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NBA Playoffs

by: Ryder Bryant

date: May 6, 2026

The first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs concluded and there are now 8 teams in the hunt.

We analyze each match up below.

1 Thunder vs 8 Suns

The Thunder came into this series being the best team in the entire NBA. The Suns made it in through the play-in tournament. The Thunder had home-court advantage in the first two games of this series. The Thunder have one of the best home-court advantages in the game. So not only did the Suns have to play the Thunder, they had to play in one of the toughest environments the game has to offer. Let's get straight to the point in Game 1. The Thunder blew out the Suns 119-89. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 25 points while Jalen Williams had 22. The one positive for the Suns in Game 1 was that Devin Booker had 23, but that was it. Thunder up 1-0. For Game 2, it was slightly closer, but the Thunder still prevailed. The final score was 120-107. SGA had 39, while Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren each had 19, respectively. The Thunder are up 2-0 heading to Phoenix. This game was more of the same. SGA had 42 points, leading all scorers. For the Suns, this was a really balanced night of shooting. Dillon Brooks had 33, and Jalen Green had 26. The final score of Game 3 was 121-109. In Game 4, the Thunder went for the sweep and got it. Brooms out. The Thunder won 131-122. SGA had 31, and Chet Holmgren had 24. For the Suns, Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green each had 23, while Devin Booker had 24. The moral of this series is that the Thunder were just the better team by a long shot. The number one seeded Thunder are moving on to the conference semifinals!

2 Spurs vs 7 Trail Blazers

The Spurs have had a great turnaround since drafting Victor Wembanyama. They picked up rookie guards Stephen Castle and Dylan Harper along the way. The Trail Blazers sneaked into the playoffs via the play-in tournament. The Spurs took Game 1 at home, and it was kinda a blowout. Wembanyama had 35 points. Meanwhile, Deni Avdija had 30 for the Blazers. The score was 111-98. Game 2, however, was straight cinema. The Trail Blazers ended up winning by only 3 points! Lots of things went wrong for the Spurs in this game. The first thing is Victor Wembanyama being out with a concussion. The game was really close, with the score being 106-103. Scoot Henderson paved the way for the Blazers with 31 points, while the Spurs' leading scorer was Stephen Castle with 18 points. The series was tied, going to Portland for Game 3. Game 3 was taken by the Spurs after Dylan Harper had 27 and Stephon Castle had 33 points! Jrue Holiday had 29, and Scoot Henderson had 21. The final score was 120-108. Spurs up 2-1. Game 4 was kinda a must-win for Portland, but San Antonio was too strong. Spurs won by 21 points. Victor Wembanyama, coming back after just one game, had 27 points, powering San Antonio to a 3-1 lead. Game 5 was a must-win for San Antonio. If they let Portland hang around too long, things could get ugly. But man, did the Spurs deliver. A blowout Game 5 back in San Antonio. The Spurs won 114-95. Wemby had 17 points and 14 rebounds. De'Aaron Fox had 21 points and the Spurs are moving on to the second round!

3 Nuggets vs 6 Timberwolves

Both of these teams had great seasons. The series was set up to be a movie. The teams each boast MVP-caliber players, including Nikola Jokic (DEN) and Anthony Edwards (MIN). Denver, being the higher seed, hosted the first two games at home. Game 1 was an absolute masterclass of a game. Denver prevailed 116-105. Jamal Murray led the way for the Nuggets with 30 points. Nikola Jokic had a triple-double with 25 points. Anthony Edwards had 22 as well. Denver up 1-0. In Game 2, however, the story was different. Playoff Demon, Anthony Edwards has arrived! Edwards had 30 points and 10 rebounds to help the T-Wolves win Game 2 119-114. This evened the series at 1 apiece. Game 3, which was back in the Target Center, was a blowout win for the T-Wolves. Even with 27 points and 15 rebounds for Jokic. Ayo Dosummu led the way for Minnesota with 25 points. Game 4 was another strong win for Minnesota. Even with Anthony Edwards' injury. Ayo Dosummu had 43 points! Rudy Gobert had 15 rebounds. Game 5, which was back in Denver. The Nuggets, with their backs against the wall, came out on top in Game 5, securing a 125-113 win to make the series 3-2, T-Wolves. Jokic led in all major stat categories and had a 27-point triple-double. Julius Randle also had 27 for the Timberwolves. With massive stakes for Game 6, the Timberwolves took care of business with a 110-98 victory. Jaden McDaniels had 32 points, leading the Timberwolves on both sides of the court. Terrence Shannon Jr also had 24. Just a really deep team in Minnesota, even without Anthony Edwards. Jokic had a double-double to end his season. Now he can go back to riding horses in Serbia. (For people who don't know, this is his favorite hobby) The Minnesota Timberwolves are going to the Conference Semifinals!

4 Lakers vs 5 Rockets

These teams were so similar coming into this first-round series. The Rockets only finished 1 game back of the Lakers in the regular season. Both teams were banged up coming into this series. Kevin Durant (HOU), Austin Reaves (LAL), and Luka Doncic (LAL). Not only were the Lakers without their two best shooters, but their lack of depth had been showing lately. The Lakers had home-court advantage for the first two games of this series. In Game 1, they definitely took advantage, securing a 107-98 victory. Luke Kennard led the way with 27 points. Lebron James and DeAndre Ayton each had 19. However, it was a really balanced scoring night for Houston. Alperen Sengun led the way with 19. Amen Thompson had 17, and so did Reed Sheppard. Jabari Smith Jr had 16, as did Tari Eason. In Game 2, even with Kevin Durant back, the Rockets couldn't prevail. The Lakers won 101-94. Lebron led all scorers with 28 points. Kevin Durant had 23. This was definitely more of a defensive game, though. In Game 3, which was back in Houston, by the way, it was straight cinema. The first game of the NBA playoffs that went to overtime. After 4 quarters of play, the score was tied up at 101 thanks to Lebron, who hit the tying 3-pointer with 13 seconds left at the end of regulation. The Lakers ended up winning in overtime thanks to DeAndre Ayton, who had 8 of the 11 points the Lakers scored. The final score was 112-108. Lakers up 3-0. Looking for the sweep. That sweep would be hard to come by, however, with the Rockets taking Game 4 in an elimination game. Amen Thompson led the way with 23 points. Tari Eason also had 20 points. In Game 5, with the Rockets' backs against the wall, they prevailed. In a highly defensive game, Jabari Smith Jr still found a way to score 22 to lead the Rockets to a 99-93 win. The Lakers still have a 3-2 series lead; they are looking to end this series in Game 6. Shockingly, they haven't ended the series yet. And the Lakers finally did it. They won Game 6 in Houston with the final score being 98-78. Lebron led the way with 28 points, securing a conference semifinals berth for the Lakers!

1 Pistons vs 8 Magic

This series was not supposed to be close. The Pistons had a great year while the Magic snuck in via the play-in tournament. Coming into Game 1, the Pistons had the largest postseason home losing streak. And the Magic kept it going. Orlando shocked Detroit with a 112-101 victory, despite Cade Cunningham scoring 39 points. Paolo Banchero led the way for the Magic with 23 points and 9 rebounds. But in Game 2, Detroit responded with a bang. Even in a defensive showdown, Cade Cunningham still managed to score 27 points. Detroit won 98-83. But now, Detroit would have to travel to Orlando for a very tough two games. Orlando, backed by their home crowd, took Game 3 113-105. Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane each had 25. Cade Cunningham had another great game, leading all scorers with 27 points. Orlando up 2-1. With major series implications on the line, Orlando delivered a winning Game 4 at home for a 94-88 win. Orlando up 3-1, with Detroit's backs against the wall. Cade Cunningham and the Pistons had a 116-109 victory. Cade Cunningham had another amazing game, scoring 45. Ausar Thompson also had 15 assists. Banchero also had 45. With the series lead belonging to Orlando, Detroit came out on top in Game 6 with a 93-79 win to force Game 7. This series had been cinema. With Game 7 in Detroit. The Detroit crowd knew they would have to boost this team to a Game 7 victory. Game 7 started well for the Pistons with a 60-45 lead at halftime. They would just have to keep the foot on the gas. And they secured a blowout victory. The final score was 116-94. Cade Cunningham (32 points) and Tobias Harris (30 points) led the way. The Pistons came all the way back from down 3-1 to win the series. Cade Cunningham said, "We were pushed to the limit, and it made us really reflect on how we were playing, what got us to this position, and what made us win as many games as we won in the regular season. And it got us back to playing the basketball that we knew we were capable of.”(ESPN) A truly remarkable series for Detroit. The Pistons would have to have a quick turnaround with their second-round series starting in 2 days. The Pistons are moving on to the Conference Semifinals!

2 Celtics vs 7 76ers

This again should've been a quick 5-game series for Boston, but Philly made it much more difficult. The Celtics had an amazing season, even with Jayson Tatum out for most of the season. This was supposed to be a rapid five-game series for Boston, but Philadelphia made it significantly more challenging. The Boston Celtics experienced an exceptional season, despite Jayson Tatum missing most of it. The Philadelphia 76ers advanced through the play-in tournament, supported by Tyrese Maxey's outstanding performance. Game 1 resulted in a decisive victory for Boston, with Jaylen Brown leading all scorers with 26 points. The Celtics won 123-91, with Maxey contributing 21 points. Game 2 exhibited similar dynamics, yet Philadelphia secured the victory. Rookie VJ Edgecombe led the Sixers with 30 points and 10 rebounds, while Maxey added 29 points and 9 assists. The final score was 111-97, despite Brown scoring 36 points. Game 3 was slightly closer. The Celtics came out on top with a final score of 108-100. Jaylen Brown had 25 points. Tyrese Maxey had a nice game with 31. Game 4 was another blowout despite Joel Embiid having 26 points. Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 32 points. The final score was 128-96. Boston up 3-1. With the Sixers in a similar spot to the Pistons, they mimicked them by getting a Game 5 win in Boston. Joel Embiid led the way for Philly with 33 points and 8 assists. Jayson Tatum did have a double-double, though. Boston is still up 3-1, but Philadelphia is looking to send it to 7 in Game 6. And that they did with a 106-93 victory. Maxey had 30 points. Paul George had 23 points, and Embiid had 19. A very good, well-rounded victory for Philly. On to Game 7. The best words in sports. Game 7 did not disappoint. Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown went band-for-band. Embiid had 34 points. Brown had 33 points. In a packed TD Garden, the 76ers shut the crowd off with a 109-100 victory. Philadelphia came all the back from once down 3-1. But not anymore. The 76ers take Game 7 and are moving on the Conference Semifinals!

3 Knicks vs 6 Hawks

This series was set up to be cinema. 2 very similar teams. And their fanbases (especially New York) hate each other so much. It all started back in 2021 with the Trae Young chants. The Knicks fanbase continued the chant throughout the series, even after Young departed. Game 1 was an amazing game for both sides. The Knicks came out on top, though, with a 113-102 win. Jalen Brunson had 28 points and MVP chants from the New York crowd. Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points. The Knicks are up 1-0 in the series. Game 2 was an instant classic. This game went down to the wire. The Hawks won by only one point. The score was 107-106. Backed by CJ McCollum's 32 points. The Hawks rallied late to secure the Game 2 victory. The series was tied 1-1, going back to Atlanta. But man, did Game 3 deliver. Another 1 point win for the Hawks. McCollum hit the go-ahead dagger to win the game with 12.5 seconds left on the clock. Jalen Johnson led the way for most of the game, though, with 24 points. Game 4 was a masterclass performance from the Knicks. They tied the series at 2 apiece. Towns had a triple-double, and OG Anunoby had a double-double. The Knicks won 114-98. The Knicks took care of business again in Game 5. Led by Jalen Brunson, who had 39 points. The Knicks had a blowout 126-97 win. In Game 6, the series is on the line. You would expect the Hawks to put up their best fight. Nope. The Knicks won 140-89...The Hawks completely fell apart. New York won by 51. The score was 83-36 at halftime. The game was already well in hand when Dyson Daniels and Mitchell Robinson got into a fight. Both were ejected. Just an overall great game for the Knicks, and they are moving on to the Conference Semifinals!

4 Cavaliers vs 5 Raptors

This series was set to be great, and oh, did it deliver. This series had the fireworks, had the star players, and best of all, it went to Game 7. Game 1 was a great matchup between both teams. The Cavs, with home-court advantage, won Game 1. The crowd will definitely be a factor for both teams in this series. The Cavs won 126-113. Donovan Mitchell had 32 points and led the way for Cleveland. Max Strus also had 24 points off the bench. Game 2 was another good, solid win for the Cavs. Cleveland had a 10-point victory to take a 2-0 series lead heading back to Toronto. The score was 115-105. Donovan Mitchell had 30 points, and James Harden had 28 points. Scottie Barnes continued to have a great series for Toronto with 30 points in Game 2. The Raptors got their first win of the series in Game 3. Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett each had 30. They combined for 60, while the leading Cleveland scorer was Harden with 18. Collin Murray-Boyles had 8 rebounds as well for the Raptors. The Raptors made things a little spicy in Game 4 and came out on top. They tied the series at 2 apiece. Scottie Barnes led the way once again with 23 points and scored the go-ahead free throws at the end of the game. Raptors won 93-89. Definitely more of a defensive showdown. Brandon Ingram also had 23 points. Cleveland came back a little bit in Game 5, sneaking out a 125-120 victory. Cleveland led 3-2 after this point. Even with Barrett scoring 25, Harden was too hard to stop for Toronto. He had 23. Evan Mobley hit a pair of clutch threes at the end to secure the victory. Game 6 was the greatest game of the season. It all started in overtime after a terrific 4 quarters of regulation. Raptors down 1, 1.2 seconds left on the clock. They wanted Barrett to take the last shot, and he capitalized. He shot it, and it bounced high off the heel and went in. Recreating Kawhi Leonard's Game 7 shot in Toronto just a few years earlier to send the Raptors to the Finals! He also recreated Tyrese Haliburton's shot in Game 1 of the East Finals. Very similar. Straight cinema. I also don't think many people are talking about the fact that that shot forced Game 7. The road was good for Toronto, but all stories must end somewhere. That story ended in Game 7. Sure, it wasn't a buzzer-beater, but it was a pretty good win for Cleveland. Jarrett Allen had 22 points. The final score was 114-102. The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to the Conference Semifinals!

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