Image Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images

2025 NBA Playoffs Schedule – What Is the First Round Schedule for the Eastern Conference?

Here is the playoffs' first round schedule for the Eastern Conference..

Image Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images

It’s been a couple of days since the 2024-25 regular season wrapped up. Following the final few matches of the season on April 14, action immediately moved to the 2025 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament. Here, the teams seeded 7 through 10 locked horns for the remaining two spots of the playoffs.

While the number seven seeds have been decided for both the conferences, the fight for the eighth and the final seed is still on. The losers of the first play-in games are set to be up against the winners of the second games. The eventual winner will move ahead and join the rest of the qualified teams while the losing team will join the already eliminated teams in the 2025 Draft lottery list.

In the East, the Orlando Magic defeated the Atlanta Hawks 120-95, and occupied the seventh seed. On the other hand, the Miami Heat knocked the Chicago Bulls out of the contention with a 109-90 loss, and are now set to compete against the Hawks. The winner of the game will lock the eighth seed and clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2025 playoffs.

2025 NBA Playoffs First Round Schedule For Eastern Conference

The complete schedule for the Eastern Conference First Round of the #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/YFvdqg6qHg
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 16, 2025

Let’s have a look at the complete playoffs first round schedule for the Eastern Conference-

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. 8th Seed

Game Number	Date	Time	Match-up	Venue	TV
1	April 20	7 p.m. ET	Cavaliers vs. Heat	Rocket Arena, Cleveland	TNT/TruTV
2	April 23	7:30 p.m. ET	Cavaliers vs. Heat	Rocket Arena, Cleveland	NBA TV
3	April 26	1 p.m. ET	Heat vs. Cavaliers	Kaseya Center, Miami	TNT
4	April 28	TBD	Heat vs. Cavaliers	Kaseya Center, Miami	TBD
5 (If necessary)	April 30	TBD	Cavaliers vs. Heat	Rocket Arena, Cleveland	TBD
6 (If necessary)	May 2	TBD	Heat vs. Cavaliers	Kaseya Center, Miami	TBD
7 (If necessary)	May 4	TBD	Cavaliers vs. Heat	Rocket Arena, Cleveland	TBD

Also Read: NBA Playoffs 2025 – Evaluating Every Team’s Percentage and Chances To Win the NBA Championship

Boston Celtics (2) vs. Orlando Magic (7)

Game Number	Date	Time	Match-up	Venue	TV
1	April 20	3:30 p.m. ET	Celtics vs. Magic	TD Garden, Boston,	ABC
2	April 23	7 p.m. ET	Celtics vs. Magic	TD Garden, Boston,	TNT/TruTV
3	April 25	7 p.m. ET	Magic vs. Celtics	Kia Center, Orlando	ESPN
4	April 27	7 p.m. ET	Magic vs. Celtics	Kia Center, Orlando	TNT
5 (If necessary)	April 29	TBD	Celtics vs. Magic	TD Garden, Boston	TBD
6 (If necessary)	May 1	TBD	Magic vs. Celtics	Kia Center, Orlando	TBD
7 (If necessary)	May 3	TBD	Celtics vs. Magic	TD Garden, Boston	TBD

New York Knicks (3) vs. Detroit Pistons (6)

Game Number	Date	Time	Match-up	Venue	TV
1	April 19	6 p.m. ET	Knicks vs. Pistons	Madison Square Garden, New York	ESPN
2	April 21	7:30 p.m. ET	Knicks vs. Pistons	Madison Square Garden, New York	TNT/TruTV
3	April 24	TBD	Pistons vs. Knicks	Little Caesars Arena, Detroit	TNT
4	April 27	1 p.m. ET	Pistons vs. Knicks	Little Caesars Arena, Detroit	ABC
5 (If necessary)	April 29	TBD	Knicks vs. Pistons	Madison Square Garden, New York	TBD
6 (If necessary)	May 1	TBD	Pistons vs. Knicks	Little Caesars Arena, Detroit	TBD
7 (If necessary)	May 3	TBD	Knicks vs. Pistons	Madison Square Garden, New York	TBD

Indiana Pacers (4) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (5)

Game Number	Date	Time	Match-up	Venue	TV
1	April 19	1 p.m. ET	Pacers vs. Bucks	Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis	ESPN
2	April 22	7 p.m. ET	Pacers vs. Bucks	Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis	NBA TV
3	April 25	8 p.m. ET	Bucks vs. Pacers	Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee	ESPNU/NBA TV
4	April 27	9: 30 p.m. ET	Bucks vs. Pacers	Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee	TNT
5 (If necessary)	April 29	TBD	Pacers vs. Bucks	Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis	TBD
6 (If necessary)	May 1	TBD	Bucks vs. Pacers	Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee	TBD
7 (If necessary)	May 3	TBD	Pacers vs. Bucks	Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis	TBD

Also Read: NBA Playoffs 2025 – Orlando Magic to present a threat to Boston Celtics? Numbers suggest so!

2025 NBA Playoffs

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.