Sixteen teams in total make the NBA playoffs, eight teams from both the Eastern and Western Conference. The top six seeds in each conference advance based on the regular season record. The final two seeds in each conference are determined by the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Despite a coaching change, the Cavs ended their season in the same place — Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. So all eyes are on the roster.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points, Pascal Siakam added 21 and the Indiana Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 114-105 victory over Cleveland, eliminating the top-seeded Cavaliers in five games.

The East's top seed has been eliminated. With their 114-105 win in Game 5 on Tuesday night, the Indiana Pacers knocked out the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs and clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference finals for the second consecutive season.

The Indiana Pacers emphatically pushed the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers to the brink of playoff elimination with a dominant 129-109 win to take a 3-1 series lead.

There have been a few surprises in both the NBA and NHL playoffs, including the No. 1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers trailing the Indiana Pacers 3-1 in their best-of-seven series. Indiana is now -325 to win the series at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

The Cleveland Cavaliers signed Max Strus during the 2023 offseason to help with the floor spacing and three-point shooting. However, the forward also brought something that the Wine and Gold desperately needed: playoff experience.