The first week of the 2026 NBA playoffs has concluded with intense matchups, yet no team has secured a spot in the second round. However, five contenders, namely the Thunder, Timberwolves, Lakers, Spurs, and Celtics, are on the brink of advancing, needing just one more victory. The Thunder have an opportunity to complete a sweep against the Suns on Monday, and the Timberwolves face a similar scenario against the Nuggets. Meanwhile, the Rockets managed to stave off elimination by defeating the Lakers on Sunday night, even in the absence of Kevin Durant, thus preventing a sweep.
In other Sunday action, the Raptors edged out a gritty win over the Cavaliers, leveling their series at two games apiece. The Spurs dominated the second half of their game in Portland, securing a 3-1 lead in the series. Similarly, the Celtics delivered a commanding Game 4 triumph over the 76ers, overcoming the challenge posed by Joel Embiid’s return to the lineup.
The playoff picture was refined from 20 teams to the current 16 after the Play-In Tournament concluded earlier this month. The Heat, Clippers, Hornets, and Warriors were eliminated in this preliminary stage, paving the way for the 76ers, Magic, Trail Blazers, and Suns to secure their playoff berths.
Here is the latest snapshot of the 2026 NBA playoff bracket.
2026 NBA playoff bracket
Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports
2026 NBA playoffs schedule
All times are in Eastern Standard. Viewers can catch games on ABC and ESPN, with streaming available on fubo (free trial available).
Sunday, April 26
- Game 4: Raptors 93, Cavaliers 89
- Game 4: Spurs 114, Trail Blazers 93
- Game 4: Celtics 128, 76ers 96
- Game 4: Rockets 115, Lakers 96
Monday, April 27
- Game 4: Magic vs. Pistons, 8 p.m., NBC (Orlando leads 2-1)
- Game 4: Suns vs. Thunder, 9:30 p.m., Peacock (OKC leads 3-0)
- Game 5: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, 10:30 p.m., NBC (Minnesota leads 3-1)
Tuesday, April 28
- Game 5: Celtics vs. 76ers, 7 p.m., ESPN/fubo (Boston leads 3-1)
- Game 5: Knicks vs. Hawks, 8 p.m., NBC (Series tied 2-2)
- Game 5: Spurs vs. Trail Blazers, 9:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo (San Antonio leads 3-1)
Wednesday, April 29
- Game 5: Pistons vs. Magic, TBD
- Game 5: Cavaliers vs. Raptors, TBD (Series tied 2-2)
- *Game 5: Thunder vs. Suns, TBD
- Game 5: Lakers vs. Rockets, TBD (L.A. leads 3-1)
Thursday, April 30
- *Game 6: 76ers vs. Celtics, TBD
- Game 6: Hawks vs. Knicks, TBD
- *Game 6: Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, TBD
Friday, May 1
- *Game 6: Magic vs. Pistons, TBD
- Game 6: Raptors vs. Cavaliers, TBD
- *Game 6: Suns vs. Thunder, TBD
- *Game 6: Rockets vs. Lakers, TBD
Saturday, May 2
- *Game 7: Celtics vs. 76ers, TBD
- *Game 7: Knicks vs. Hawks, TBD
- *Game 7: Spurs vs. Trail Blazers, TBD
- *Game 7: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, TBD
Sunday, May 3
- *Game 7: Pistons vs. Magic, TBD
- *Game 7: Cavaliers vs. Raptors, TBD
- *Game 7: Thunder vs. Suns, TBD
- *Game 7: Lakers vs. Rockets, TBD
First-round scores
Saturday, April 18
Sunday, April 19
- Game 1: No. 2 Celtics 123, No. 7 76ers 91
- Game 1: No. 1 Thunder 119, No. 8 Suns 84
- Game 1: No. 8 Magic 112, No. 1 Pistons 101
- Game 1: No. 2 Spurs 111, No. 7 Trail Blazers 98
Monday, April 20
- Game 2: Cavaliers 115, Raptors 105
- Game 2: Hawks 107, Knicks 106
- Game 2: Timberwolves 119, Nuggets 114
Tuesday, April 21
- Game 2: 76ers 111, Celtics 97
- Game 2: Trail Blazers 106, Spurs 103
- Game 2: Lakers 101, Rockets 94
Wednesday, April 22
- Game 2: Pistons 98, Magic 83
- Game 2: Thunder 120, Suns 107
Thursday, April 23
- Game 3: Hawks 109, Knicks 108
- Game 3: Raptors 126, Cavaliers 104
- Game 3: Timberwolves 113, Nuggets 96
Friday, April 24
- Game 3: Celtics 108, 76ers 100
- Game 3: Lakers 112, Rockets 108 (OT)
- Game 3: Spurs 120, Trail Blazers 108
Saturday, April 25
- Game 3: Magic 113, Pistons 105
- Game 3: Thunder 121, Suns 109
- Game 4: Knicks 114, Hawks 98
- Game 4: Timberwolves 112, Nuggets 96
Play-In Tournament schedule, scores
Tuesday, April 14
- No. 9 Hornets 127, No. 10 Heat 126 (OT) — Miami is eliminated
- No. 8 Trail Blazers 114, No. 7 Suns 110 — Portland wins West No. 7 seed
Wednesday, April 15
- No. 7 76ers 109, No. 8 Magic 97 — Philadelphia wins East No. 7 seed
- No. 10 Warriors 126, No. 9 Clippers 121 — Los Angeles is eliminated
Friday, April 17
- Magic 121, Hornets 90 — Magic win East No. 8 seed, Hornets eliminated from postseason
- Suns 111, Warriors 96 — Suns win West No. 8 seed, Warriors eliminated from postseason
2026 NBA playoffs key dates
- April 18-19: First round begins
- May 2-4: Second round begins
- May 10: 2026 NBA Draft Lottery
- May 19: Eastern Conference Finals begin
- May 20: Western Conference Finals begin
- June 3: NBA Finals Game 1
- June 19: NBA Finals Game 7 (if necessary)
