From wild dunks to improbable comebacks: The top photos of the 2025 NBA playoffs

The 2025 NBA Finals are yet here, with Game 1 tipping disconnected betwixt the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers connected Thursday (8:30 p.m. ET connected ABC). And it has been an eventful roadworthy to get there.

With high-flying slams and a archetypal circular that featured 2 seven-game series, shining moments this postseason haven't been hard to find.

The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics had a memorable second-round series. The play was precocious betwixt the LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets, too. The Pacers stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers to scope their 2nd consecutive Eastern Conference finals.

Here's a photographic look astatine the champion moments of the 2025 NBA playoffs.

An improbable game-winner

Facing a 2-1 shortage connected the roadworthy successful the archetypal round, the Nuggets had a important Game 4 against the Clippers. Denver seemed to beryllium successful power arsenic it headed into the 4th fourth with a 20-point lead. But LA stormed backmost to marque it a necktie crippled with 8 seconds left.

The shot recovered Nikola Jokic with a accidental to win, but helium overshot his 3-pointer. Luckily for the three-time MVP, his teammate, Aaron Gordon, was successful the close spot astatine the close time.

Gordon slammed the rebound location arsenic clip expired to triumph the game. According to Basketball-Reference, it was the archetypal game-winning buzzer-beating dunk successful NBA postseason history.

Smashing slams

Game 7 of that bid featured different sensational dunk, arsenic the Nuggets took attraction of concern erstwhile again, winning 120-101 to beforehand to the semifinals.

Former Clipper Russell Westbrook had an important relation successful that triumph with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals disconnected the bench. He besides rocked the rim to enactment Denver up 31 points with 6:54 near successful the game.

Westbrook hung connected the rim for emphasis, resulting successful a method foul -- and an iconic photo.

The Knicks' Game 1 triumph implicit the Celtics successful the semifinals required overtime, and their archetypal handbasket of the other play was an and-1 dunk from OG Anunoby.

It gave him 29 points connected the night, and a snapshot to remember: Anunoby's Skechers kicks sailing implicit Celtics prima Jayson Tatum.

A shocking comeback

Holding a seven-point pb with 57.1 seconds remaining successful Game 2, the Cavaliers were successful the driver's spot for an important triumph successful the semifinals. However, Pacers defender Tyrese Haliburton had different plans.

He led the Pacers to a singular comeback triumph -- their 2nd triumph this postseason erstwhile trailing by seven-plus points successful the last infinitesimal of 4th fourth oregon overtime. Heading into the playoffs, teams were 3-1 successful that scenario, according to ESPN Research.

Haliburton's step-back 3-pointer gave Indiana the triumph and prompted a passionate solemnisation from everyone but the ice-cold All-Star guard.

Parties 25 years successful the making

The Knicks' instrumentality to the Eastern Conference finals was a agelong clip coming -- 25 years, to beryllium exact. New York defeated Boston successful six games, clinching a league finals berth for the archetypal clip since 2000.

The 119-81 triumph astatine Madison Square Garden was the Knicks' largest borderline of triumph successful franchise playoff history, and it sparked chaotic celebrations successful New York, specifically connected 7th avenue and West 33rd street, conscionable extracurricular the Garden.

A troll for the ages

T.J. McConnell serves arsenic an integral portion of the Pacers' depth, averaging 8.4 points successful 16.3 minutes per crippled this postseason. He scored successful treble digits successful the archetypal 3 games against New York and had 1 handbasket that stood retired among many.

In Game 5, McConnell celebrated a bucket with a motion toward celeb enactment astatine Madison Square Garden, prompting reactions from Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner and Ben Stiller, among different Knicks A-listers.

Recreating an iconic moment

New York faced the Pacers successful the East finals, the aforesaid squad they past faced the past clip they precocious that acold successful the postseason. The Knicks appeared to person Game 1 wrapped up arsenic they led by 9 with 58.8 seconds near successful the 4th quarter.

Then, pandemonium ensued. Pacers defender Aaron Nesmith caught occurrence with 3 3-pointers and the Knicks divided escaped throws twice. After the 2nd clip they went 1-for-2 from the foundation stripe, Haliburton nailed a step-back jumper to nonstop the crippled to overtime.

The All-Star defender thought helium had won it and replicated Pacers fable Reggie Miller's choke celebration. Miller aimed his celebrated taunt astatine manager and Knicks instrumentality Spike Lee aft scoring 25 points successful the 4th fourth to travel backmost and triumph Game 5 of the 1995 Eastern Conference finals.

However, an authoritative reappraisal showed Haliburton's toed was connected the 3-point line, making it a 2-pointer. Indiana coiled up winning successful overtime to instrumentality a 1-0 bid lead, and yet won the bid successful six games to marque the Finals for the archetypal clip since 2000.

ESPN elder photograph exertion Kacy Burdette contributed to this report.