How the Pacers routed the Bucks, and what’s next in every East playoff series

The 2024-25 NBA playoffs are underway, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game in the march to the Finals.

The Eastern Conference side of the bracket sees several intriguing matchups, including the budding rivalry between the No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers and the No. 5 seed Milwaukee Bucks. Expect some fireworks there, as well as in the series between the No. 3 seed New York Knicks and the No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons — one of the most surprising teams of this season.

Sunday will feature the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the Miami Heat, who became the first 10-seed team to escape the play-in tournament and reach the playoffs. Then there’s the defending champion Boston Celtics, who’ll start their title defense as the No. 2 seed against the 7-seed Orlando Magic.

Across these four matchups, here’s what stood out from each game and what to watch — players, storylines and reaction — as each series progresses.

Jump to a series:
Cavaliers-Heat | Celtics-Magic
Knicks-Pistons | Pacers-Bucks

More coverage:
West first-round takeaways
Schedules and results | Offseason guides

4. Indiana Pacers vs. 5. Milwaukee Bucks
(Pacers lead series, 1-0)

Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98

What we learned:
The Pacers’ depth was evident throughout the game, with Indiana’s deep rotation overcoming Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo-centric attack. Indiana had few defensive answers against Antetokounmpo, who finished with 36 points and 12 rebounds and displayed periods of dominance in this rematch of last season’s first-round series. But the two-time MVP finished with just one assist, as the Pacers clamped down and limited Milwaukee’s remaining players to 34% shooting from the field. A key indicator of the difference in ball movement among the teams was evidenced in the overall assist numbers; Indiana finished with 28 while Milwaukee had just 15. That led to a typical balanced scoring effort from the Pacers, with five players in double-figure points, led by Pascal Siakam‘s 25.

Game 2: Bucks at Pacers (Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV)

One thing we’re watching:
Attention now turns to whether Bucks guard Damian Lillard will return for Game 2 after being sidelined since March 18 because of a blood clot in his right calf. Lillard returned to practice this week after being cleared of deep vein thrombosis, and the Bucks could certainly use his shotmaking after the cold shooting performance from Milwaukee’s supporting cast in Game 1.

— Stephen Holder

3. New York Knicks vs. 6. Detroit Pistons

Game 1: Pistons at Knicks (Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN)

One thing to watch from the Knicks:
The Knicks haven’t found their defensive groove yet, getting burned against a number of the league’s best offenses with Karl Anthony Towns defending the paint and Mitchell Robinson alongside him. The two shared only 47 minutes of court time, outscoring opponents by 9.2 points per 100 possessions but surrendering a quite high 118.8 points in that span. But if the big-man duo can figure things out, it would go a long way toward tightening up the team’s screen-and-roll defense. — Chris Herring

One thing to watch from the Pistons:
Can Cade Cunningham steal the show the way he frequently did during his regular-season matchups against the Knicks? The guard, who should be an All-NBA lock this season, saved some of his best showings of the season for the Knicks, averaging 30.8 points and 8.3 assists in four games against New York, while shooting 56% overall and 52% on 3-pointers. — Herring

1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 8 Miami Heat

Game 1: Heat at Cavaliers (Sunday, 7 p.m. ET, TNT)

One thing to watch from the Cavaliers:
Will they be elite from 3? Before March 11, the Cavs were No. 1 in 3-point shooting percentage and had been on top for months. Since then, they are 19th. Which will it be when it matters? Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are great playmakers and shotmakers, and the Cavs cover for their defensive shortcomings with a great back line in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. But it works a lot better when their lead guards are making 3s. Mitchell shot 39% before the All-Star break and 30% after. Garland shot 43% before and 34% after. They combine to take 16 triples a game, so these percentage swings make a big difference for their margin for error. — Brian Windhorst

One thing to watch from the Heat:
There’s no way the Heat can do this again … or can they? After becoming the first 10-seed to make the playoffs by dispatching both the Bulls and Hawks on the road in a span of three days, the Heat will now try to advance out of the first round from the play-in once again. Not having Jimmy Butler III this time, however, is a big difference. But the Heat spent all season playing well for three quarters, only to repeatedly implode in the fourth. If they can avoid that in this series, then they at least have the capability of making this one slightly interesting. — Tim Bontemps

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

Game 1: Magic at Celtics (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

One thing to watch from the Celtics:
Given Orlando’s issues on offense, there shouldn’t be much drama on the court in this series. But for the Celtics, the main focus will be Jaylen Brown‘s right knee. The All-Star guard has been dealing with a bone bruise for weeks and recently received injections to manage the pain. Boston won’t need Brown at his best to win this series, or even the next one, but it will need him to defend its title. How he looks after some rest will be a heavy focus for everyone after this series. — Bontemps

One thing to watch from the Magic:
Can Orlando take advantage of Brown’s balky right knee by applying more defensive pressure on Jayson Tatum and the other Celtics? Orlando is relentless on that end of the court, and if they spot and exploit a weakness in that regard, the matchup could become the sort of low-possession, grind-it-out series the low-scoring Magic would ultimately prefer. — Herring