola Jokic — he shot 8 for 25 from the field, 0 for 10 on 3-pointers — to beat top-seeded Oklahoma City 113-104 in overtime and take a 2-1 lead in that matchup.

A pair of games await Saturday, with New York home and seeking a 3-0 lead over Boston, followed by Minnesota and Golden State playing Game 3 of that series after the teams split the first two contests.

Saturday’s national TV schedule

All times Eastern

3:30 p.m. — Boston at New York (ABC)

8:30 p.m. — Minnesota at Golden State (ABC)

Sunday’s national TV schedule

All times Eastern

3:30 p.m. — Oklahoma City at Denver (ABC)

8 p.m. — Cleveland at Indiana (TNT)

Monday’s national TV schedule

All times Eastern

7:30 p.m. — Boston at New York (ESPN)

10 p.m. — Minnesota at Golden State (ESPN)

Betting odds

Oklahoma City (+175) continues to be favored to win the NBA title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, followed by Boston (+325).

Cleveland (+550) is next, followed by Minnesota (+900), Denver (+1000), New York (+1200), Indiana (+2000) and Golden State (+3000).

Award season

There’s no word yet on when the NBA will announce this season’s MVP. It’ll be Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic or Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Also coming in the next few weeks: the All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defensive teams.

Other awards so far:

— Oklahoma City’s Sam Presti won executive of the year.

— Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson won coach of the year. He also won the same award from the National Basketball Coaches Association.

— Boston’s Jrue Holiday won the social justice award and the sportsmanship award.

— Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels won most improved player.

— San Antonio’s Stephon Castle won rookie of the year.

— Golden State’s Stephen Curry won the Twyman-Stokes teammate of the year award.

— Golden State’s Draymond Green won the hustle award.

— Cleveland’s Evan Mobley won defensive player of the year.

— New York’s Jalen Brunson won clutch player of the year.

— Boston’s Payton Pritchard won sixth man of the year.

Scoring leaders

The highest-scoring games by players so far in this year’s playoffs:

48 — Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland vs. Indiana, May 6

43 — Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland vs. Indiana, May 9

43 — Jamal Murray, Denver vs. LA Clippers, April 29

43 — Anthony Edwards, Minnesota vs. LA Lakers, April 27

42 — Nikola Jokic, Denver at Oklahoma City, May 5

40 — Jalen Brunson, New York at Detroit, May 1

39 — Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers at Denver, April 21

Key upcoming events

Monday — Draft lottery, Chicago.

May 18 or 20 — Game 1, Western Conference finals.

May 19 or 21 — Game 1, Eastern Conference finals.

June 2 — Last possible date for Game 7 of Eastern Conference finals.

June 3 — Last possible date for Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.

June 5 — Game 1, NBA Finals. (Other games: June 8, June 11, June 13, June 16, June 19 and Game 7, if necessary, will be June 22.)

June 25 — NBA draft, first round.

June 26 — NBA draft, second round.

Stories of note

— Preview of Saturday’s games: Celtics-Knicks and Timberwolves-Warriors.

— Timberwolves say fan was ejected for conduct toward Draymond Green.

— Pat Riley speaks: On Heat future, on Jimmy Butler, on being 80

— Tyrese Haliburton was willing to pay a fine. The NBA warned him instead.

— Want to go to Game 3 at Madison Square Garden? It’ll cost you. Plenty.

— These are the playoffs of the big comeback, where no 20-point lead is safe.

— Gregg Popovich’s new job: ‘El Jefe’

— Spurs coach Gregg Popovich steps down.

— Mitch Johnson takes over for Pop in San Antonio.

— Appreciation: Gregg Popovich changed the NBA.

— Grizzlies promote Iisalo to head coach, remove interim tag.

— A look inside the numbers of this season, headed into the playoffs

Comeback season

There have been five wins by teams that trailed by 20 points or more so far in these playoffs. That’s the most in any postseason during the play-by-play era, which started with the 1997 playoffs.

The biggest deficits that were successfully overcome:

29 — Oklahoma City at Memphis, April 24 (Thunder won 114-108)

20 — Indiana vs. Milwaukee, April 29 (Pacers won 119-118)

20 — New York at Boston, May 5 (Knicks won 108-105)

20 — Indiana at Cleveland, May 6 (Pacers won 120-119)

20 — New York at Boston, May 7 (Knicks won 91-90)

Stats of the day

— Denver’s Nikola Jokic’s 0-for-10 showing from 3-point range in the Nuggets’ win on Friday was the worst of his career, either in the regular season or playoffs.

— Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell has 91 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists in his last two games. The only other player to do all that in a two-playoff-game span: Jamal Murray, in the “bubble” in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, doing so against Mitchell and his former team — the Utah Jazz.

Quote of the day

“Now they can be forgiven for their sins.” — New York coach Tom Thibodeau, when asked what Pope Leo XIV — a Villanova grad — being elected means for former Villanova stars Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

The Associated Press