2025 NBA Playoffs: First-Round Matchups Set As Regular Season Concludes

The Oklahoma City Thunder secured homecourt advantage for the duration of the playoffs with their 68-14 record and NBA-best +12.9 Net Rating. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics were bunched together in second and third in both record and Net Rating.
The best matchups of the first round figure to be the Los Angeles Lakers against Minnesota Timberwolves less than a year after Luka Doncic faced them with his former team in the Western Conference Finals. The Houston Rockets against either th