Playoffs Round 1 Recap

The first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs is over.

Here's what happened:

Western Conference

The Oklahoma City Thunder swept the Phoenix Suns, winning the series 4-0 (all playoff series are first to 4 wins)

Top MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominated the Suns during this series, averaging 33.8 points and 8 assists while making 55% of his shots!

The Los Angeles Lakers won the series against the Houston Rockets 4-2.

Surprisingly, they were able to do so without one of the best players in the league, Luka Doncic, who was injured the whole series.

LeBron James led the series in both points and assists, averaging 23.2 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.2 rebounds.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers will now face each other in the Western Conference Semifinals.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were able to win the series against 3x MVP Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets 4-2, despite Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo both missing the last 2 games due to injury.

Jaden McDaniels led the Timberwolves to their game 6 win, scoring 32 points and 10 rebounds, along with great defense on Jamal Murray.

The San Antonio Spurs won the series against the Trail Blazers 4-1.

Despite missing 2 games due to concussion protocol, Victor Wembanyama had a strong series, including a 35-point performance in his playoff debut.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will now face the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Eastern Conference

The Detroit Pistons won the series against the Orlando Magic 4-3.

Cade Cunningham had a very impressive series averaging 32.4 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.5 rebounds.

The Cleveland Cavaliers won the series against the Toronto Raptors 4-3.

The Detroit Pistons will now face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals

The New York Knicks won the series agaisnt the Atlanta Hawks 4-2.

This includes a huge 51-point win in game 6. (largest playoff win in franchise history)

Strong contributers for the Knicks include Jalen Brunson who averaged 26 points and 6 assists, OG Anunoby avergaed 22 points and 9 rebounds, and Karl-Anthony Towns averaged 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists.

The Philadelphia 76ers won the series agasint the Boston Celtics 4-3.

Strong performances came from Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.

The New York Knicks will now face the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The Conference semifinals begin tonight!

That's all for now, folks! ✌️