One of the biggest sporting events on the sports calendar is back, the NBA playoffs. The annual postseason for professional basketball sparks excitement for fans around the world during the months of April, May, and June. 2026 includes a great mix of old stars, rising players, and legendary teams.
With the final play-in games wrapping up April 17, the bracket is finally set. Earning the seventh seeds were the Portland Trailblazers and Philadelphia 76ers by winning their first games vs the eighth seed in their conference. A game between the ninth and 10th seeds gave fans an exciting watch. The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Miami Heat in overtime on April 14, after a late Lamelo Ball layup gave his team the lead. Charlotte would go on to lose to the Orlando Magic in a blowout game, giving the Orlando Magic the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
The highlight around the league media during the play-in games was the Golden State Warriors versus the Los Angeles Clippers game, with both teams hoping to extend their seasons. A classic veteran matchup between Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry gave viewers a back and forth battle. After trailing by double digits most of the game and deep in the fourth quarter, the Warriors came back because of leaders Curry and Draymond Green to win 126-121. Curry put on a performance by dropping 35 points and a few threes with minutes left. Former Defensive Player Of the Year, Draymond Green had two steals on Kawhi Leonard to help seal the win for Golden State.
The Warriors were unable to overcome the Phoenix Suns in the final game to punch their ticket to the playoffs, marking the end of a long season headlined by injuries and disappointment for the Warriors. With the expiring contract of head coach Steve Kerr, many players and fans are uncertain about the future, including Curry.
“I want coach to be happy. I want him to be excited about the job. I want him to believe he’s the right guy for the job” Curry said, speaking on if he thinks Kerr will return.
The 2026 NBA Playoffs features many superstar players trying to lead their team to a championship. After a close Most Valuable Player (MVP) race during the regular season, fans are still not convinced who the MVPwill be.
Leading the defending champions, Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hopes to win back to back titles along with potential back to back MVP awards. Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP as of April, averaged just over 31 points per game and seven assists during the regular season. Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder currently lead the Phoenix Suns three to zero in a best of seven series.
Another MVP contender featured is Victor Wembanaya, who highlights the San Antonio Spurs trying to use their youth and athleticism to their advantage. The Spurs come into the playoffs as the second seed in the Western Conference and will host the Portland Trail Blazers in game three on April 28. Wembanya put up 25 points and 12 rebounds per game on average this year, along with impactful defense all year.
Stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are preparing for a run with the Boston Celtics, who will face the Philadelphia 76ers in a classic rivalry series. Brown provided energy to a Celtics team with low expectations after Tatum ruptured his Achilles tendon in the playoffs last year. Tatum came back in March of 2026 to help boost the Celtics into contention for a championship. Since his return, Tatum has averaged 22 points per game along with 10 rebounds per game in limited minutes.
An intense matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets features stars like Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards. The Denver Nuggets were predicted to win with a regular season record of 54-28 making them the third seed in the playoff bracket. Nuggets’ center, Nikola Jokic, leads the team in points, rebounds and assists this season and is in the race for the league MVP. Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards who is only 24 years old and in his sixth NBA season is averaging 28.8 points per game hoping to earn his first championship ring of his career and the first in franchise history.
The fourth seed Los Angeles Lakers will face off against the fifth seed Houston Rockets on April 24, with the series being three to zero in favor of the Lakers.. The Lakers are led by NBA veteran four time MVP, LeBron James, who is still impacting the league at age 41. James has averaged 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists in the regular season. LeBron is entering his 22nd season and is chasing his fifth ring. Luka Dončić is an MVP contender but is out due to a hamstring injury. The Rockets acquired star veteran Kevin Durant over the offseason and he has taken the role of the team leader averaging 26 points per game.
Another great matchup fans are looking forward to is a battle between the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks.
Sophomore basketball fan Milo Schneider thinks the Hawks have a good chance at making a big playoff run.
“I think Jalen Johnson will lead the team a long way this year,” Schneider said.
The Knicks are trying to win their first championship since 1973 despite being one of the biggest brands in the league, while Atlanta will look to upset the Knicks lead by a great mix of young players, such as Jalen Johnson and Jonathan Kuminga. After acquiring Kuminga from the Warriors at the trade deadline, the Hawks have gone on an impressive run winning 21 of their last 30 games. The Hawks will be challenged with having to slow down a dynamic duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns. Brunson averaged 26 points per game, while Anthony-Towns averaged 20 points per game.
The current favorites to win the finals according to ESPN Sportsbook (are Oklahoma City at +110 odds, followed by Boston at +550.The lower the number, the more likely the team is to win. The playoffs will continue to heat up through April and May, until a final matchup is decided. The NBA finals will take place between Jun. 3 to 16 with many tickets exceeding $1000. Keep up with the playoffs on the ESPN website.
