The Cavaliers will not know their Round 1 opponent until the conclusion of the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament.
CLEVELAND — It’s time to “Let Em Know.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, are gearing up for the 2025 NBA Playoffs with their first postseason game set to take place in downtown Cleveland.
While the Cavs won’t know their first-round opponent until the conclusion of the NBA Play-In Tournament, we do know when Game 1 will be played.
Game 1 of the Cavaliers’ Round 1 playoff series is scheduled for Sunday, April 20, at Rocket Arena. Tip-off time has not yet been announced.
While the complete Cavaliers 2025 playoff schedule is yet to be revealed, a sneak peek into the first-round series is available. The NBA has not disclosed the specific dates and times beyond the initial game, but the series will follow the standard 2-2-1-1-1 format.
Cleveland Cavaliers 2025 NBA Playoff Schedule – First Round (vs. TBD)
- Game 1: Sunday, April 20 – at Rocket Arena – Time TBD
- Game 2: Date TBD – at Rocket Arena – Time TBD
- Game 3: Date TBD – Away – Time TBD
- Game 4: Date TBD – Away – Time TBD
- Game 5: If necessary – at Rocket Arena – Time TBD
- Game 6: If necessary – Away – Time TBD
- Game 7: If necessary – at Rocket Arena – Time TBD
The Cavaliers will have home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
So, who could the Cavs face in Round 1 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs?
Cleveland, holding the top spot in the Eastern Conference, will face off against the No. 8 seed, which is still to be determined through the NBA Play-In Tournament. Competing for this final spot are the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and Miami Heat.
Here’s how the Play-In Tournament will determine the Cavs’ first-round opponent:
- No. 7 Orlando plays No. 8 Atlanta on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The winner becomes the No. 7 seed and faces the Boston Celtics in Round 1
- No. 9 Chicago takes on No. 10 Miami on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The loser is eliminated
- The winner of Bulls vs. Heat will then face the loser of Magic vs. Hawks on Friday (time TBD)
- The winner of that final Play-In game will claim the No. 8 seed and travel to Cleveland for Game 1 against the Cavaliers
If you want to catch some of the playoff action in person as the first round unfolds at Rocket Arena, you can find more information HERE.
3News will continue to update this story as the full schedule and opponent are confirmed.
