NBA playoffs 2025: Previewing the second round, biggest questions - ESPN

After an exhilarating two weeks of first-round play filled with Game 7s and series sweeps, the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs will get underway.

The No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers, after a dominating regular season, swept the Miami Heat in the first round and became the first team in the East to claim a spot in the conference semifinals. On Sunday, the Cavaliers will take on 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 tournament to the NBA Finals, ESPN has you covered throughout the playoffs.

• Game-by-game analysis: 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, move one step closer to a repeat Finals appearance. But Boston will first have to face off Monday against a gritty New York Knicks team, which is coming off a tough first-round series against the Detroit Pistons.

In the West, after a grueling seven-game series against the LA Clippers, the Denver Nuggets will meet the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in an MVP showdown beginning Monday between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. The Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the Golden State Warriors after they defeated the Houston Rockets in Game 7 on Sunday.

Before we kick off the second round, our NBA experts break down the biggest questions for each matchup, including which underdog is most likely to advance and which player matchup they're most excited for.

Schedule and news | Round 2 expert picks | Offseason guide

In a battle of two elite offenses, which will prevail?

The gap between these two teams over