2025 NBA Playoff (Hyper-Specific) Predictions

AJ Alkire

Apr 18, 2025

Vegas odds are misguided. All they’re showing you is where bets are being placed. Stupid.

What I’m here to offer is some of my own research that gives insight into the personal lives of the players.

A player has a birthday?
They’re going to play different.

There’s a movie coming out that a coach really wants to see?
He’s gonna have that on his mind.

So, let’s take those factors into account and see how these series play out:

NOTE: This was written before the 1 seed vs. 8 seed matchups were set, so they are not included.

Eastern Conference

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Orlando Magic

Game 1 (4/20): Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is going to be pissed about missing Easter. His head won’t be in the game.
CELTICS W
Game 2 (4/23): Between Game 1 & Game 2, the Wagner brothers will want to see the German culture of Boston. They’ll find their way to a restaurant that serves German/American cuisine. Underwhelmed by the experience, they’ll order a pint to scratch the itch. That pint will make them a step slow in Game 2.
CELTICS W
Game 3 (4/25): Joe Mazzulla will have seen The Accountant 2 by this point. He’s fired up and ready to coach with the focus of Ben Affleck & the intensity of Jon Bernthal.
CELTICS W
Game 4 (4/27): Paolo Banchero’s cousin, Chris Banchero, plays on a basketball team in the Philippines called the Meralco Bolts. They’ve been sliding in the standings of the Commissioner’s Cup and have a game against a team called Rain or Shine where they can turn it all around. The game takes place on the same day as this Game 4 (4/27). If Paolo gives even one iota of thought to his cousin Chris’ game, it’s over for the Magic.
CELTICS W

BOS CELTICS WIN SERIES 4-0

(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons

Game 1 (4/19): There’s gonna be a fight which always gives the home team the advantage.
KNICKS W
Game 2 (4/21): This game is on TNT. While the Knicks played 9 TNT games this season, the Pistons played 0. They’re not used to nor ready for the pace of TNT games (commercial breaks, interviews, etc.), not to mention the faint echos of broadcaster Reggie Miller stating the obvious will get in the heads of the young Pistons.
KNICKS W
Game 3 (4/24): This game’s on a Thursday. The Knicks stars have a podcast called Roommates Show that releases episodes every Thursday. They’re 0-3 in Thursday games in 2025. Maybe because they’re worried about the reception of the new episodes?
PISTONS W
Game 4 (4/27): Knicks player Delon Wright’s birthday is the day before this game (4/26). He’s not gonna go crazy, but he will stay up an hour too late and some others will stay up with him. This will throw the Knicks players off their routine for the game the following day.
PISTONS W
Game 5 (4/29): Karl Anthony Towns is a fan of Princess Diana, so it’s not a stretch to think he could be inspired by the anniversary of Prince William & Cate Middleton’s wedding, which took place on this date (4/29) in 2011. Look for KAT to go nuts this game.
KNICKS W
Game 6 (5/1): Cade Cunningham is going to be made aware that Detroit Tigers rookie pitcher Jackson Jobe is on the mound the following day (5/2) in Anaheim. There will be this whole “young Detroit stars” narrative the media runs with this week. It fuels Cade.
PISTONS W
Game 7 (5/3): Detroit’s Dennis Schroder used to play with Brooklyn Nets. He found a few spots he liked while he was in Brooklyn and will probably decide to hit one up the night before this game. He’ll likely misremember how potent the food was and will have acid reflux all night. That’s all it takes.
KNICKS W

NY KNICKS WIN SERIES 4-3

(4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks

Game 1 (4/19): This is the first opening playoff series in 7 years in which the Bucks won’t have home court advantage. I think the Pacers fans are hyped up and the team matches their energy.
PACERS W
Game 2 (4/22): Tyrese Halliburton will be extremely focused going into Game 1. However, between Game 1 & Game 2, Halliburton will binge watch Wrestlemania Vegas (which he missed over the weekend due to playing) when he should be watching film instead.
BUCKS W
Game 3 (4/25): This game is on ESPNU… the college channel. The younger Pacers team takes this personally and plays with attitude the whole way.
PACERS W
Game 4 (4/27): Damian Lillard could return here in front of the home crowd, and it’s a Sunday. Lillard scored his career high (71 points) on a Sunday, and just last year set the Bucks' playoff record for points in one half of a game, scoring 35 points in the first half of Game 1 against… the Pacers.
BUCKS W
Game 5 (4/29): Back in Indiana and Dame is settling back into things… but maybe that’s not a great idea. Per the Zodiac GM, when Lillard plays a significant role in the game plan, his Cancer energy disrupts the synergy of team. Being the away team & battling bad zodiac vibes isn’t doing them any favors.
PACERS W
Game 6 (5/2): Pacers player T.J. McConnell has two siblings, one of which graduates from college exactly a week after this game. McConnell is a stud off the bench for Indiana, but if there’s a moment during the game where he thinks, “Oh shoot, is that graduation today? Oh never mind, it’s next Friday,” that’s a mental slip up the Pacers won’t be able to afford.
BUCKS W
Game 7 (5/4): This game is played on Sunday, May 4th. The MET Gala is Monday, May 5th. Kyle Kuzma and his fiancé, model Winnie Harlow, surely have an invite. While this big event could be distracting for some, it puts Kuzma in a flow state, because he knows he’ll get to show off his fashion sense on the biggest stage the following day. He’s going to be feeling himself and will help the Bucks to a huge Game 7 win.
BUCKS W

MIL BUCKS WIN SERIES 4-3

Western Conference

(2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Golden State Warriors

Game 1 (4/20): Stephen Curry is producing a film with Sony Animation called GOAT that comes out next year, however, it’s said there will be promos running during the NBA playoffs. Curry likely had to spend some time signing off on something or filming something and he’d rather spend that prepping for the series.
ROCKETS W
Game 2 (4/23): This game will take place on 4/23/25. If there’s anything Draymond Green is known for, it’s for playing great on April 23rd. On 4/23/2023 Draymond put up 12 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, and got a win against Kings. On 4/23/2021 Draymond had a career high 19 assists and a win against the Nuggets. On 4/23/2013 Draymond contributed to a win against Nuggets as a rookie putting up 5 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assists. April 23rd Draymond will dominate in this one.
WARRIORS W
Game 3 (4/26): Since 2015, the Warriors have a 22-4 record in the first game they play at home in a playoff series. They’re hyped. The crowd is hyped.
WARRIORS W
Game 4 (4/28): Game 3 is played on April 26, 2025 and on April 26, 2023 Ime Udoka was hired as the Houston Rockets head coach. They fumbled his 2-year anniversary game because the Warriors crowd was too hyped. The Rockets players enter Game 4 ashamed of themselves, and go out and win it for Ime 2 days late.
ROCKETS W
Game 5 (4/30): The Rockets and Warriors have only played one another on April 30th one time in their history. The Warriors beat the Rockets 115-109. Honestly? I’d put $10 on that exact score outcome. Why not?
WARRIORS W
Game 6 (5/2): Draymond Green has under-the-radar beef with comedian Sam Morril after he went in on him on The Dan Le Batard Show. Sam Morril is in San Francisco on Sunday, May 4th (the date of a tentative Game 7) and if the Warriors don’t win this game and end the series, Green can’t go to the show and heckle him.
WARRIORS W

GS WARRIORS WIN SERIES 4-2

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

Game 1 (4/19): Dalton Knecht turns 24 on this date. That’s right: 24 like the Black Mamba. There’s no way they’re gonna lose!
LAKERS W
Game 2 (4/22): This game is on 4/22. That’s right: 4+2+2 =8 like the Black Mamba. There’s no way they’re gonna lose!
LAKERS W
Game 3 (4/25): The Knicks and Lakers are up 2-0 in their series and Julius Randle is going to remind them just who he is.
TIMBERWOLVES W
Game 4 (4/27): Liverpool F.C., owned by Fenway Sports Group which LeBron is part owner of, plays Tottenham on this same day. Liverpool F.C. are the heavy favorites and that will make LeBron feel like a heavy favorite as well.
LAKERS W
Game 5 (4/30): About to get eliminated by Luka again, Anthony Edwards goes off to keep the Timberwolves just respectable enough.
TIMBERWOLVES W
Game 6 (5/2): Rudy Gobert’s son turns 1 in a few days after this game and Rudy is absolutely overwhelmed with details about the party.
LAKERS W

LA LAKERS WIN SERIES 4-2

(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers

Game 1 (4/19): Jamal Murray sees Kris Dunn and Ben Simmons on the other side - two players drafted ahead of him - and tries to takeover by himself.
CLIPPERS W
Game 2 (4/21): Jokic is too good of a guy to leave Denver fans without a playoff home win.
NUGGETS W
Game 3 (4/24): Russ is given valuable minutes, but given his interest in movies, he has soooo much on his mind: Sinners, The Accountant 2, The Legend of Ochi. All that’s on his mind is how many movies he has to see right now.
CLIPPERS W
Game 4 (4/26): The new season at the Belgrade Hippodrome (Serbian horse racing) begins the day after this game. Jokic is a huge fan of Serbian horse racing and, rather than being distracted, is probably super excited that it’s horse racing season.
NUGGETS W
Game 5 (4/29): On Tuesday games, Zubac averages 1.1 blocks per game while Jokic only averages 0.6. That’ll do it.
CLIPPERS W
Game 6 (5/1): Peyton Watson went to UCLA and it’ll cross his mind while he’s in LA: “Should I reach out to my friends while I’m in town?” The small social mind game will eat at him just enough to lose a competitive edge.
CLIPPERS W

LA CLIPPERS WIN SERIES 4-2

With the insights above, you should be able to more precisely predict these NBA playoff series, and possibly, make loads of money.

Updates on these predictions will be tracked throughout the first round and will be posted on the ASS News Instagram and TikTok.