2026 NBA playoffs: Schedule, scores, news and highlights

The 2026 NBA playoffshave began in what is sure to be an exciting run toward the NBA Finals, which begin June 3 and will be broadcast by ABC.

Can the Oklahoma City Thunder, who locked in their third straight No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, repeat as champions? Which team will emerge from a crowded East field? Could there be surprises throughout?

The play-in tournament began April 14, as the Nos. 7 through 10 seeds played to determine which teams get to face the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in each conference. The Portland Trail Blazers clinched a playoff berth with a win over the Phoenix Suns and faced the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs, who won the series 4-1. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers earned the No. 7 seed on April 15 and are playing the No. 2 Boston Celtics after defeating the Orlando Magic. On April 17, the Magic defeated the Charlotte Hornets to finalize a matchup with the No. 1 Detroit Pistons, and the Suns defeated the Golden State Warriors to face the defending champions in the West but suffered a four-game sweep.

Eight teams from each conference reach the first round and face off in a best-of-seven series to advance. All four rounds of the playoffs are best-of-seven, and teams are not reseeded after each round. The team with the better regular-season record in each series will have home-court advantage for that series. All series are played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the team with the better record hosting Games 1, 2, 5 and 7.

Here's what we know about the Eastern and Western Conference playoff brackets:

Full NBA playoff bracket

Eastern Conference

1. Detroit Pistons vs. 8.Orlando Magic

2. Boston Celtics vs. 7. Philadelphia 76ers

3. New York Knicks vs. 6.Atlanta Hawks

4.Cleveland Cavaliersvs. 5.Toronto Raptors

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8. Phoenix Suns

2. San Antonio Spurs vs. 7. Portland Trail Blazers

3.Denver Nuggetsvs. 6.Minnesota Timberwolves

4.Los Angeles Lakersvs. 5.Houston Rockets

Eastern Conference first round

(8) Orlando Magictied with (1) Detroit Pistons, 3-3

Game 1:Magic 112, Pistons 101

Game 2:Pistons 98, Magic83

Game 3:Magic 113, Pistons 105

Game 4:Magic 94, Pistons 88

Game 5:Pistons 116, Magic 109

Game 6:Pistons 93, Magic 79

Game 7:Magic at Pistons (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

• Pistons stun ice-cold Magic with furious 2nd-half rally, force Game 7


• Pushed to brink 60-win Pistons vow to be better


• Goodwill: How Isaiah Stewart became Detroit's enforcer

(7) Philadelphia 76erseliminate(2)Boston Celtics,4-3

Game 1:Celtics 123, Sixers 91

Game 2:76ers 111, Celtics 97

Game 3: Celtics 108, 76ers 100

Game 4:Celtics 128, 76ers 96

Game 5:76ers 113, Celtics 97

Game 6:76ers 106, Celtics 93

Game 7:76ers 109, Celtics 100

• Maxey, George deliver as Sixers push Celtics to Game 7


• Celtics' White wins NBA's Sportsmanship Award


• Shelburne:How Jaylen Brown turbocharged the Celtics back to title contention

(3) New York Knicks eliminate (6) Atlanta Hawks, 4-2

Game 1: Knicks 113, Hawks 102

Game 2: Hawks 107, Knicks 106

Game 3:Hawks 109, Knicks 108

Game 4:Knicks 114, Hawks 98

Game 5:Knicks 126, Hawks 97

Game 6:Knicks 140, Hawks 89

• Knicks set record with 47-point halftime lead against Hawks


• Bridges extends games played streak after 23-second stint


• Goodwill:Five issues facing the Knicks ahead of the playoffs

(4) Cleveland Cavalierstied with (5) Toronto Raptors3-3

Game 1:Cavaliers 126, Raptors113

Game 2:Cavaliers 115, Raptors 105

Game 3:Raptors 126, Cavaliers 104

Game 4:Raptors 93, Cavaliers, 89

Game 5:Cavaliers 125, Raptors 120

Game 6: Raptors 112, Cavaliers 110

Game 7:Raptors at Cavaliers (Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)

• All-Star forward Brandon Ingram out with heel inflammation


• Raptors top Cavs despite historically cold shooting


• Spears:Cavaliers guard James Harden is 'here for a reason

Western Conference first round

(1) Oklahoma City Thundereliminate (8) Phoenix Suns4-0

Game 1:Thunder 119, Suns 84

Game 2:Thunder 120, Suns 107

Game 3:Thunder 121, Suns 109

Game 4: Thunder 131, Suns 122

• Thunder's Jalen Williams misses Game 3 with hamstring injury


• Gilgeous-Alexander wins Clutch Player of the Year


• MacMahon: The young Thunder are building a dynasty

(2) San Antonio Spurseliminate (7) Portland Trail Blazers4-1

Game 1: Spurs 111, Trail Blazers 98

Game 2: Trail Blazers 106, Spurs 103

Game 3:Spurs 120, Trail Blazers 108

Game 4:Spurs 114, Trail Blazers 93

Game 5:Spurs 114, Trail Blazers 95

• Spurs overwhelm Blazers late in Wemby's return


• Johnson joins Ginobili as Spurs' Sixth Man winners


• Splitter on Dundon reports: 'Trying to be a pro'

(6) Minnesota TimberwolveseliminateDenver Nuggets4-2

Game 1:Nuggets 116, Timberwolves 105

Game 2: Timberwolves 119, Nuggets 114

Game 3:Timberwolves 113, Nuggets 96

Game 4:Timberwolves 112, Nuggets 96

Game 5:Nuggets 125, Timberwolves 113

Game 6:Timberwolves 110, Nuggets 98

• Jaden McDaniels leads Wolves on both ends as Nuggets ousted


• Sources: Anthony Edwards avoids ligament damage, out weeks


• McDaniels jab: Nuggets are 'all bad defenders'


• Keown:In search of the real Nikola Joki

(4) Los Angeles Lakerseliminate (5) Houston Rockets4-2

Game 1:Lakers 107, Rockets 98

Game 2: Lakers 101, Rockets 94

Game 3: Lakers 112, Rockets 108 (OT)

Game 4:Rockets 115, Lakers 96

Game 5:Rockets 99, Lakers 93

Game 6:Lakers 98, Rockets 78

• Lakers put away Rockets in Game 6 rout, face Thunder next


• Luka Doncic eligible for NBA season awards


• Wright:How the Rockets bullied their way to one of the NBA's best offenses

NBA Finals schedule

The 2026 NBA Finals will begin Wednesday, June 3, with each game tipping off at 8:30 p.m. ET. ABC will broadcast each game.

Game 1: Wednesday, June 3

Game 2: Friday, June 5

Game 3: Monday, June 8

Game 4: Wednesday, June 10

Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, June 13

Game 6 (if necessary): Tuesday, June 16

Game 7 (if necessary): Friday, June 19

Play-in tournament

Eastern Conference

(7) Philadelphia 76ers 109, (8) Orlando Magic 97

(9)Charlotte Hornets127, (10) Miami Heat 126 (OT)

(8) Orlando Magic 121, (9) Charlotte Hornets 90

Western Conference

(8)Portland Trail Blazers114,(7)Phoenix Suns 110

(10) Golden State Warriors 126, (9) LA Clippers 121

(7)Phoenix Suns 111, (10) Golden State Warriors 96

How the games will work:

Game 1s:Each conference's No. 7 team in the standings will host the No. 8 team, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The losing teams get another chance in their respective conference's Game 3.

Game 2s:Each conference's No. 9 team will host the No. 10 team, with the winner moving on to Game 3. The losers are eliminated and enter the NBA draft lottery.

Game 3s:The losers of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchups will host the winners of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchups, with the victors grabbing each conference's No. 8 seed in the postseason. The losers of Game 3 enter the NBA draft lottery.

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