About this Episode
In this episode of Podcasty NBA, Niko and Stella dissect an unprecedented start to the NBA's conference semifinals where all four road teams won Game 1s followed by both Eastern Conference road teams taking Game 2s against dominant favorites Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. They analyze how injuries have affected Cleveland's chances against Indiana Pacers' sharpshooting surge while exploring Boston's struggles with cold shooting versus New York Knicks despite historical clutch performance strength. Based on Kevin Pelton's detailed ESPN analysis dated May 8, 2025.
Article Discussed: "NBA playoffs 2025: How the Celtics and Cavs salvage the East semis"
Author: Kevin Pelton
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45041744/nba-playoffs-2025-knicks-celtics-pacers-cavaliers-next
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Episode Transcript
Niko: Welcome back to Podcasty NBA! Today we're diving into something truly unprecedented in NBA history—the opening days of these conference semifinals have flipped expectations on their head. For the first time ever, all four road teams won Game 1, and then both Eastern Conference road teams also took Game 2. That’s not just surprising; it’s historic.
Stella: Absolutely, Niko. This is especially puzzling because the East's top two seeds, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, both had dominant regular seasons with over 60 wins each. They were expected to cruise into an East finals matchup, yet here we are with lower-seeded Indiana and New York leading the series at home. It sets a fascinating stage for what’s next.
Niko: Let's break down what happened in the Cavs-Pacers series first. Indiana shocked everyone with their remarkable shooting in Game 1—hitting 53% from three-point range while Cleveland struggled at just 24%. And that was despite Indiana having no rust since they finished their previous series after Cleveland did. Then in Game 2, despite Cleveland leading late, turnovers and some clutch plays from Tyrese Haliburton allowed Indiana to steal another win.
Stella: Right, and injuries have played a huge role for Cleveland too. They've been missing key players like Darius Garland for the past four games, plus Evan Mobley and De'Andre Hunter got hurt during Game 1. These absences left them undersized inside and forced Donovan Mitchell to take on an enormous offensive workload. The article notes Mitchell's usage rate was among the highest ever recorded in playoff history—he was basically doing everything himself.
Niko: Exactly. Even with those challenges, Cleveland showed fight—leading by double digits late in Game 2 before things unraveled at the end. Still, with three of four higher seeds who went down 0-2 at home since 2021 managing to force a Game 7, a comeback isn’t out of the question if they get healthier soon. But as it stands now, Indiana is favored given they only need two more wins with three upcoming games at home.
Stella: Switching over to the Celtics-Knicks series—the Celtics have experience being down early at home from past playoffs but this year has seen them struggle mightily from beyond the arc in both Games 1 and 2. They set a playoff record by missing 45 three-pointers in Game 1 alone and shot only around 25% from deep across both games—which is unusually poor for them given their usual efficiency.
Niko: Yeah, that cold shooting extended beyond threes too—they made just 24% on two-pointers outside the paint as well. Even stars like Jayson Tatum missed multiple shots outside the paint late in Game 2 when they needed buckets most. And despite being known for clutch performances historically—they actually had one of the best offensive ratings in close situations last season—they couldn’t find their rhythm when it mattered.
Stella: Still, Boston’s been better on the road than at home throughout recent playoffs—they’re actually one of the best road playoff teams since Al Horford joined them years ago. Plus they controlled much of these first two games until late breakdowns happened which means they're not out of it yet even though they head back to New York without momentum or room for error.
Niko: To sum up then: The biggest surprises came from road teams dominating early despite regular-season dominance by favorites Cleveland and Boston; injuries are hampering Cleveland heavily; Indiana looks strong but needs to keep up their winning ways; and Boston must shake off shooting woes quickly or risk falling behind deeper against New York’s defense.
Stella: These developments underline how unpredictable playoff basketball can be—even dominant regular season records don’t guarantee success once injuries strike and momentum shifts happen. As we watch these series unfold with such unique storylines, it reminds us why we love this game so much. Thanks for tuning into Podcasty NBA—we’ll keep following these storylines closely!
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