Upsets have been a theme early in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs, as the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Thunder – the three 60-win teams this year – have lost their Game 1s against the Pacers, Knicks, and Nuggets. The Cavaliers just went down 0-2 after losing to the Pacers a while ago, and the Celtics and Thunder plan to avoid the same fate. Cleveland now face an uphill climb to regain control of the series when they head to Indiana for Games 3 and 4.
Despite losing Game 1 last Monday, the NBA 2025 odds still favour Boston and Oklahoma City to advance to the next round. However, they must play like the favourites they are since they have ceded homecourt advantage to their lower-seeded counterparts.
Will lightning strike twice for the Knicks and Nuggets, or will the Celtics and Thunder restore order? Check out today’s SBOTOP preview by reading more below.
New York Knicks @ Boston Celtics
The Knicks entered this series as the major underdogs because the Celtics are the defending champions, and they have lost all their regular season games against them this year. However, they didn’t stick to the script and scored a huge upset victory at TD Garden.
It helped that Boston were misfiring from deep, which is an understatement. The Celtics became the first team in NBA playoff history to hoist 60 three-point attempts in a game, but they missed 45 of their shots. Overall, the Celtics only shot 35.1-per cent from the field compared to 42.5-per cent for the Knicks, though they had a 59-49 rebounding advantage.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby had 29 points each in Game 1, while Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride added 14, 14, and 11. Mikal Bridges only had eight points but also recorded six rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and two blocks in 51 minutes.
Besides the rebounding edge, the only positive for the Celtics from Game 1 is they only lost by three points in overtime despite their historically bad shooting night.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had 23 points each, and Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Payton Pritchard added 19, 16, and 13 points.
Boston fans are sweating on Kristaps Porzingis’ fitness since he left early in Game 1 because he was ill. According to the team’s injury report, the Latvian international is expected to play in Game 2 with the probable tag. The team needs Porzingis at his best since he is their x-factor this postseason.
Denver Nuggets @ Oklahoma City Thunder
The Nuggets stole Game 1 last Monday, as the Thunder unraveled down the stretch. With 4:31 remaining in the final period, the Thunder led 113-102, and the game was theirs for the taking. Oklahoma City inexplicably helped Denver by fouling intentionally while leading, and the Nuggets took advantage by making their free throws while the Thunder missed theirs.
With the Thunder leading 119-118, Chet Holmgren was fouled late but missed his two free throws. Christian Braun secured the rebound and gave the ball to Russell Westbrook. The one-time league MVP raced to the floor and found Aaron Gordon, who knocked down the game-winning three-pointer, and Jalen Williams’ long heave didn’t have a chance to go in. Williams had to throw it up because Oklahoma City had no timeouts left.
It was Aaron Gordon’s second game-winner in this year’s playoffs, as he scored the game-winning dunk against the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 4 of their first-round series.
As usual, Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with a monster stat line of 42 points, 22 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks on 15-for-29 shooting from the field and 10-for-13 from the charity stripe. He is only the fourth player in NBA history to have at least 40 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists in a playoff game. Aaron Gordon had 22 points and 14 rebounds. Jamal Murray, Russell Westbrook, and Christian Braun added 21, 18, and 11 points.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder in scoring with 33 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and two steals on 12-for-26 shooting from the field. Alex Caruso came off the bench and dropped 20 points. Jalen Williams, Luguentz Dort, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein added 16, 14, 12, and 12 points.
This second-round series is essentially a battle between two MVP frontrunners. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will likely win it this year because his team had better NBA 2025 results, but you can’t deny Nikola Jokic’s playoff credentials, especially since he has won it all before in 2023.
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