2025 Playoff Predictions Thread

[Split T]

Don’t know all the matchups yet, but getting this ready and I’ll update the matchups as they are set.

Eastern Conference:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs 8. Miami Heat
2. Boston Celtics vs 7. Orlando Magic
3. New York Knicks vs 6. Detroit Pistons
4. Indiana Pacers vs 5. Milwaukee Bucks

Western Conference:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs 8. Memphis Grizzlies
2. Houston Rockets vs 7. Golden State Warriors
3. Los Angeles Lakers vs 6. Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Denver Nuggets vs 5. Los Angeles Clippers

In previous years we’ve gone 10 points for picking the correct team and 5 additional points for getting the correct number of games. My one thought, should getting later rounds correct be worth more points?

Maybe something like this:

5 points for a 1st round series
10 points for conference semifinals
15 points for conference finals
20 points for Finals

Also maybe 5 points for correct number of games and 2 points for being 1 game off(either way). Let me know what you think.

[Split T]

Matchups will finalize tonight. We don’t have a ton of time to get predictions in. Feel free to make most of your predictions and then add the 1v8 matchups later. Those series don’t start until Sunday so I’ll allow predictions up until game time. Gotta have the other predictions in before tip of game 1. We have allowed predictions still after game 1, but no bonus points for picking the right number of games.

I’m going to stick with my updated scoring…so more points for getting later rounds right and you can get 2 bonus points for being 1 game off(as long as the team you pick to win still wins. If you say Wolves in 7, but Lakers win in 7, you get nothing).

[Split T]

1st Round:

1. Thunder vs 8. Grizzlies - Thunder in 4
2. Rockets vs 7. Warriors - Rockets in 7
3. Lakers vs 6. Wolves - Lakers in 7
4. Nuggets vs 5. Clippers - Clippers in 6

1. Cavaliers vs 8. Heat - Cavs in 5
2. Celtics vs 7. Magic - Celtics in 5
3. Knicks vs 6. Pistons - Knicks in 7
4. Pacers vs 5. Bucks - Pacers in 6

Conference Semifinals:

1. Thunder vs 5. Clippers - Thunder in 6
2. Rockets vs 3. Lakers - Lakers in 6

1. Cavaliers vs 4. Pacers - Cavs in 7
2. Celtics vs 3. Knicks - Celtics in 5

Conference Finals:

1. Thunder vs 3. Lakers - Thunder in 6

1. Cavs vs 2. Celtics - Celtics in 6

Finals:

1. Thunder vs 2. Celtics - Thunder in 7

[Superbone]

1st Round:

1. Thunder vs 8. Grizzlies - Thunder in 5
2. Rockets vs 7. Warriors - Warriors in 6
3. Lakers vs 6. Wolves - Lakers in 6
4. Nuggets vs 5. Clippers - Nuggets in 6

1. Cavaliers vs 8. Heat - Cavs in 5
2. Celtics vs 7. Magic - Celtics in 4
3. Knicks vs 6. Pistons - Knicks in 7
4. Pacers vs 5. Bucks - Bucks in 7

Conference Semifinals:

1. Thunder vs 4. Nuggets - Thunder in 6
3. Lakers vs 7. Warriors - Lakers in 7

1. Cavaliers vs 5. Bucks - Cavs in 6
2. Celtics vs 3. Knicks - Celtics in 5

Conference Finals:

1. Thunder vs 3. Lakers - Thunder in 6
1. Cavs vs 2. Celtics - Celtics in 6

Finals:

1. Thunder vs 2. Celtics - Thunder in 7

[Split T]

It might just be you vs me Superbone

[TOO]

Good luck to the both of you.

[Superbone]

It might just be you vs me Superbone

Hey, I tried.

[Superbone]

Good luck to the both of you.

Pfft. Chicken.

[TOO]

Good luck to the both of you.

Pfft. Chicken.

Gonna grill some tonight actually.

[Superbone]

Good luck to the both of you.

Pfft. Chicken.

Gonna grill some tonight actually.

That's what I meant. Enjoy.

[Mori Chu]

My bad! I wanted to put in predictions in before the start of the Bucks/Pacers game, but alas. Here are mine:

1st Round:

1. Thunder vs 8. Grizzlies - Thunder in 4
2. Rockets vs 7. Warriors - Warriors in 6
3. Lakers vs 6. Wolves - Wolves in 6
4. Nuggets vs 5. Clippers - Nuggets in 7

1. Cavaliers vs 8. Heat - Cavs in 4
2. Celtics vs 7. Magic - Celtics in 4
3. Knicks vs 6. Pistons - Knicks in 6
4. Pacers vs 5. Bucks - Pacers in 5

Conference Semifinals:

1. Thunder vs 4. Nuggets - Thunder in 5
6. Wolves vs 7. Warriors - Wolves in 7

1. Cavaliers vs 4. Pacers - Cavs in 5
2. Celtics vs 3. Knicks - Celtics in 5

Conference Finals:

1. Thunder vs 6. Wolves - Thunder in 5
1. Cavs vs 2. Celtics - Celtics in 5

Finals:

1. Thunder vs 2. Celtics - Thunder in 5

[Split T]

Well this ended up being very anticlimactic…even with the increased scoring opportunities in later rounds, we already have our winner. Only 3 participated, but Mori has already won. It is impossible for Superbone or I to catch him. Scores after round 1:

Mori - 66(I even dinged you for not getting your game prediction in time for Indy/Milwaukee)
Superbone - 42
Split T - 41

Our brackets are all almost identical the rest of the way. Superbone and I literally have the exact same guesses, even down to the number of games. Mori has the same guesses with one exception(he has Minny winning and Superbone and I both took the Lakers). Mori does have some differences in number of games, but not enough to allow us to catch up. So congrats Mori! Now the question is whether your lead grows or shrinks.

[Mori Chu]

Wow, that's nuts that it is already over. I am happy to see that I picked all 8 first-round series winners correctly. Usually I make some big whiffs in the first round. Hope my luck holds out the rest of the way!