The first round of the NBA Playoffs delivered chaos and drama in the Eastern Conference. Two teams rallied back from 3-1 deficits to advance to the second round, while three of four series went a full seven games.
The Eastern Conference is a wide-open race after the #7 Philadelphia 76ers upset the #2 Boston Celtics. Many experts picked the Celtics to win the East, but they blew a 3-1 lead and were stunned by the 76ers.
The #3 New York Knicks now host the 76ers in the second round. Oddsmakers installed the Knicks as the series favorite at -250 and the underdog 76ers at +200.
The #1 Detroit Pistons meet the #4 Cleveland Cavs on the other side of the playoff bracket. The Pistons opened as a slight favorite at -120 to win their series, and the Cavs were even money.
According to BetMGM, the Knicks began the second round as the new betting favorite to clinch the Eastern Conference crown at +150 odds, followed by the Pistons (+250), Cavs (+325), and 76ers (+350).
On the futures board, the Knicks saw their NBA Championship odds improve to +900, and they’re ahead of the Pistons (+1700), Cavs (+2000), and 76ers (+3500).
#3 New York Knicks: Depth and Dreams
Championship Odds: +900
Eastern Conference Odds: +150
Series Opening Price: -250
The Knicks were on the ropes after losing consecutive one-point losses to the Atlanta Hawks to put them in a 2-1 hole. The Knicks turned around their fortunes like true contenders by winning three games in a row, capped by a 51-point blowout victory in Game 6.
Jalen Brunson (26.3 ppg) led the Knicks in scoring in the first round, and Karl-Anthony Towns averaged a double-double (21.5 ppg, 11.3 rebounds). Joel Embiid prefers drop coverage on pick-and-rolls, but the 76ers might reconsider because Towns knocked down 44 percent of his deep balls in the first round. As a reliable third scoring option, OG Anunoby (18.7 ppg) shot a blistering 56.7 percent from 3-point land against the Hawks.
Head coach Mike Brown shuffled his second unit on a game-by-game basis against the Hawks, and the Knicks’ depth gave him flexibility with his lineups. A deep bench is why the Knicks are favored over the 76ers in the second round. In previous years, ex-head coach Tom Thibodeau overworked his rotation, which resulted in an exhausted starting five as the playoffs progressed. This version of the Knicks is better equipped for a sustained championship run.
During the opening round, the Knicks led the East in defending 3-pointers (31.2 percent) and knocking down treys (38 percent). They were also the top-scoring team (117.8 ppg) while shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor.
The Knicks brought in Mikal Bridges as a defensive stopper. His assignment this round is to slow down Tyrese Maxey. Josh Hart will also split time with Bridges defending Maxey while making sure rookie V.J. Edgecombe doesn’t get too comfortable.
The Knicks are a stronger rebounding team compared to the 76ers, especially on the offensive glass, which they dominated in the regular season. Towns and Mitchell Robinson combined for more than five offensive boards per game, which helps extend possessions.
#1 Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham or Bust
Championship Odds: +1700
Eastern Conference Odds: +250
Series Opening Price: -120
The Pistons lost to the #8 Orlando Magic in Game 1, which nearly set the tone for the rest of the series. The Magic looked like they were on the verge of upsetting the #1 seed until they squandered a 3-1 series lead. The Pistons finally woke up and won three consecutive elimination games to advance to the second round. They won their first playoff series since 2008.
Cade Cunningham (32.4 ppg) carried the Pistons over the Magic, and only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33.8 ppg) scored more points in the opening round. Tobias Harris (21.6 ppg) provided additional offense, but Jalen Duren (10.6 ppg) and Duncan Robinson (10.3) were the only other double-digit scorers. Barely!
The Pistons are not a team that lives and dies by the 3-pointer. Cunningham led them in attempts (7.6) and percentage (39.6 percent) in the first round, but they’ll have to be more efficient on the perimeter and find buckets inside the paint if they expect to keep pace with the trigger-happy Cavs.
Someone from the starting five and from the second unit will have to help Cunningham alleviate the scoring burden against the Cavs. All eyes will be on veteran sharpshooter Robinson and second-year guard Daniss Jenkins, who dropped 16 points off the bench in Game 7 against the Magic. If they can’t find anyone else to score in the fourth quarter aside from Cunningham, the Pistons will be in trouble.
The Pistons relied on their defense to turn the Magic series around. They led the NBA in scoring defense (97.7 ppg), opponent field goal percentage (39.7 percent), and blocked shots (9.4). It’s rare to see a guard as a team’s best swatter, yet Asuar Thompson is their best and most versatile defender. He also welcomes the challenge to keep Donovan Mitchell in check in the second round.
#4 Cleveland Cavs: James Harden a Jinx or Savior?
Championship Odds: +2000
Eastern Conference Odds: +325
Series Opening Price: +100
The Cavs won all four games at home in the first round against the Toronto Raptors, but they will not have home-court advantage against the Pistons.
The up-tempo Cavs averaged 119.8 ppg in the regular season as the NBA’s fourth-highest scoring team. In the playoffs, they have the second-best offense in the East, averaging 111.9 ppg. Evan Mobley (18.1 ppg) is a trustworthy third-scoring option. Jarrett Allen stepped up with a playoff career high of 22 points and 19 rebounds against the Raptors in Game 7.
The Cavs rely on a heavy diet of 3-pointers. They averaged over 39 attempts in the regular season, which continued in the first round at the same number. Only the Boston Celtics chucked more treys from downtown than the Cavs this postseason. Four players connected on 37.5 percent from downtown in the first round, and Mitchell was slightly off at 33.3 percent.
The defensive-minded Pistons will test the Cavs. The Pistons prefer a slower pace where they grind out each possession, whereas the Cavs want to run-and-gun with a high volume of 3-pointers.
Success this round will be determined by James Harden. Despite holding the top seed last year, the Cavs were eliminated in the second round. They also met their fate in the conference semifinals in 2024. They added Harden at the trade deadline to help push them over the hump in the postseason. The Cavs now have two elite playmakers to handle the ball in crunch time with Mitchell (23.1 ppg) and Harden (20.6 ppg).
Then again, Harden’s recent track record in the playoffs is troubling. Harden appeared in the 2012 NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he’s never won a championship. He reached the conference finals four times earlier in his career, between 2011 and 2018 with the Thunder and Houston Rockets, but hasn’t competed for a conference title since then. Between 2019 and 2023, Harden’s teams withered in the second round. During the last two seasons with the L.A. Clippers, Harden made early exits in the first round.
#7 Philadelphia 76ers: Underdogs
Championship Odds: +3500
Eastern Conference Odds: +600
Series Opening Price: +200
The Knicks and 76ers square off in the playoffs for the first time since 2024, when the Knicks picked off the 76ers in the opening round. Joel Embiid emerged as a villain during that extremely physical series after he purposely tripped Mitchell Robinson, who sustained an injury that probably cost the Knicks a trip to the NBA Finals.
Fans and players have not forgotten about Embiid’s dirty shenanigans and expect Madison Square Garden to be openly hostile when Embiid steps onto the court. Embiid also doesn’t help his own cause with his penchant for flopping and whining to officials.
The 76ers were not happy when Knicks fans invaded the Wells Fargo Center during the 2024 playoff series. Fervent support from boisterous New Yorkers continued in subsequent home games in Philadelphia during the regular season. Players and coaches begged fans not to sell their playoff tickets to anyone who supports the Knicks.
The 76ers have the two best players in this series with Embiid (28.0 ppg) and Tyrese Maxey (26.9 ppg). The X-factor will be veteran forward Paul George (17.4 ppg), who has battled injuries since he joined the 76ers. Rookie VJ Edgecombe (15.1 ppg), who was the third-overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, finally got his first taste of the postseason. He’s about to experience some serious bad blood when he suits up against the Knicks in the second round.
The Sixers will play the Knicks tough, but their thin bench will be their downfall in a longer series.
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