The NBA’s Eastern Conference semifinal matchups are officially set. The second round tips off with Game 1 between the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers and the No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers on Sunday at a time yet to be determined. The No. 2 seed Boston Celtics and the No. 3 seed New York Knicks are also set to rekindle what is becoming one of the East’s defining rivalries in a rematch of last season’s conference semifinal meeting, which Boston won in a decisive five-game gentleman’s sweep. That series tips off on Monday. 

The Ballislife staff dropped their predictions and analysis for both series below. 

Pacers vs Cavaliers

Will Despart

Prediction: Cavaliers in 5

I’m rarely naive enough to disagree with Vegas odds, but I firmly believe the Cavaliers have established themselves as the should-be favorite in the Eastern Conference. You don’t just stumble across a 64-win season, and you certainly don’t stumble across the most dominant single-series performance in the history of the NBA playoffs. That’s right. The Cavs’ +122 scoring margin over the Heat in the first round set the league’s all-time mark for any series. 

The Pacers had a 3-1 advantage in the regular season series, though it’s a bit deceiving, as the Cavaliers sat their entire starting lineup and multiple key role players in their final two meetings with Indiana at the tail end of the regular season. The Cavaliers had that luxury because they were the most dominant team in the East all season long and thus clinched the No. 1 seed with several games left in the regular season. It’s clear Kenny Atkinson and the Cavs’ coaching staff toed the line between rest and being refreshed perfectly, as evidenced by Cleveland’s historic dominance of Miami in the first round. 

Darius Garland is nursing a toe injury and could miss Game 1 for Cleveland, though I don’t expect that to be a lingering theme throughout the series. Garland missed Game 4 against Miami as well, and that didn’t seem to matter as the Cavs won by 55 points to complete the sweep.

I’m sure this well-rounded Pacers team, led by Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton, will put up more of a fight than the Heat did. I’m still having trouble picturing this series going to a sixth game, so I’ll roll with the Cavaliers in five games.

Sara Jane Gamelli

Prediction: Cavaliers in 6

The Pacers had a bit of luck sprinkled on the side, this time facing and defeating the Milwaukee Bucks for the second consecutive season. Without a fully healthy Damian Lillard, the Bucks simply didn’t have the infrastructure to move past the Pacers. The Pacers let the Bucks have one game, but this next series presents an entirely different scenario. 

The Pacers are a gritty team under Rick Carlisle. Not to mention, they have one of the deepest benches in the entire NBA. Boasting the third-best offensive rating in the league, the Pacers have a ton of offensive firepower. Next to the Cavaliers, they are flamethrowers beyond the arc, shooting 39.3 percent from 3-point range. 

Thanks to an efficient second-half emergence, Haliburton has been crucial to the Pacers' success. Not to mention, the trade between the Pacers and Raptors paid off last season. Pascal Siakam has been their leading scorer, and both Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard are having career years. 

I know the playoffs start at 0-0 and the regular season doesn’t mean much. However, the Pacers did win the regular season series 3-1 over the Cavaliers. However, they finished as the second-best team in the NBA behind the Cavaliers. Led by Garland and Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers continue to be one of the most dominant teams in the league, with the No. 1 in offensive rating and No. 2 in defensive rating. The Pacers will have a tall task. 

The Cavaliers have been dominant under Atkinson, sweeping the Heat 4-0 in the first round. Having held Miami to 95.5 points per game, Cleveland will continue their historic season. Darius Garland’s toe injury will be something to look out for, given that he sat out games 3 and 4 against the Heat. Overall, the Cavaliers have been a masterclass on both sides of the ball. Although the Pacers have depth and pace, I think they might be able to steal a game or two. There’s a reason why the Cavaliers boast the most depth in the NBA. 

Aside from their core starting five, the addition of De’Andre Hunter will be the difference-maker in this series. Not to mention, Sam Merrill and Dean Wade are sneaky snipers from downtown. The Cavaliers have one of the most pristine backcourts with Garland and Mitchell. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are one of the most elite frontcourt duos in the NBA. 

Grant Afseth

Prediction: Cavaliers in 6

The Cavaliers have been one of the NBA’s most well-oiled machines all season. The frontcourt matchup in this series will be fascinating to watch, with Myles Turner’s stretch-five skill set providing some challenges for the Cavaliers’ double-big duo of Mobley and Allen to focus as heavily on protecting the paint. Both teams are high-powered offenses, but Cleveland’s edge defensively and having home-court advantage should swing it.

Aya Abdeen

Prediction: Cavaliers in 6

Atkinson has been making a tremendous impact on the Cavaliers in his first year as head coach with the company of Mitchell, Garland and Allen. Indiana has been on a mission in their last few appearances of the postseason with the duo of Haliburton and Siakam. Expect some of the close games from these two teams throughout the series, but it comes down to which one is hungrier for a title, so Cleveland can win in six games. 

Celtics vs. Knicks

Will Despart

Prediction: Celtics in 6

The Celtics are the more proficient and complete team on both ends of the floor, so I don’t expect this series to be too much of a sweat. The -900 series odds in Boston’s favor illustrate that point well enough. Still, the possibility that Jayson Tatum may not be 100% mixed with the potential of some patented Jalen Brunson crunch-time magic makes me believe that the Knicks could possibly get a pair of wins in this series. 

I do think this is going to be an exceptionally chippy series, just slightly toned back from what the Knicks experienced in the first round against Detroit. While I believe Boston is the more proficient team, it’s clear New York is tougher and that should benefit the Knicks if they can avoid being ran out of the gym early in these games. 

Boston is coming off a five-game gentleman’s sweep of the Orlando Magic, though their performance at times left a little bit to be desired. I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, considering their star Tatum missed a game and disrupted the rhythm a bit. Tatum scored 35+ points in three consecutive games upon his return, however. If he can keep the bone bruise on his wrist from additional injury, then I don’t foresee his production being an issue for the Celtics. I think this goes six games but Boston wins without ever feeling all that threatened.

Sara Jane Gamelli

Prediction: Celtics in 6

I will try not to be a homer here. I grew up idolizing Paul Pierce and the Celtics at a young age. However, I do think the Celtics are reigning champions for a reason and will take this series in six games. I'm not going against Vegas with this one. Boston has -900 odds to win the series.

It’s a long season and several Celtics players are experiencing ailments, including Tatum (Wrist), Jaylen Brown (Knee) and Jrue Holiday. However, that didn’t stop Boston from defeating Orlando 4-1 in the first round. They did so despite missing various players over several games. Orlando was a tough test for Boston, possessing physicality and one of the top defenses in the NBA. 

This is the matchup everyone has been waiting to see, one between the Big Apple and Beantown. With the Celtics sweeping the Knicks 4-0 in the regular season, I’m going to give New York two games here. Brunson is the X-factor. The 2024-2025 Clutch Player of the Year, Brunson put Ausar Thompson on ice skates to end Detroit’s fairytale season. As tough as the Pistons were, I do think New York could’ve taken that series in less than six games. 

Overall, the Knicks are a decent team, boasting the fifth-best defensive rating in the NBA. Among the top ten in offense, head coach Tom Thibodeau has a short leash of players he will trust in this series. Same with the Celtics, they don’t have as much depth, however, they possess arguably the strongest starting five in the NBA. 

With the Celtics operating under the second apron, there’s likely trades to occur in the off-season. It’s now or never for Boston, who held a +65 point differential (+13) across its five regular-season meetings with the Knicks. The Celtics have the defenders in Holiday (if healthy) and Brown to contain Brunson. None of their regular-season matchups were close besides the fifth one, with the Celtics coming out victorious by double figures in four of them. 

While I do think the Knicks will stay competitive, the Jays [Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown] know what it takes to win a championship. This unit has been together for a while and they have championship-quality chemistry and knowledge. 

Rather than the Jays, will Derrick White and Payton Pritchard be the unsung heroes for Boston? Not the best streak, the Celtics finished with a 28-13 home record. However, they finished with one of the top road records at 33-8. The Celtics have the coaching, versatility, toughness, and length to take care of the Knicks. Will it be a battle? Sure. Don’t expect every game to be as close as the Pistons series. However, expect some chippy play down the stretch. 

Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are two names that come to mind when I think of the Knicks. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges will have to show more consistency before I pick them, though. 

Grant Afseth

Prediction: Celtics in 6

Few teams exploit weaknesses through a seven-game series like the Celtics. In the postseason, New York will examine how recent notable additions will help against top competition in the Eastern Conference. Given how well Boston can space teams out while putting the opposing top perimeter player into challenging positions with an elite defense, this is a matchup the Knicks will struggle to overcome if the Celtics stay healthy.

Aya Abdeen

Prediction: Celtics in 5

The New York Knicks have been a team to watch, particularly with Brunson in the clutch and Mikal Bridges. However, Tatum and the Boston Celtics are reigning champions for good reason. It comes down to which team could stay healthiest and bring in the energy on both ends of the floor. Boston, with extensive playoff and now NBA Finals experience, should be able to clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals in five games.