2026 NBA playoffs: Schedule, scores, news and highlights

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Thunder top Spurs in pivotal Game 5 to take 3-2 series lead (1:36)

The New York Knicks are the Eastern Conference champions and swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. They will await the winner of a contentious Western Conference battle between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. The NBA Finals will begin June 3 and will be broadcast by ABC.

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 Cavaliers vs. 5. Toronto Raptors

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8. Phoenix Suns
2. San Antonio Spurs vs. 7. Portland Trail Blazers
3. Denver Nuggets vs. 6. Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 5. Houston Rockets

CONFERENCE FINALS

Eastern Conference

(3) New York Knicks eliminate (4) Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-0

Game 1: Knicks 115, Cavaliers 104 (OT)
Game 2: Knicks 109, Cavaliers 93
Game 3: Knicks 121, Cavaliers 108
Game 4: Knicks 130, Cavaliers 93

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OG Anunoby rocks rim on back-to-back possessions

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder lead (2) San Antonio Spurs, 3-2

Game 1: Spurs 122, Thunder 115 (2OT)
Game 2: Thunder 122, Spurs 113
Game 3: Thunder 123, Spurs 108
Game 4: Spurs 103, Thunder 82
Game 5: Thunder 127, Spurs 114
Game 6: May 28 at San Antonio (8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)
Game 7: May 30 at Oklahoma City (8:00 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) (if necessary)

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

Eastern Conference

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers eliminate (1) Detroit Pistons, 4-3

Game 1: Pistons 111, Cavaliers 101
Game 2: Pistons 107, Cavaliers 97
Game 3: Cavaliers 116, Pistons 109
Game 4: Cavaliers 112, Pistons 103
Game 5: Cavaliers 117, Piston 113 (OT)

Game 6: Pistons 115, Cavaliers 94
Game 7: Cavaliers 125, Pistons 94


(3) New York Knicks eliminate (7) Philadelphia 76ers, 4-0

Game 1: Knicks 137, 76ers 98
Game 2 Knicks 108, 76ers 102
Game 3: Knicks 108, 76ers 94
Game 4: Knicks 144, 76ers 114


Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder eliminate (4) Los Angeles Lakers, 4-0

Game 1: Thunder 108, Lakers 90
Game 2: Thunder 125, Lakers 107
Game 3: Thunder 131, Lakers 108
Game 4: Thunder 115, Lakers 110


(2) San Antonio Spurs eliminate (6) Minnesota Timberwolves, 4-2

Game 1: Timberwolves 104, Spurs 102
Game 2: Spurs 133, Timberwolves 95
Game 3: Spurs 115, Timberwolves 108

Game 4: Timberwolves 114, Spurs 109
Game 5: Spurs 126, Timberwolves 97
Game 6: Spurs 139, Timberwolves 109

FIRST ROUND

Eastern Conference

(1) Detroit Pistons eliminate (8) Orlando Magic 4-3

Game 1: Magic 112, Pistons 101
Game 2: Pistons 98, Magic 83
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: Pistons 116, Magic 94


(7) Philadelphia 76ers eliminate (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


(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


(4) Cleveland Cavaliers eliminate (5) Toronto Raptors 4-3

Game 1: Cavaliers 126, Raptors 113
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 (OT)
Game 7: Cavaliers 114, Raptors 102


Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder eliminate (8) Phoenix Suns 4-0

Game 1: Thunder 119, Suns 84
Game 2: Thunder 120, Suns 107
Game 3: Thunder 121, Suns 109
Game 4: Thunder 131, Suns 122


(2) San Antonio Spurs eliminate (7) Portland Trail Blazers 4-1

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


(6) Minnesota Timberwolves eliminate Denver Nuggets 4-2

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


(4) Los Angeles Lakers eliminate (5) Houston Rockets 4-2

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

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 Hornets 127, (10) Miami Heat 126 (OT)

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


Western Conference

(8) Portland Trail Blazers 114, (7) Phoenix Suns 110

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

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