The 82-game grind is over, but the real chaos is just beginning. With play-in drama already reshaping the field, the road to the 2026 NBA Finals is taking shape, and it’s anything but predictable. The Golden State Warriors kept their season alive by eliminating the Los Angeles Clippers, setting up a high-stakes clash with the Phoenix Suns for the final playoff berth in the West. Over in the East, the Philadelphia 76ers surged past the Orlando Magic to lock in the seventh seed, earning a daunting first-round showdown with the Boston Celtics.
With just a couple of spots still up for grabs, the bracket is nearly set, but don’t mistake that for certainty. With tightly packed standings and volatile matchups across both conferences, this postseason is shaping up to deliver first-round battles that could feel more like conference finals.
When Do the NBA Playoffs 2026 Start? Full Schedule Explained
The first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs will begin on Saturday, April 18, 2026, with four games. In the afternoon, the decisive Play-In clashes will take place, followed by the first-round games at night. The series could continue until May, depending on whether the series reaches seven games. The date and time for the second round have not been decided yet.
THE BRACKET IS SET
pic.twitter.com/bqSnxeDnzv
— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2026
So the NBA fans could enjoy postseason basketball on Saturday, starting with two knockout Play-In games followed by four high-octane first-round clashes, including the Los Angeles Lakers facing the Houston Rockets, the Minnesota Timberwolves clashing against the Denver Nuggets, the Toronto Raptors visiting the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the New York Knicks facing the Atlanta Hawks.
What Does the Final NBA Playoffs 2026 Bracket Look Like?
East first round
No. 1 Pistons vs. No. 8 TBD
No. 2 Celtics vs. No. 7 76ers
No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Hawks
No. 4 Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Raptors
West first round
No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 TBD
No. 2 Spurs vs. No. 7 Trail Blazers
No. 3 Nuggets vs. No. 6 Timberwolves
No. 4 Lakers vs. No. 5 Rockets
This is how the playoff bracket looks this season. It is in the first round where the lopsided results happen: last year, five of the eight first-round series ended in four to five games. The most noteworthy games in the opening series are the ones between the fourth and fifth seeds, as they had a similar regular season.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, facing the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, could stretch to seven games, as could the matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors. The New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks are also a crazy matchup, as the Hawks have enough firepower to surprise Jalen Brunson and co.
Which First-Round Matchups Stand Out in NBA Playoffs 2026?
The first round of the playoffs is generally lopsided and often gets decided in four to five games; at least that has been the norm in recent years, but this time, there are some fiery clashes in the first round itself. This season, more than seedings, mentality has mattered most, and hence, the talk around some matchups will take precedence over others.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets
One of the most talked-about first-round series in the playoffs this season. The spotlight will be on the Lakers as they face the Rockets on Saturday night without two of their best players, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The onus will be on LeBron James to step up as the leader of the Purple and Gold and take the attack to the Rockets, led by Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and a bunch of talented youngsters.
The Lakers lead the Rockets 2-1 this season, having won the last two games in March. However, in both of those wins, Doncic and Reaves played a major role for JJ Redick’s men, so without them, it will be an uphill battle for the Lakers. The entire ESPN analyst panel has not only voted against the Lakers; a vast majority feels the series will be over in four or five games.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets
The Timberwolves and the Nuggets will face off for the third time in four postseasons, and the rivalry has captivated fans. Different people have made different picks for this Western Conference series, but most of them expect this matchup to go on for at least six to seven games.
Historically, there’s hardly anything to choose between the Wolves and Nuggets, as they have a 14-14 record in their last 28 regular-season and playoff games since 2022.
Apart from the record, there’s so much similarity in the NorthWest Division’s proximity, and there’s too much familiarity between the two front offices and coaching staff. So much so that the Nuggets head coach David Adelman said, “It’s weird to shake their hands after the series, because you know those guys so well.”
The two teams avoided each other last season, but the Nuggets won in five games in 2023, and the Wolves returned the favor by overturning a 20-point deficit in Game 7 to progress to the Western Conference Finals.
New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks
The New York Knicks were probably expecting to face the Toronto Raptors in the first round, but with the Atlanta Hawks resting their starters in the final game of the regular season against the Miami Heat, the fifth and sixth seeds in the Eastern Conference got flipped. This is going to be a much tougher test for the Knicks than they expected, as the Hawks genuinely have great potential but have too many young players without significant playoff experience.
The Knicks went 2-1 against Atlanta in the 2025-26 regular season, and despite the challenges that they face in this series, they should be able to close it out. However, it could stretch to five or six games.
The Hawks have young talents like Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who will give the Knicks headaches with their pace and agility, which could undermine Mike Brown’s defensive structure. Overall, given Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns’ overall playoff experience, could take New York home in this tricky first-round clash.
Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers
What was expected to be a ‘break year’ for the Boston Celtics has turned into a terrific campaign, as they finished second in the Eastern Conference and will face the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers have had the roster to become a top team in the East. Still, they never really kicked off this season, and injuries to Joel Embiid and Paul George’s suspension also meant they were short-handed for a major chunk of the campaign.
Yet, they are in the playoffs because of Tyrese Maxey’s grit and efficiency and rookie star VJ Edgecombe’s commitment and will. However, with PG returning and Embiid set to take part in the series, the Sixers will be more than competitive against Joe Mazzulla’s men.
The Celtics and the Sixers had split the season series, with Philadelphia winning their two games in the first few weeks of the season, when Boston had not really gotten its engine running. However, one of Philly’s wins over the Celtics was without Embiid, which would have given them a lot of confidence. This series could very well go to five or six games, but the Celtics certainly pip them in offense, defense, and depth.
