2025 Conference Finals Picks and Predictions

May 20th, 2025

by Alan Lu

The 2025 NBA Playoffs have been full of surprises, as the Boston Celtics were knocked out by the New York Knicks, and the former defending champions are no longer in the playoffs. Jayson Tatum is out with an unfortunate Achilles injury and appears to be slated to miss all or nearly all of next season. Meanwhile, there are four teams left: the New York Knicks, the Indiana Pacers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

I went 6-2 in the first round, and while I didn’t make selections in the second round, I would’ve picked the Pacers over the Cavaliers right after the Pacers had a tremendously impressive first round series win over the Bucks, and I would’ve picked the Celtics over the Knicks (which would’ve been incorrect), as well as Thunder over the Nuggets, and Timberwolves over the Warriors in a close one, as the Timberwolves had a tremendous first round series win over LeBron’s Lakers. So, I will consider myself 9-3 in the round-by-round part of the prediction series.

Anyways, here are my predictions for the 2025 Conference Finals.

2025 Eastern Conference Finals Prediction:

Indiana Pacers over the New York Knicks in 7 games

The New York Knicks are surging at the right time, and they have the right collection of stars in Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns, mixed in with strong defenders in Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart. They are well-schooled defensively, Brunson has been a dynamic lead presence for his team, and Karl Anthony-Towns has been rejuvenated by providing scoring and defense for his team in the playoffs.

On the other hand, the Pacers also have been playing great basketball. Tyrese Haliburton is a superb all-around player, as his efficient shot making and playmaking makes him one of the most underrated star players in the league, the Pacers can counter Towns with a very skilled big man of their own in Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner and Siakam give the Pacers a strong two big man lineup that can both stretch the defenses and protect the paint. They have a deep bench led by Bennedict Mathurin, and the Pacers can wear opponents down with their talent and depth, especially if they draw it out to a long playoff series. Also, they play a fast-paced, ball movement and shooting oriented style that can tend to give their opponents fits. Therefore, I am going to make the bold pick and go with the Indiana Pacers in a very close and competitive series over the Knicks.

2025 Western Conference Finals Prediction:

Oklahoma City Thunder over the Minnesota Timberwolves in 6 games

Anthony Edwards is a tremendously athletic superstar that plays hard and has helped the Timberwolves get back to the Conference Finals. The Timberwolves have found their collective identity, as they have a mix of high quality big men in Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels is a tall, athletic defender that can provide lockdown defense, Mike Conley is a smooth operating point guard that runs the team efficiently, and they have a solid bench, with Donte DiVincenzo giving them a boost this year.

However, the Thunder have played great basketball all year long, and they are a very talented and deep team. Their team is led by MVP candidate, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a do-it-all wunderkind that can really score and make plays with the ball in his hands, Jalen Williams has been a very solid player that made his first All-Star team, and Chet Holmgren is a young, very talented big man whose dynamic skill set gives the Thunder a unique player that gives his opponents fits on a nightly basis. Plus, the Thunder has a group of stellar defenders in Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Isaiah Hartenstein. It’ll be a tough series, but the Thunder’s talent and depth could end up wearing out Minnesota, and the Thunder could be poised to advance to the 2025 NBA Finals pretty soon.

All in all, those are my predictions on how the Conference Finals will turn out. Time will tell to see if those predictions will come true or not. Anyways, thanks for reading.