NBA playoffs 2025 - Matchups deciding every first-round series - ESPN

The NBA playoffs are all about matchups, both on the team and player level.

Contenders that lean on size could be forced to adjust before a small-ball team that can pour in 3-pointers runs them off the court. A speedy guard who thrives in transition could be forced to grind out possessions in the half court.

Which matchups are deciding the first round? The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers won just about every matchup throughout their sweeps, but what about the back-and-forth series of Nuggets-Clippers, the down-to-the-wire finishes of Knicks-Pistons and the brewing upset of Lakers-Timberwolves?

Let's dive into both the individual and schematic showdowns playing the biggest factors in the six remaining series still up for grabs, starting in New York, where the Clutch Player of the Year is showing why.

Jump to a series:
Pacers-Bucks | Knicks-Pistons
Celtics-Magic | Nuggets-Clippers
Rockets-Warriors | Lakers-Wolves

New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons
Series: Knicks lead 3-1
Game 5: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)

Matchup: Jalen Brunson vs. Ausar Thompson and Dennis Schroder's defense

What has stood out most, particularly in the clutch, is Brunson's ability to ignite offense quickly. Pesky second-year wing Ausar Thompson, who stands 6-foot-6 to Brunson's 6-2, has started on the Knicks' captain throughout the series, limiting him to 39% shooting and just 23 points on 23 shot attempts in those first quarters. But he's also been overly aggressive in his first NBA postseason, getting into foul trouble while also struggling with turnovers, having committed 11 against his five assists. Between the fouls — Thompson had five in Game 1, fouled out in Game 2 and had four in Game 3 — and offensive struggles, Pistons