NBA playoffs 2025: The matchups deciding every first-round series

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The NBA playoffs are all about matchups, both on the team and player level.

Contenders that lean on size could be forced to adjust before a small-ball team that can pour in 3-pointers runs them off the court. A speedy guard who thrives in transition could be forced to grind out possessions in the half court.

Which matchups are deciding the first round? The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers won just about every matchup throughout their sweeps, but what about the back-and-forth series of Nuggets-Clippers, the down-to-the-wire finishes of Knicks-Pistons and the brewing upset of Lakers-Timberwolves?

Let's dive into both the individual and schematic showdowns…