2026 NBA playoffs

Tournament details
Dates	April 18 – June 2026[a]
Season	2025–26
Teams	16
← 2025 2027 →

The 2026 NBA playoffs is the ongoing postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2025–26 season. The playoffs began on April 18 and will end with the conclusion of the 2026 NBA Finals.

• The Oklahoma City Thunder made the playoffs for the third consecutive season as the Western Conference's number one seed. They also won the Maurice Podoloff Trophy for clinching the best record in the NBA for the second straight year, becoming the first team to do so.
• The Boston Celtics made the playoffs for the twelfth consecutive season, the longest such streak in the NBA.
• The Denver Nuggets made the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.
• The Minnesota Timberwolves made the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
• The New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Cleveland Cavaliers made the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
• The Orlando Magic made the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
• The Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets made the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
• The Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns returned to the playoffs after missing the postseason the previous year.
• The Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
• The Toronto Raptors made the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
• The Portland Trail Blazers made the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
• The San Antonio Spurs made the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
• The Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors missed the playoffs after making the postseason the previous year.
• The Indiana Pacers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2023. They were the defending Eastern Conference champions from 2025.
• The Los Angeles Clippers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
• The Miami Heat missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
• The Milwaukee Bucks missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
• The New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
• The Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
• The Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
• The Washington Wizards missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
• The Charlotte Hornets missed the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season, currently the longest active playoff drought in the NBA.

• The Miami Heat took part in the play-in tournament for the fourth consecutive season.
• The Golden State Warriors took part in the play-in tournament for the third consecutive season.
• The Orlando Magic took part in the play-in tournament for the second consecutive season.
• The Philadelphia 76ers took part in the play-in tournament for the first time since 2024.
• The Los Angeles Clippers and Charlotte Hornets took part in the play-in tournament for the first time since 2022.
• The Portland Trail Blazers took part in the play-in tournament for the first time since 2020.
• The Phoenix Suns took part in the play-in tournament for the first time in franchise history.

• With a Game 2 win against the Orlando Magic, the Detroit Pistons ended their 11-game postseason losing streak at home, the longest in NBA history, which began in 2008.^[2]
• With a Game 2 win against the Toronto Raptors, the Cleveland Cavaliers tied the record for the most consecutive playoff wins against a single opponent, with 12. The record is also held by the Cavaliers against both the Atlanta Hawks and the Detroit Pistons, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers against the Seattle SuperSonics.^[3]
• In Game 3, LeBron James lobbed an alley-oop to his son Bronny James for a reverse layup, which was the first father–son assist in NBA playoff history.^[4]
• The Rockets were the second team since the play-by-play era (29 years) to blow a 6-plus point lead in the final 30 seconds of regulation in the playoffs, joining the 2024 New York Knicks.^[5]
• In their Game 4 win against Portland, San Antonio Spurs became the first team to win a playoff game by 15 or more points after trailing by 15 or more points.^[6]
• With the Thunder sweeping the Suns in the first round, this was the 50th straight playoffs with a series sweep. The last playoffs without a sweep was in 1976.^[7]
• Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero became the second set of players on opposing teams to score 45+ points in the same game in the playoffs, joining Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray in 2020.^[8]
• Prior to their Game 5 loss to the Rockets, the Lakers held an all-time franchise record of 40–1 when leading a playoff series 3–1. Their only previous loss in that situation came back in 2006 against the Phoenix Suns.^[9]
• The New York Knicks set an NBA playoff record with a 47-point halftime lead over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6. The previous record of 41 points was held by the 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2025 Indiana Pacers.^[10] With their win against the Hawks, they became the first NBA Cup champion to reach the Conference Semifinals in the playoffs.
• With the Celtics–76ers series going the full seven games, this was the 27th straight playoffs to have a series go to a Game 7. 1999 was the last time no series went to a Game 7.^[11]
• The Minnesota Timberwolves became the first team to advance to the conference semifinals as the 6th seed in consecutive seasons.^[12]
  • As such, this also marks the fourth straight playoffs where a 6th seed advances to the second round.
• In Game 6 against Atlanta, Karl-Anthony Towns made 1 field goal while achieving a triple-double, tying the NBA record and setting the postseason record.^[13]
• The Pistons set a record for the largest playoff comeback by a team facing elimination on the road, trailing 24 points against the Magic in Game 6. The Magic only scored 19 points in the second half of that game, which is the least points scored in a half in playoff history.^[14]
• This is the most game 7s to happen in the first round (3) since the 2014 NBA playoffs (5).^[15]
• The Philadelphia 76ers became the 14th team in NBA history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit.^[b] They were also the first team since the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals to do so while winning Game 7 on the road.^[c]
• The seventh-seeded 76ers defeated the second-seeded Celtics in seven games, marking the eighth instance in NBA history of a 7th-seeded team defeating a 2nd-seeded team in the first round, following previous instances in 1987, 1989, 1991, 1998, 2010, 2023, and 2025. Additionally, this was only the fourth time and the third time in four seasons that such an upset occurred in a best-of-seven series, as well as the second time it occurred in a full seven game series.^[16]
• The Detroit Pistons became the 15th team in NBA history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit.^[d] They were also the first team to do so against the same team (Orlando Magic) twice, having done so in 2003, and the first 1-seeded team since the 2016 Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals to overcome a 3–1 deficit and win Game 7 at home.^[e]
  • With this feat, this was the second time two teams overcame a 3–1 series deficit in the same postseason, 2016. This was also the first time this happened in a single round.
• For the first time in NBA history, two winners of two seperate seven game series will face off in the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers who beat the Orlando Magic and the Toronto Raptors respectively, with both matchups resulting in a seven game series.

Eight teams from each conference participated in the playoffs. The top six teams in each conference, based on winning percentage, directly qualified for the playoffs; the seeding order of those teams was also based on winning percentage. If two or more teams had the same record, standard NBA tiebreaker rules were used.

The NBA Board of Governors adopted a format starting in 2021 to have a play-in tournament involving the teams ranked 7th through 10th in each conference. The 7th place team and 8th place team participated in a "double-chance" game, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the 7-seed. The loser then played the winner of the elimination game between the 9th place and 10th place teams to determine the playoff's 8-seed. The NBA's regular playoff format then proceeded as normal. Furthermore, the winner of the match between the loser of the 7/8 game and the winner of the 9/10 game always plays on day 2 of the NBA playoffs to allow that team at least a day of rest.^[17]

Each conference's bracket was fixed with no reseeding. All rounds were a best-of-seven series; a series ended when one team won four games, and that team advanced to the next round. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, were in a 2–2–1–1–1 format with regards to hosting. In the conference playoffs, home-court advantage went to the higher-seeded team (number one being the highest). For the NBA Finals, home-court advantage went to the team with the better regular season record, and, if needed, ties were broken based on head-to-head record, followed by intra-conference record.

On March 17, 2026, the Oklahoma City Thunder became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.^[18] While noted in the below tables, division titles have no bearing on seeding.^[19]

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
			Play-in berth	Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in conference	Best record in NBA
1	Detroit Pistons	60–22	—	March 20[20]	March 31[21]	April 4[22]	—
2	Boston Celtics	56–26	—	March 29[23]	April 10[24]	—	—
3	New York Knicks	53–29	—	March 30[25]	—	—	—
4	Cleveland Cavaliers	52–30	—	April 2[26]	—	—	—
5	Toronto Raptors	46–36	—	April 12[27]	—	—	—
6	Atlanta Hawks	46–36	—	April 10[28]	April 10[28]	—	—
7	Philadelphia 76ers	45–37	April 12[29]	April 15[30]	—	—	—
8	Orlando Magic	45–37	April 12[31]	April 17[32]	—	—	—

Charlotte (44–38) and Miami (43–39) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.^[33][34]

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
			Play-in berth	Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in conference	Best record in NBA
1	Oklahoma City Thunder	64–18	—	March 17[18]	March 18[35]	April 8[36]	April 8[37]
2	San Antonio Spurs	62–20	—	March 19[38]	March 23[39]	—	—
3	Denver Nuggets	54–28	—	March 31[40]	—	—	—
4	Los Angeles Lakers	53–29	—	March 31[41]	March 31[41]	—	—
5	Houston Rockets	52–30	—	April 2[42]	—	—	—
6	Minnesota Timberwolves	49–33	—	April 7[43]	—	—	—
7	Portland Trail Blazers	42–40	March 29[44]	April 14[45]	—	—	—
8	Phoenix Suns	45–37	April 7[46]	April 17[47]	—	—	—

The L.A. Clippers (42–40) and Golden State (37–45) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.^[48][49]

Bold Game winner
Italic Team with home-court advantage

Bold Game winner
Italic Team with home-court advantage

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.

First round

Conference semifinals

Conference finals

NBA Finals

E1

Detroit*

4

E8

Orlando

3

E1

Detroit*

0

E4

Cleveland

0

E4

Cleveland

4

E5

Toronto

3

E

Eastern Conference

E

E3

New York

4

E6

Atlanta*

2

E3

New York

0

E7

Philadelphia

0

E2

Boston*

3

E7

Philadelphia

4

E

W

W1

Oklahoma City*

4

W8

Phoenix

0

W1

Oklahoma City*

0

W4

LA Lakers*

0

W4

LA Lakers*

4

W5

Houston

2

W

Western Conference

W

W3

Denver

2

W6

Minnesota

4

W6

Minnesota

0

W2

San Antonio*

0

W2

San Antonio*

4

W7

Portland

1

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

Coming off their play-in victory against the Charlotte Hornets, the Magic won in a Game 1 upset at Little Caesars Arena, building up an early 13-point lead and never trailing throughout the game. All 5 starters for Orlando scored in double figures, with Paolo Banchero leading the way with 23 points and 9 rebounds. Detroit had multiple rallies to get themselves within 2, but could never take the lead with Orlando holding off every comeback attempt. For Detroit, Cade Cunningham finished with 39 points, but the All-Star point guard was held to four assist and three turnovers; Tobias Harris added 17 points. No other Pistons player reached double figures as Detroit's postseason losing streak at home extended to 11 games.^[50]

After a tightly contested first half that ended in a 46–46 tie, Detroit went on a 30–3 run to start the third quarter to pull ahead and even the series at 1–1. Cade Cunningham once again led the scoring for the Pistons, finishing with 27 points and 11 assists; Tobias Harris also recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. None of Orlando's players scored more than 20: Jalen Suggs had 19 points and 6 rebounds, while Paolo Banchero logged 18 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Both teams struggled on the offensive end this game, going a combined 65-for-165 on field goals, 14-of-58 on 3-pointers, and 37-for-56 on free throws. However, the Pistons held a significant advantage in paint points, outscoring Orlando 54–34, contributing to their victory. The win ended the Pistons' home playoff losing streak at 11, which was the longest in NBA history.^[51]

The Magic wrestled back control of the series to defeat the Pistons, 113–105, at the Kia Center in a matinee tip. Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane each scored 25 points; Banchero also added 12 rebounds and 9 assist. Orlando three other starters (Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Wendell Carter Jr.) all scored in double figures, with Carter Jr. having a playoff career-best 17 rebounds. Cade Cunningham scored 27 for Detroit. They trailed 96–79 with 8:34 left, then outscored the Magic 26–8 over the next six minutes to grab a short-lived one point lead. But the Pistons could not hang on in the last 2:30 of the game, as they only scored one point during span. Tobias Harris added 23 points, while All-Star center Jalen Duren continued to struggle with just 8 points on 3-for-10 shooting. The Magic are just the 13th eighth-seed to hold a 2–1 series lead over a first-seed in NBA history.^[52]

The Magic put the top-seeded Pistons on the edge of elimination with a 94–88 win at the Kia Center in Game 5. The two teams were locked in a defensive battle in the final quarter, when Desmond Bane launched a successful 3-point shot from 29-feet away with 1:33 left in the game to put the Magic up six points. Bane led the team 22 points on 5-for-10 from 3-point range. Reserve Jamal Cain had the highlight of the game with his poster dunk on Pistons' center Jalen Duren, which was nicknamed the "Raising Cain" dunk after the food chain with the same name.^[53][54] Cade Cunningham had a near triple-double with 25–9–6, but continued to struggle with turning the ball over, as he had eight turnovers in total (his 24 turnovers in a three-game span was an NBA playoff record and is now averaging 6.8 per game so far in the series). In the final minutes of the game, Duren was benched for Isaiah Stewart, who had a career-high eight blocks in just 17 minutes. The Pistons look to join the 2002–03 Pistons as the only teams in franchise history to comeback from a 3–1 deficit, which coincidentally, also came against Orlando.^[55]

Cade Cunningham, 45 points on 13-of-23 shooting, out-dueled Paolo Banchero, 45 points on 17-of-31 shooting, as the Pistons never trailed and won Game 5 to stay alive in the series. Cunningham and Banchero became just the second set of players with dueling 45-point performances in NBA playoff history. Cunningham also shot 5-of-8 from three, added 4 rebounds and 5 assists, but still struggled with turnovers with 6. Banchero had 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and also finished with 6 turnovers. Cunningham’s 45 points was a Pistons' playoff record. The Magic fell to 0–10 in franchise history on the road in a Game 5.^[56]

As with 2003, the Pistons forced a Game 7 after being down 3–1 against the Magic. After a tightly contested first quarter, the Magic dominated the second quarter, outscoring Detroit 35–12 and taking a 22-point halftime lead, with their lead growing to as much as 24 early in the third quarter. However, the Pistons would cut the lead to 9 by the end of the third, and ultimately took over the game entirely in the fourth quarter, as the Magic scored a total of 19 points in the second half, with just 8 in the fourth quarter. In addition, Orlando missed an NBA playoff record 23 consecutive field goals, and went 1–20 from the field in the fourth quarter, with their only basket being an open dunk from Paolo Banchero with Detroit already having seized the lead. This comeback by Detroit marked the greatest comeback for a team facing elimination on the road in the playoffs, where they would force a Game 7 back at Little Caesars Arena. It marked a 38-point turnaround as the Pistons won the game 93–79, with fans in the Kia Center booing the team's abysmal offense and ultimate collapse. The Magic's blown 24-point lead was the second most for a team with a chance to closeout the series, only under the Utah Jazz in the 2018 NBA playoffs, where they blew a 25-point lead in a Game 5 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Cade Cunningham lead the team with 32 points, whereas Duncan Robinson made 4 of the team's nine 3-pointers, and Ausar Thompson contributed 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks despite scoring just 4 points, with his interior paint presence anchoring Detroit's defense in the second half.^[57]

As with 2003, the Pistons won game 7 to overcome a 3–1 series deficit against the Orlando Magic in the first round, making the 15th team to overcome a 3–1 series deficit.

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
October 29, 2025 Recap Orlando Magic 116, Detroit Pistons 135 Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI November 18, 2025 Recap Orlando Magic 112, Detroit Pistons 109 Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI March 1, 2026 Recap Detroit Pistons 106, Orlando Magic 92 Kia Center, Orlando, FL April 6, 2026 Recap Detroit Pistons 107, Orlando Magic 123 Kia Center, Orlando, FL

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning three of the first four meetings.^[58]

Previous playoff series

Detroit leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series
1996 Orlando Magic 3, Detroit Pistons 0 1996 Eastern Conference First Round 2003 Detroit Pistons 4, Orlando Magic 3 2003 Eastern Conference First Round 2007 Detroit Pistons 4, Orlando Magic 0 2007 Eastern Conference First Round 2008 Detroit Pistons 4, Orlando Magic 1 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals

Coming off his first playoff game following an Achilles tendon rupture, Jayson Tatum finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists, while Jaylen Brown led the team in scoring with 26 points as the Celtics took a comfortable 123–91 victory over the short-handed 76ers, who were missing Joel Embiid following appendicitis surgery with an indefinite timeline for return. Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points, a team-high for Philadelphia, and dished out 8 assists. Boston's defense held strong against the 76ers, limiting them to just 18 points in the 1st quarter, and an abysmal 17 percent shooting from 3-point range, with Philadelphia going just 4–23 from beyond the arc. This would mark the 24th playoff series between the two teams, the most in NBA history.^[59]

Midway through the second quarter, the 76ers took the lead and never relinquished it for the remainder of the game, as they tied the series with a 111–97 win. Rookie V. J. Edgecombe made six of the 76ers' 19 3-pointers and scored 30 points overall on 12-for-20 shooting, to go along with 10 rebounds. Starting backcourt teammate, Tyrese Maxey, added 29 points, and Paul George chipped in with 19. The Celtics got within two points in the fourth quarter before a 11–0 run put the 76ers back in front by 13 with just over four minutes to play. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 36 points. Jayson Tatum had 19 points on 19 shot attempts, 14 rebounds and nine assists. The Celtics shoot just 26 percent from three.^[60]

Following a late surge by Philadelphia, Jayson Tatum hit two massive 3-pointers to silence the Philadelphia crowd, including the dagger with 25 seconds remaining to officially seal the win for Boston. Jaylen Brown continued his strong form, scoring 25 points which matched a team-high with Tatum. The 76ers were missing Joel Embiid for the 3rd straight game due to appendicitis. Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 31 points, while Paul George added 18. Coming off his outstanding performance in Game 2, rookie V. J. Edgecombe finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, but shot 5–17 from the field and 0–7 from 3-point range.^[61]

The return of Joel Embiid provided futile for Philadelphia, as the Celtics blew out the 76ers 128–96 to take a 3–1 series lead. Payton Pritchard shined off the bench, scoring 32 points on 12–21 shooting and 6–12 from 3-point range, including a first quarter buzzer-beater to put Boston up 34–18. Jayson Tatum continued his strong showing in the series, scoring 30 points, along with 7 rebounds and 11 assists to lead all starters. Tatum, Jaylen Brown who finished with 20 points, and Pritchard scored all of the Celtics 39 points in the third quarter to push Boston's lead to 31 entering the fourth. Embiid finished with 26 points in his first game back, and Tyrese Maxey had 22. Boston dominated Philadelphia on the boards 51–30, while shooting 45% from 3-point range on 53 attempts, whereas the 76ers went just 9–30.^[62]

The 76ers kept their season alive behind a 33-point, 8-assist effort from Joel Embiid. Helping Embiid out was Tyrese Maxey, who added 25 points on 10–18 shooting. The Celtics led by 11 in the second quarter and held a 13-point lead early in the third, but the 76ers rallied with a 15–3 run in the middle of the period to get back in the game. From there, Philadelphia outscored Boston 28–11 in the fourth quarter, with the Celtics shooting 3-of-22 in the quarter.^[63]

With momentum still on their side, the 76ers defeated the Celtics at the Xfinity Mobile Arena to even the series at 3 apiece. Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points and Paul George had 23 points for the 76ers. Jayson Tatum, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds, suffered a left calf injury in the game and did not return. Game 7 will be the ninth such game in the 76ers–Celtics history.^[64]

The 76ers picked up their first playoff series win over the Celtics since 1982 and their first Game 7 win since 2001, with a 109–100 road victory. The duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey led the way for 76ers, as they held off a fourth quarter rally by Jaylen Brown and the Celtics. Embiid, in the his first Game 7 win of his career after going 0–3 previously, had 34 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assist. Maxey took over in the final minutes of a close game, scoring 8 of his 30 points in the last two minutes, and turning a three-point lead into an eventual nine-point win. Brown scored 33 points and had 9 rebounds. The Celtics struggled once again from 3-point range, shooting 27 percent as a team. They were also without Jayson Tatum due to a calf and knee injury he sustained in Game 6.^[65]

This was the first 3–1 series comeback in 76ers' playoff history, after it being done to them twice, coincidentally by the Boston Celtics in 1968 and 1981, and the first in the NBA since the Denver Nuggets accomplished this feat twice in the 2020 NBA bubble. This was also the first time the Celtics lost a series after being up 3–1,^[66] and the first time the Sixers beat the Celtics in a Game 7 in Boston since the 1982 Eastern Conference finals.

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
October 22, 2025 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 117, Boston Celtics 116 TD Garden, Boston, MA October 31, 2025 Recap Boston Celtics 109, Philadelphia 76ers 108 Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA November 11, 2025 Recap Boston Celtics 100, Philadelphia 76ers 102 Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA March 1, 2026 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 98, Boston Celtics 114 TD Garden, Boston, MA

This was the 24th playoff meeting between these two teams, and the 16th since the Syracuse Nationals relocated to Philadelphia in 1963, with the Celtics winning 15 of the first 23 meetings.^[67]

Previous playoffs series

Boston leads 15–8 in all-time playoff series

1953 Syracuse Nationals 0, Boston Celtics 2 1953 Eastern Division Semifinals 1954 Boston Celtics 0, Syracuse Nationals 2 1954 Eastern Division Round Robin Semifinals 1954 Syracuse Nationals 2, Boston Celtics 0 1954 Eastern Division Finals 1955 Syracuse Nationals 3, Boston Celtics 1 1955 Eastern Division Finals 1956 Boston Celtics 1, Syracuse Nationals 2 1956 Eastern Division Semifinals 1957 Boston Celtics 3, Syracuse Nationals 0 1957 Eastern Division Finals 1959 Boston Celtics 4, Syracuse Nationals 3 1959 Eastern Division Finals 1961 Boston Celtics 4, Syracuse Nationals 1 1961 Eastern Division Finals 1965 Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3 1965 Eastern Division Finals 1966 Philadelphia 76ers 1, Boston Celtics 4 1966 Eastern Division Finals 1967 Philadelphia 76ers 4, Boston Celtics 1 1967 Eastern Division Finals 1968 Philadelphia 76ers 3, Boston Celtics 4 1968 Eastern Division Finals 1969 Philadelphia 76ers 1, Boston Celtics 4 1969 Eastern Division Semifinals 1977 Philadelphia 76ers 4, Boston Celtics 3 1977 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1980 Boston Celtics 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4 1980 Eastern Conference Finals 1981 Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3 1981 Eastern Conference Finals 1982 Boston Celtics 3, Philadelphia 76ers 4 1982 Eastern Conference Finals 1985 Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1 1985 Eastern Conference Finals 2002 Boston Celtics 3, Philadelphia 76ers 2 2002 Eastern Conference First Round 2012 Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3 2012 Eastern Conference Semifinals 2018 Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1 2018 Eastern Conference Semifinals 2020 Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 0 2020 Eastern Conference First Round 2023 Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals

Jalen Brunson made his mark early in the game, scoring 19 points in the 1st quarter alone and finishing with 28 points on the night. A two point game at halftime, the Knicks' lead grew to as much as 19 in the fourth quarter. Despite a late 11–0 run by Atlanta late in the 4th to cut the lead to 8, New York quickly responded and manage to take a comfortable 113–102 victory, leading for the majority of the game. Karl-Anthony Towns added an all-around performance of 25 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks, as all 5 Knick starters finished in double figures. For Atlanta, CJ McCollum led the team in scoring with 26 points, whereas Jalen Johnson added 23.^[68]

CJ McCollum became the latest Madison Square Garden villain, as he jawed former teammate Jose Alvarado and Knicks fans while leading a late fourth quarter surge to even the series at 1 apiece. The Hawks had trailed the whole second half and were down 12 after three quarters, but outscored the Knicks 28–15 in the final quarter. McCollum scored 32 points on 12-for-22 shooting. Off the bench, Jonathan Kuminga added 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting. For New York, Jalen Brunson had 29 points on 10-for-26 shooting and 7 assists.

McCollum had missed two free throws, as the Hawks led by one with 5.6 seconds remaining, but Mikal Bridges missed a contested jumpshot that would have given the Knicks the win. During this period, NBC's broadcast erroneously displayed the Knicks having one timeout remaining, despite it already being used with 10.2 seconds remaining.^[69]

In their first home playoff game since 2023, the Hawks took control early in the first quarter, building a 33–21 lead which later expanded to as much as 18 points. However, the Knicks were able to cut the lead to just 8 points at halftime, and managed to retake the lead with just over a minute remaining in the 4th quarter following Jalen Brunson's 3-point play. However, Atlanta was able to score on their next possession, while forcing Brunson into a shot clock turnover on the other end of the floor. CJ McCollum, who earned villain chants back in Madison Square Garden, drilled the go-ahead mid-range jumper with 12 seconds remaining to give Atlanta the eventual win. The Knicks still had a chance to win the game, but Brunson had his pass pickpocketed by Jonathan Kuminga, allowing the Hawks to stave off what would be a furious comeback for New York as they take a 2–1 series lead. OG Anunoby led New York with a game-high 29 points, while Brunson had 26 and Karl-Anthony Towns collected a double-double of 21 points and 17 rebounds. However, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges both struggled, going a combined 1–12 from the field alongside 6 turnovers. Jalen Johnson scored a team-high 24 for Atlanta, whereas McCollum added 23.^[70]

Facing a potential 3–1 series deficit on the road, the Knicks took the lead in the first quarter and never relinquished it, with a comfortable 14-point lead at halftime en route to a 114–98 victory to even the series at 2 apiece. Karl-Anthony Towns became the third Knick player to record a playoff triple-double, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, joining Walt Frazier and Josh Hart as the only players to do so. OG Anunoby once again led the Knicks in scoring with 22 points, and Jalen Brunson added 19 despite committing 6 turnovers. CJ McCollum led Atlanta in scoring with 17 points, whereas the newly named Most Improved Player Nickeil Alexander-Walker finished with 15. The Hawks' offense struggled greatly throughout the night, committing 18 turnovers and shooting just 10–41 (24%) from 3-point range.^[71]

Jalen Brunson (39 points) just missed extending his franchise record for 40-point playoff games, as the Knicks routed the Hawks, 126–97, to take a 3–2 series lead. OG Anunoby added 17 points and 10 rebounds for New York, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. CJ McCollum had his worst game of the series with just 6 points. The Hawks had a balanced effort with Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu all scoring within 18–16 points, but the Knicks dominated the glass, outrebounding the Hawks, 48–27.^[72]

New York easily dispatched Atlanta and clinched their first-round series win on the road for the third straight postseason. They led by as many as 61 points before winning the game by a 51-point margin. Their 47-point lead at halftime also broke a record previously set by both the 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers (Game 2, East Finals) and the 2025 Indiana Pacers (Game 4, East Semis). OG Anunoby led his team with 29 points as the Knicks had the largest playoff victory in franchise history. The Knicks almost never trailed the entire game, as the Hawks led 11–9 in the first quarter before they were outscored by 53 points entering halftime, only scoring 36 points in the first half and committed 14 turnovers. The Knicks also became the first NBA Cup champion to win a playoff series.^[73]

Regular-season series

New York won 2–1 in the regular-season series
December 27, 2025 Recap New York Knicks 128, Atlanta Hawks 125 State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA January 2, 2026 Recap Atlanta Hawks 111, New York Knicks 99 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY April 6, 2026 Recap New York Knicks 108, Atlanta Hawks 105 State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning two of the first three meetings.^[74]

Previous playoff series

New York leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
1971 New York Knicks 4, Atlanta Hawks 1 1971 Eastern Conference semifinals 1999 Atlanta Hawks 0, New York Knicks 4 1999 Eastern Conference semifinals 2021 New York Knicks 1, Atlanta Hawks 4 2021 Eastern Conference first round

The Raptors were without starting point guard Immanuel Quickley due to a mild hamstring strain that occurred on the last day of the regular season.^[75]

In their first playoff game together, the star duo of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers to a 126–113 win over the Raptors in Game 1. Harden, the Cavaliers' mid-season trade acquisition, had 22 points on 8–18 shooting and 10 assists and Mitchell scored 32 points on 11–20 shooting. Evan Mobley added 17 points and 7 rebounds, center Jarrett Allen scored 10 points with 7 rebounds, and Max Strus scored 24 points off the bench on 8–10 shooting (4–6 from three). At halftime the score was 61–54 in favor of the Cavs, but the Raptors' poor third quarter saw them outscored in the quarter 36–22, as Cleveland's lead grew to as much as 24. Mitchell scored at least 30 points in an NBA-record nine straight series openers. The Raptors fell to 2–12 lifetime in Game 1s.^[76]

The trio of Donovan Mitchell (30 points on 13-for-23 shooting and 7 rebounds), James Harden (29 points on 9-for-14 shooting and 5 steals), and Evan Mobley (25 points on 11-for-13 shooting and 8 rebounds) led the Cavaliers to a 10-point Game 2 win over the Toronto Raptors. This was the Cavaliers 12th straight postseason win over the Raptors. Raptors’ forwards Scottie Barnes (26 points on 11-of-19 shooting) and RJ Barrett (22 points on 11-for-13 shooting and 9 rebounds) led the team in scoring. The team’s other starting forward, Brandon Ingram, struggled mightily, scoring just 7 points on 3-for-15 shooting. Mitchell has now scored 30 points or more in 33 of 65 playoff games in his career.^[77]

Following a closely contested first three quarters, the Raptors blew the game open in the 4th, outscoring Cleveland 43–23 and subsequently preventing themselves from falling into a dreaded 3–0 deficit. Scottie Barnes proved invaluable in the victory, with 33 points, 11 assists, and 11–17 shooting from the field, whereas his teammate RJ Barrett also scored 33, with the two players shooting a combined 9–13 from 3-point range. James Harden led Cleveland with 18 points, as no other Cavalier reached over 15 points. In addition, Cleveland shot 14–45 from 3-point range, compared to 14–23 by the Raptors. With this loss, this also denied Cleveland a chance to set an NBA playoff record for most consecutive playoff wins over an opponent, with this mark previously being tied at 12, dating back to LeBron James' second tenure with the team. This would be Toronto's third straight game without Immanuel Quickley due to a hamstring injury.^[78]

The Raptors were able to tie the series against the Cavaliers at two apiece after a tightly contested game, which was notable for poor efficiency on both sides (63 combined field goals were made of 184 attempts). The Raptors were 0–11 on three-pointers in the first quarter - the worst playoff quarter in team history in this metric - and finished with 4–30. Despite that, Brandon Ingram hit a buzzer-beater from beyond the arc to elevate the Raptors to a 38–36 halftime lead. The team closed out with a 17–5 scoring run in the final 5 minutes. Ingram and Scottie Barnes led the score sheet for Toronto by scoring 23 points each, while rookie Collin Murray-Boyles recorded a double-double by scoring 15 points and 10 rebounds. Ja'Kobe Walter, however, notched a career high in minutes played without scoring (27). For Cleveland's starters, only star guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden finished in double figures with 20 and 19 points, respectively, but also combined for 11 turnovers, while Jarrett Allen recorded the most rebounds (15) in the entire game.^[79]

Journeyman backup point guard Dennis Schroder scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and Evan Mobley hit a pair of big 3-pointers to give the Cavaliers a narrow 125–120 win back at home. The Raptors led 74–67 at halftime and extended their lead by scoring the first five points in the third quarter; however, the Cavs rallied back to cut the Raptor’s lead to 103–100 entering the fourth. In the final quarter, Toronto missed their first 11 shots. James Harden chipped in with 23 points, but his 6 turnovers now gave him 30 for the series. RJ Barrett led Toronto with 25 points, with Ja’Kobe Walter adding 20 and Jamal Shead scoring 18 off the bench. Brandon Ingram exited the game in the second quarter with right heel inflammation and did not return.^[80]

RJ Barrett's game-winning 3-pointer in overtime gave Toronto the Game 6 win and tied the series at 3–3. Barrett's three, which was similar to Kawhi Leonard's game and series winning shot against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinals, hit the rim, bounced high in the air, and fell in with 1.2 seconds left.^[81] On the Cavaliers' final possession, Evan Mobley, who scored a team-high 26 points, missed a three at the top of the key that would have given the team the walk-off series win. Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 25 points and 14 assists, Barrett chipped in with 24 points, and Ja'Kobe Walter scored 23 in a career-high 43 minutes, as the team was without All-Star Brandon Ingram due to a heel injury. Donovan Mitchell had 24 points for Cleveland, but took 26 shots. Game 7 will be the Raptors first such game since the 2020 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Celtics. The Cavs last played a Game 7 against the Magic in the first round in 2024.^[82]

Regular-season series

Toronto won 3–0 in the regular-season series
October 31, 2025 Recap Toronto Raptors 112, Cleveland Cavaliers 101 Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH November 13, 2025 Recap Toronto Raptors 126, Cleveland Cavaliers 113 Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH November 24, 2025 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 99, Toronto Raptors 110 Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Cavaliers winning the first three meetings.^[83]

Previous playoff series

Cleveland leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series
2016 Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Toronto Raptors 2 2016 Eastern Conference Finals 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Toronto Raptors 0 2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals 2018 Toronto Raptors 0, Cleveland Cavaliers 4 2018 Eastern Conference Semifinals

The Thunder began their title defense with a 119–84 rout of the Phoenix Suns. The Suns had an early first quarter lead at 12–9 in the opening minutes, but the Thunder proceeded to outscore them the rest of the game 110–72. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points, but made just 5–18 field goals (he did go 15–17 from the free-throw line); Jalen Williams scored 22 points and Chet Holmgren added 16, with both having 7 rebounds. Devin Booker scored 23 points for the Suns, while Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green both shot the ball poorly, with both scoring 18 and 17 points, respectively.^[84]

Following a tightly contested first quarter, the Thunder opened up a 26-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter, albeit losing Jalen Williams for the night due to a left hamstring injury. However, the Suns would rally back late in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 110–100 late in the game. Even so, Oklahoma City's lead was comfortable enough to hold the Suns off, and Phoenix never got a chance to cut the lead down to single digits. They were led by 30 points from Dillon Brooks on much improved efficiency, whereas Devin Booker contributed 22 points. The Thunder were led by the newly awarded Clutch Player of the Year Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 37 points on much improved efficiency from Game 1. Jalen Green had 21 points on the night for the Suns, but shot 1–8 from 3-point range and had 7 turnovers, as Oklahoma City took a comfortable 2–0 series lead with the series heading to Phoenix.^[85]

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominated, scoring 42 points on 15–18 shooting, as the Thunder moved to within a game of advancing to the West Semifinals. Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting while Jalen Green added 26. This was the Suns' ninth straight playoff loss.^[86]

The Thunder capped off their third consecutive first round sweep in as many years with a 131–122 score in Phoenix. Oklahoma City, who was in control for the whole game, received another big performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as he scored 31 points on 10–17 shooting and had 8 assists. The front court duo of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein scored 24 and 18 points, respectively, with both hauling down 12 rebounds. Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Collin Gillespie, and Jalen Green each had 20 or more points in Phoenix's best offensive effort of the series, but they could not stop the Thunder on the other end, who shot 54 percent from the field and 50 percent from three. With the defeat, this was Phoenix's tenth straight playoff loss.^[87]

Regular-season series

Oklahoma City won 3–2 in the regular-season series

November 28, 2025 Recap Phoenix Suns 119, Oklahoma City Thunder 123 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK December 10, 2025 Recap Phoenix Suns 89, Oklahoma City Thunder 138 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK January 4, 2026 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 105, Phoenix Suns 108 Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ February 11, 2026 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 136, Phoenix Suns 109 Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ April 12, 2026 Recap Phoenix Suns 135, Oklahoma City Thunder 103 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with both teams winning two of the first four meetings. All four prior meetings took place when the Thunder played as the Seattle SuperSonics.^[88]

Previous playoff series

Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series
1976 Seattle SuperSonics 2, Phoenix Suns 4 1976 Western Conference Semifinals 1979 Seattle SuperSonics 4, Phoenix Suns 3 1979 Western Conference Finals 1993 Phoenix Suns 4, Seattle SuperSonics 3 1993 Western Conference Finals 1997 Seattle SuperSonics 3, Phoenix Suns 2 1997 Western Conference First Round

In the playoff debut of Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio easily dispatched Portland, with Wembanyama setting a franchise record with 35 points in his playoff debut.^[89] Guards De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle each added 17 points for the Spurs, while posting a combined 15 assists. Deni Avdija led the way for Portland, with 30 points and 10 rebounds. The Spurs defense held Portland in check, with the Blazers shooting just 10-for-38 from three-point range while being out-rebounded 45 to 38.^[90]

Scoot Henderson scored 31 points and the Trail Blazers took advantage after an injury to Spurs star Victor Wembanyama forced him out early in the game to win a pivotal Game 2, thus tying the series at 1 apiece. Even without Wembanyama, the Spurs built up a 14-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Blazers defense stepped up, holding the Spurs without a field goal the final 3:37 of the game. Guards Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox led San Antonio with 18 and 17 points, respectively. Devin Vassell, who finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds, missed a 3-pointer with two seconds remaining that would have tied the game and sent it to overtime. After the game, it was revealed Wembanyama was diagnosed with a concussion.^[91]

Entering Game 3 on the road without Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs faced a 15-point deficit in the second half before rallying to win 120–108 behind big time performances from sophomore Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper off the bench, as the two guards combined for 60 points. Castle finished with 33 points, whereas Harper scored a career-high 27 points off the bench, becoming the second youngest player to score 20-plus points in a playoff game off the bench, only behind an 18 year old Kobe Bryant. Jrue Holiday led Portland with 29 points and 4 steals, and Scoot Henderson added 21. Most Improved Player finalist and first time All-Star Deni Avdija went 12–16 from the free throw line, but made just 3 of his 15 field goal attempts in his playoff home debut. The Spurs outscored the Blazers 61–43 in the second half, which included a 21–7 run in the third quarter to cut their deficit to 1 in the fourth quarter, before being able to pull away with the victory.^[92]

San Antonio pulled off a 38-point turnaround, as they took a commanding 3–1 series lead in Game 4 in Portland. Victor Wembayana returned and had 27 points, 7 blocks and 11 rebounds (he was just the second player in the history of the NBA playoffs to accomplish this stat line following Shaquille O'Neal in 2004) in his first playoff road game and De’Aaron Fox scored 28 points on 11–17 shooting. Deni Avdija led Portland with 26 points on 8–14 shooting; Jrue Holiday chipped in with 20 points and Jerami Grant had his best game thus far in the series with 17 points. The Spurs were the first team in NBA playoff history to trail by 15+ at halftime and win the game by 15+.^[93]

Guided by the veteran leadership of De'Aaron Fox, who scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half, the Spurs withstood a late Trail Blazers rally to win their first playoff series since 2017. Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama took just seven shots, but had 14 rebounds and 6 blocks. Julian Champagnie continued his sharpshooting going 5-for-7 from three-point range, while rookie Dylan Harper added 17 points off the bench on 6–9 shooting. Deni Avdija led the Blazers with 22 points, but committed four turnovers.^[94]

Regular-season series

San Antonio won 2–1 in the regular-season series
November 26, 2025 Recap San Antonio Spurs 115, Portland Trail Blazers 102 Moda Center, Portland, OR January 3, 2026 Recap Portland Trail Blazers 115, San Antonio Spurs 110 Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX April 8, 2026 Recap Portland Trail Blazers 101, San Antonio Spurs 112 Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning three of the first four meetings.^[95]

Previous playoff series

San Antonio leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series
1990 Portland Trail Blazers 4, San Antonio Spurs 3 1990 Western Conference Semifinals 1993 Portland Trail Blazers 1, San Antonio Spurs 3 1993 Western Conference First Round 1999 San Antonio Spurs 4, Portland Trail Blazers 0 1999 Western Conference Finals 2014 San Antonio Spurs 4, Portland Trail Blazers 1 2014 Western Conference Semifinals

Game 1 between the Nuggets and Timberwolves was a tale of two halves. The teams were tied at halftime after a competitive first half, but the Nuggets pulled away in the third quarter, leading by as much as 15 points. While the Timberwolves pulled within two points, the Nuggets did not relinquish their lead. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets in scoring with 30 points (16 of which came from the free-throw line). Nikola Jokić had a triple-double with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. Aaron Gordon overcame three fouls in the first quarter to add 17 points and 8 rebounds. In the losing effort, Anthony Edwards finished with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists; Donte DiVincenzo scored 12 points on 4 3-pointers. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, going a combined 21-for-70 (30 percent) on 3-pointers.^[96]

After a 14-point lead after the first quarter, the Timberwolves took a 39–22 run in the second quarter before Jamal Murray launched a half-court buzzer-beater to keep to tie the score at halftime. Despite scoring just 2 points, Rudy Gobert made his presence felt in the fourth quarter, getting key stops on Murray and Nikola Jokić, while Donte DiVincenzo's late 3-pointer sealed the victory for Minnesota, as they tied the series at one apiece. Anthony Edwards led the team with 30 points and 10 rebounds despite a near-costly travel with 35 seconds remaining. Murray finished with 30 points, whereas Jokić finished with 24–15–8, although both stars struggled in the fourth quarter. Aside from Murray, Denver's starters combined to shoot 4–20 from 3-point range, contributing to the continuous shooting woes for the Nuggets.^[97]

With an all-out defensive effort, Timberwolves never trailed and led by as many as 27 points. The first quarter saw Denver record their third-fewest point total in a playoff quarter in team history, with a total of just 11 points.^[98] The Nuggets would be without Aaron Gordon, who was ruled out prior to the game due to a calf strain. Until the 10-minute mark of the second quarter, both teams shot a combined 2–21 (9.52 percent) on 3-pointers, and finished a combined 17–66 at the end of the game. With a hampered Anthony Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu came off the bench and led the charge for Minnesota, scoring 25 points and dishing out 9 assists. Rudy Gobert was spectacular on the defensive end, holding three time MVP Nikola Jokić to a playoff-worst 7–26 shooting from the field, despite 27 points and 15 rebounds. Prior to his injury, Edwards finished with 17 points but reached 5 fouls at the point of the third quarter. Even though he went to the locker room initially, Edwards returned but did not play the rest of the game, with Minnesota holding a lead that was safe enough to guide them to a 2–1 series lead.^[99]

In the opening minutes of the first quarter, Donte DiVincenzo suffered an Achilles tendon rupture following an awkward landing, ending his season and playoff run. To make matters worse for Minnesota, Anthony Edwards suffered a hyperextended knee late in the second quarter and would not return. Denver took advantage of Edwards' absence, leading 54–50 at halftime. However, in what ABC announcer Mike Breen referred to as the "Ayo Dosunmu Game", Dosunmu came off the bench and scored 43 points, just the fourth time in NBA playoff history that a player ever scored 40+ off the bench. He finished the night with spectacular efficiency, on 13–17 shooting from the field, and a perfect 5–5 from 3-point range and 12–12 from the free throw line. Including Dosunmu, Minnesota's bench outscored Denver's a whopping 76–16, as the Timberwolves forced 9 of the Nuggets's 10 turnovers in the second half to swing the game in their favor. Jamal Murray led Denver with 30 points, whereas Nikola Jokić finished with 24 points, but shot 8–22 from the field and committed 4 turnovers despite a near triple-double. This would mark Denver's third straight loss for just the second time all season.

With 1.2 seconds remaining, Jaden McDaniels ran down the court and scored a layup, after which Jokić physically attacked him for breaking an unwritten rule that the winning team should not score during the final seconds of a game when the outcome has already been decided. This immediately sparked an altercation between both team's benches, resulting in Jokić and Julius Randle being ejected from the game.^[100][101]

The game, which originally aired on ABC, was moved to ESPN in the second half after live breaking news coverage of the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting.^[102]

Nikola Jokić had a triple-double and Spencer Jones provided a key spark, with the Nuggets staving off elimination in a 125–113 win at the Ball Arena. Jokić full statline was 27 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds, good enough for his 23rd career triple-double. The Timberwolves, who are short-handed for the remainder of the series without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, trailed by as much as 27 points before cutting the margin to 10 in the fourth quarter. Julius Randle led Minnesota with 27 points and Ayo Dosunmu had 18. Naz Reid twisted his ankle, but returned later in the game.^[103]

The Timberwolves eliminated the Nuggets for the second time and three years with a Game 6 victory at home. With leading playoff scorer Ayo Dosunmu (calf soreness) joining Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo on the inactive list, the Timberwolves went big with Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and Naz Reid fueling a 64–40 advantage in points in the paint and an 50–33 edge in rebounding. Jaden McDaniels led the Wolves with 32 points and 10 rebounds and Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 24 points in a rare start. Nikola Jokić had 28 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds to lead the Nuggets, but Jamal Murray struggled and finished with just 12 points on 4-for-17 shooting. Cameron Johnson scored 27 points for the Nuggets.^[104]

Regular-season series

Denver won 3–1 in the regular-season series
October 27, 2025 Recap Denver Nuggets 127, Minnesota Timberwolves 114 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN November 15, 2025 Recap Denver Nuggets 123, Minnesota Timberwolves 112 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN December 25, 2025 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 138, Denver Nuggets 142 (OT) Ball Arena, Denver, CO March 1, 2026 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 117, Denver Nuggets 108 Ball Arena, Denver, CO

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Timberwolves winning two of the first three meetings.^[105]

Previous playoff series

Minnesota leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
2004 Minnesota Timberwolves 4, Denver Nuggets 1 2004 Western Conference First Round 2023 Denver Nuggets 4, Minnesota Timberwolves 1 2023 Western Conference First Round 2024 Denver Nuggets 3, Minnesota Timberwolves 4 2024 Western Conference Semifinals

In a game with stars Kevin Durant, Luka Dončić, and Austin Reaves all sidelined due to injury, the Lakers were able to win the short-handed duel 107–98, which marked their first Game 1 victory in the playoffs since the 2023 Semifinals. Los Angeles never trailed since early in the 1st quarter, where LeBron James dished out eight assists in the quarter alone and ten in a half (both career-highs), finishing with 13 on the night. Luke Kennard led the Lakers in scoring with 27 points, whereas Deandre Ayton notched a double-double. For the Rockets, Alperen Şengün led the team with 19 points, but shot just 6–19 from the field. The entire Rockets team struggled shooting as a whole, on just 38 percent (35–93) from the field and 33 percent from 3-point range, while the Lakers' offense flourished, shooting 61 percent from the field and a remarkable 53 percent from three despite 18 turnovers.^[106]

Kevin Durant's return from injury proved inconsequential for the Rockets as they once again experienced defeat. LeBron James led the way for the victorious Lakers with 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard added 25 and 23 points, respectively. For Houston, Durant scored 23 points, while teammate Alperen Şengün logged a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds, along with 5 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. As a team, the Lakers were 13-for-28 on 3-pointers overall, while the Rockets went 7-for-29.^[107]

Prior to the game, it was announced that Kevin Durant would sit out his second game of the series after an ankle sprain suffered in Game 2. Even without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves for the third straight game, the Lakers started hot with an 11-point lead at halftime, and at one point a 15-point lead in the 2nd half. Even so, the Rockets managed to claw their way back to take the lead, holding a 6-point advantage with 31 seconds remaining. However, after a costly foul on a 3-point shot by Jae'Sean Tate on Marcus Smart and a turnover which led to a game-tying 3-pointer by LeBron James near the end of regulation, the game went into overtime following a missed shot by Houston's Alperen Şengün and a 3-pointer by James that rimmed out. The Lakers took control in overtime, becoming the first team in the playoffs to take a commanding 3–0 series lead, while the Rockets lost their 3rd consecutive game for just the 2nd time all season long. Despite eight turnovers, James led the Lakers with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Smart added 21 points and 10 assists. For Houston, Şengün scored a game-high 33 points and had 16 rebounds, whereas Amen Thompson had 26 points and 11 rebounds. However, the bench output was the difference maker between both teams, with Los Angeles' bench outscoring Houston's 24–3.^[108]

After a heartbreaking overtime loss in Game 3, the Rockets avoided a series sweep with a blowout win over the Lakers. Still in the absence of star player Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson led his team with 23 points. All of the Houston starters reached double-figures; Tari Eason scored 20, Alperen Şengün scored 19, Reed Sheppard scored 17, and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 16. Deandre Ayton led the Lakers with 19 points and 10 rebounds, but was ejected with over 5 minutes remaining in the third quarter due to a flagrant foul on Şengün.^[109] LeBron James was also held to 10 points throughout this game.

A balanced team effort helped the Houston Rockets continue their postseason, as they defeated the Lakers on the road. Each one of the Rockets' starters was in double figures in scoring, with Jabari Smith Jr. leading the way at 22 points. Austin Reaves played in his first game in nearly a month and scored 22 points, but shot 4–16 from the field. Reaves was involved in a crucial play late where he originally took a charge foul by Tari Eason, but Houston challenged the call, and the referees determined Reaves was not in legal guarding position, thus calling it a blocking foul instead. At that point, the Lakers were in a late surge to try to take advantage of another Houston collapse, similar to Game 3. However, Reed Sheppard hit a mid-range jump shot and stripped LeBron James of the ball in the final minutes to give Houston a comfortable lead. LeBron James scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half. LeBron James lost a closeout game at home for the first time since Game 5 of the first-round series against the Washington Wizards in 2008. Additionally, the Lakers held an all-time franchise record of 40–1 when leading a playoff series 3–1. Their only previous loss before this game in that situation came back in 2006 against the Phoenix Suns, losing three straight games after Kobe Bryant's overtime game-winner in Game 4.^[110]

The Lakers finished off the Rockets in Game 6 behind a 28-point effort from LeBron James. They used a dominant 27–3 run in parts of the first and second quarter to lead by 18 points at halftime. In the third quarter, they led by as much as 22 points. Rui Hachimura added 21 points with five 3-pointers and Deandre Ayton pulled down 16 rebounds. The Rockets shot poorly throughout the game, shooting just 35% from the field and making just 5-of-28 3-pointers. In particular, Reed Sheppard went 1-for-10 from three. This is the Lakers first time advancing to the Semifinals since 2023.^[111]

Regular-season series

LA Lakers won 2–1 in the regular-season series
December 25, 2025 Recap Houston Rockets 119, Los Angeles Lakers 96 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA March 16, 2026 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 100, Houston Rockets 92 Toyota Center, Houston, TX March 18, 2026 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 124, Houston Rockets 116 Toyota Center, Houston, TX

This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning six of the first nine meetings.^[112]

Previous playoff series

LA Lakers leads 6–3 in all-time playoff series

1981 Los Angeles Lakers 1, Houston Rockets 2 1981 Western Conference First Round 1986 Los Angeles Lakers 1, Houston Rockets 4 1986 Western Conference Finals 1990 Los Angeles Lakers 3, Houston Rockets 1 1990 Western Conference First Round 1991 Los Angeles Lakers 3, Houston Rockets 0 1991 Western Conference First Round 1996 Los Angeles Lakers 1, Houston Rockets 3 1996 Western Conference First Round 1999 Los Angeles Lakers 3, Houston Rockets 1 1999 Western Conference Frst Round 2004 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Houston Rockets 1 2004 Western Conference First Round 2009 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Houston Rockets 3 2009 Western Conference Semifinals 2020 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Houston Rockets 1 2020 Western Conference Semifinals

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given. Potential games are marked by asterisk if necessary.

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
October 27, 2025 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 116, Detroit Pistons 95 Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI January 4, 2026 Recap Detroit Pistons 114, Cleveland Cavaliers 110 Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH February 27, 2026 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 119, Detroit Pistons 122 (OT) Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI March 3, 2026 Recap Detroit Pistons 109, Cleveland Cavaliers 113 Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH

This will be the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Cavaliers winning three of the first four meetings.^[113]

Previous playoff series

Cleveland leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series
2006 Detroit Pistons 4, Cleveland Cavaliers 3 2006 Eastern Conference Semifinals 2007 Detroit Pistons 2, Cleveland Cavaliers 4 2007 Eastern Conference Finals 2009 Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Detroit Pistons 0 2009 Eastern Conference First Round 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Detroit Pistons 0 2016 Eastern Conference First Round

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series

December 19, 2025 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 116, New York Knicks 107 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY January 3, 2026 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 130, New York Knicks 119 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY January 24, 2026 Recap New York Knicks 112, Philadelphia 76ers 109 Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA February 11, 2026 Recap New York Knicks 138, Philadelphia 76ers 89 Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA

This will be the eleventh playoff meeting between these two teams, and the sixth since the Syracuse Nationals relocated to Philadelphia in 1963, with the 76ers winning six of the first ten meetings.^[114]

Previous playoff series

Philadelphia leads 6–4 in all-time playoff series

1950 Syracuse Nationals 2, New York Knicks 1 1950 Eastern Division Finals 1951 New York Knicks 3, Syracuse Nationals 2 1951 Eastern Division Finals 1952 Syracuse Nationals 1, New York Knicks 3 1952 Eastern Division Finals 1954 New York Knicks 0, Syracuse Nationals 2 1954 Eastern Division Round Robin Semifinals 1959 New York Knicks 0, Syracuse Nationals 2 1959 Eastern Division Semifinals 1968 Philadelphia 76ers 4, New York Knicks 2 1968 Eastern Division Semifinals 1978 Philadelphia 76ers 4, New York Knicks 0 1978 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1983 Philadelphia 76ers 4, New York Knicks 0 1983 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1989 New York Knicks 3, Philadelphia 76ers 0 1989 Eastern Conference First Round 2024 New York Knicks 4, Philadelphia 76ers 2 2024 Eastern Conference First Round

Regular-season series

Oklahoma City won 4–0 in the regular-season series

November 12, 2025 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 92, Oklahoma City Thunder 121 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK February 9, 2026 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 119, Los Angeles Lakers 110 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA April 2, 2026 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 96, Oklahoma City Thunder 139 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK April 7, 2026 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 123, Los Angeles Lakers 87 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

This will be the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning six of the first nine meetings. The first seven meetings took place when the Thunder played as the Seattle SuperSonics.^[115]

Previous playoff series

Los Angeles leads 6–3 in all-time playoff series

1978 Seattle SuperSonics 2, Los Angeles Lakers 1 1978 Western Conference First Round 1979 Seattle SuperSonics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 1 1979 Western Conference Semifinals 1980 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Seattle SuperSonics 1 1980 Western Conference Finals 1987 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Seattle SuperSonics 0 1987 Western Conference Finals 1989 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Seattle SuperSonics 0 1989 Western Conference Semifinals 1995 Seattle SuperSonics 1, Los Angeles Lakers 3 1995 Western Conference First Round 1998 Seattle SuperSonics 1, Los Angeles Lakers 4 1998 Western Conference Semifinals 2010 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Oklahoma City Thunder 2 2010 Western Conference First Round 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder 4, Los Angeles Lakers 1 2012 Western Conference Semifinals

Regular-season series

Minnesota won 2–1 in the regular-season series
November 30, 2025 Recap San Antonio Spurs 112, Minnesota Timberwolves 125 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN January 11, 2026 Recap San Antonio Spurs 103, Minnesota Timberwolves 104 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN January 17, 2026 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 123, San Antonio Spurs 126 Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX

This will be the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning both previous meetings.^[116]

Previous playoff series

San Antonio leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
1999 San Antonio Spurs 3, Minnesota Timberwolves 1 1999 Western Conference First Round 2001 San Antonio Spurs 3, Minnesota Timberwolves 1 2001 Western Conference First Round

Category	Game high			Average
	Player	Team	High	Player	Team	Avg.	GP
Points	Cade Cunningham Paolo Banchero	Detroit Pistons Orlando Magic	45	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	Oklahoma City Thunder	33.8	4
Rebounds	Jarrett Allen	Cleveland Cavaliers	19	Nikola Jokić	Denver Nuggets	13.2	6
Assists	Nikola Jokić	Denver Nuggets	16	Nikola Jokić	Denver Nuggets	9.5	6
Steals	Bruce Brown Tari Eason James Harden Jamal Shead Marcus Smart (2×) Ausar Thompson	Denver Nuggets Houston Rockets Cleveland Cavaliers Toronto Raptors Los Angeles Lakers Detroit Pistons	5	Franz Wagner	Orlando Magic	2.8	4
Blocks	Isaiah Stewart	Detroit Pistons	8	Victor Wembanyama	San Antonio Spurs	4.0	4

This is the first postseason of new 11-year deals with the ESPN family of networks, NBC Sports and Amazon Prime Video.^[117] All first-round playoff games in the United States will now be exclusive national games, and there will no longer be regional broadcasts.^[118][119]

ESPN and ABC will have approximately 18 games in the first two rounds, with those games also streaming on ESPN DTC. NBC Sports will produce at least 15 games in the first round, and at least seven games in the second round. At-least seven first round and four second round games will air over-the-air on NBC, with the remaining games on Peacock and NBCSN. Peacock will also simulcast all games that air on the main NBC broadcast network. Amazon Prime Video will air at-least nine first-round playoff games and at-least five second-round playoff games.^{[117][120][121][122]}

During the first two rounds, Saturday afternoon games were split among Prime Video and NBC Sports. The rest of the first week generally resembled coverage during the regular season with ABC airing games on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons, NBC Sports producing games on Sunday through Tuesday nights, ESPN on Wednesdays, and Prime Video on Thursdays and Fridays. The broadcasting assignments of the second week were then adjusted to ensure each broadcaster met their required number of games in the round.^[1]

As per the alternating rotation, NBC and Peacock will have the Western Conference Finals this season, while ABC and ESPN will have the Eastern Conference Finals.^[123][124] ABC will have the NBA Finals for the 24th straight year, along with it also being streamed on ESPN DTC.^[117]

In Canada, the home market of the Toronto Raptors, English national broadcast rights were split approximately equally between the Sportsnet and TSN groups of channels. Under those rights, the two broadcasters were allowed to produce separate Canadian feeds for all games involving the Raptors regardless of round or U.S. broadcaster. Sportsnet and TSN simulcast the ABC, ESPN, NBC, NBCSN or Prime Video feed for all other series.^[125][126]

All games airing Sportsnet are also simulcast on Sportsnet+.^[127]

Playoff viewership on April 26 indicated it was their highest since 1993, with an average of 3.84 million viewers per game across ESPN, ABC, NBC, Peacock, and Prime Video. The increase in national viewership was attributed to the elimination of first-round regional broadcasts, as well as over-the-air broadcaster NBC taking over a portion of the coverage that was previously held by cable channel TNT.^[128][129]

For the fifth straight year, the playoffs is officially known as the "2026 NBA Playoffs presented by Google". During the expanded sponsorship agreement with Google where it expanded the sponsorship from the "Google Pixel" brand in favor of the general Google branding, this sponsorship provides the logo branding inside the venues and in official digital properties on-court, as well as commercial inventory during ESPN, ABC, NBC and Amazon Prime Video telecasts of the playoff games.^[130] In Canada, the NBA Playoffs are presented by MyRocky, a Canadian telehealth partner. ^[131] NewPath Sports & Entertainment Inc. secured the Canadian rights.

• Basketball – Reference.com's 2026 Playoffs section