Ranking the Celtics’ potential first-round playoff opponents

The Celtics will be the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

Cleveland has clinched the top spot in the East, and the third place Knicks are too far behind to catch Boston. So, the Celtics’ first round opponent will be determined by the Play-In Tournament.

During the play-in tournament, the Eastern Conference’s seventh-place team will play against the eighth place team, and the winner will advance to play the Celtics.

At the time of this posting the most likely opponent is either Orlando or Atlanta. The Magic are currently seventh, and the Hawks are eighth. However, with a few games remaining on the schedule, Miami and Chicago are tied one game back of Atlanta. So, there is a possibility that one of those teams could jump into the eighth spot.

Although the official bracket is not set yet, now’s a good time to look at the Celtics’ four most likely first-round opponents and rank them according to their overall record, 2025 head-to-head record against Boston, performance down the stretch, along with a few thoughts on how they match up with the Celtics.

1. Atlanta
   • Record: 37-42
   • Head-to-head against Boston: 2-1
   • Last 10 games: 4-6
   • The matchup: The Celtics blew out the Hawks in early November and then proceeded to lose their final two regular-season matchups in close fashion. Trae Young, who hit a playoff game-winner against the Celtics in 2023, thrives in clutch situations. Dyson Daniels is a big guard who has been disruptive on the defensive end, averaging three steals a game. Atlanta has a potent (5th in the league in points per game) but not very efficient (19th in offensive efficiency) offense as they rely heavily on Young. They struggle defensively, allowing 119.7 points per game.
2. Orlando
   • Record: 39-40
   • Head-to-head against Boston: 1-1
   • Last 10 games: 7-3
   • The matchup: The Magic caught the Celtics at a time when they were struggling in December. Orlando beat Boston without forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, both of whom are back and playing well. The Magic are young, scrappy, and athletic, but they are also the worst 3-point shooting team in the league and 29th in the league in scoring. They dig in on defense, but keeping up with the Celtics offensively will be a challenge.
3. Miami
   • Record: 36-43
   • Head-to-head against Boston: 1-3
   • Last 10-games: 7-3
   • The matchup: The Heat didn’t stand much of a chance last year when Jimmy Butler was injured, and that shouldn’t change much now that he has been traded. The Heat captured their first win against the Celtics this season last week while Kristaps Porzingis was out. But, the Celtics held the Heat to 91 points or fewer in three of the four games. Bam Adebayo can still fill up the stat-sheet, and Tyler Herro can be dangerous when he’s on, but it’s clear that Miami has struggled offensively without Butler. They still have one of the best coaches in the game in Erik Spoelstra, and that gives them a slight edge over Chicago.
4. Chicago
   • Record: 36-43
   • Head-to-head against Boston: 1-3
   • Last-10-games: 7-3
   • The matchup: No team has made a bigger jump in terms of 3-point attempts from last year (26th in the league) to this year (3rd in the league) than the Bulls. They also struggle the most defensively of the four teams on this list. They’re one of just three teams in the league allowing more than 120 points per game. After the Zach Lavine trade, Coby White has emerged as Chicago’s top scoring option. Nikola Vucevic is averaging a double-double. The Celtics have scored 123 or more in each of their wins against Chicago.

Khari A. Thompson

Sports Reporter

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.