The 2026 NBA playoffs are upon us and we have bracket predictions for every series through the NBA Finals.
The postseason tips off at 1 p.m. ET Saturday, April 18, with a 4-5 matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, beginning a four-game slate. Sunday has four more Game 1s, including the 1-seed Detroit Pistons vs. 8-seed Orlando Magic at 6:30 p.m. on NBC and Peacock.
Here’s a look at the playoff bracket with predictions for each round, including the Finals. How far do the Pistons advance? Who wins it all? Check out our picks.
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NBA playoff bracket predictions through NBA Finals
NBA playoff predictions for first round 2026
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder over No. 8 Phoenix Suns in 5: The defending champs have been the best team in the league all season, with the No. 1 defense and a likely back-to-back MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It should be a quick series.
No. 2 San Antonio Spurs over No. 7 Portland Trail Blazers in 5: The second-best team in the league, led by Victor Wembanyama, should be able to stifle the Blazers’ offense.
No. 3 Denver Nuggets over No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in 7: Nikola Jokić is coming off yet-another MVP-caliber performance and the Nuggets finished the season strong, but Minnesota is no slouch either.
No. 5 Houston Rockets over No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers in 5: With Luka Dončić and Austin Reeves both slated to miss the series due to injury, the Kevin Durant-led Rockets should be able to best a 41-year-old LeBron James and a shaky supporting cast.
No. 1 Detroit Pistons over No. 8 Orlando Magic in 5: The Pistons have been remarkably consistent this season and wear opponents down with their physical style. The Magic have fight, but the Pistons fight harder.
No. 2 Boston Celtics over No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers in 5: A Joel Embiid return from appendicitis surgery could tip the scales, but the Celtics’ high-powered offense should be too much for Philly to handle.
No. 3 New York Knicks over No. 6 Atlanta Hawks in 7: Atlanta is better than its seed and won more games than the Knicks post-All Star break. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns should ultimately decide the series in New York’s favor.
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers over No. 5 Toronto Raptors in 5: An experienced roster led by James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley should have the edge over an all-around solid Raptors team lacking star talent.
NBA second round predictions
Eastern Conference semifinals
No. 1 Pistons over No. 4 Cavaliers in 7: Cleveland is a uniquely tough matchup given they can match the Pistons’ size inside and have two high-scoring guards. Superior defense – and homecourt advantage – should help the Pistons eke out a win in seven.
No. 2 Celtics over No. 3 Knicks in 7: It’s a battle between a Celtics team that has exceeded all expectations and a Knicks team that’s good, but never quite reached greatness. If Jayson Tatum looks more like his All-NBA form coming off the Achilles tear suffered in this series a year ago, Boston should prevail.
Western Conference semifinals
No. 1 Thunder over No. 5 Rockets in 5: A hot night or two from Durant could make things interesting, but the Thunder ultimately are much deeper, and better.
No. 2 Spurs over No. 3 Nuggets in 7: This would be a coin flip, but the Spurs’ depth should make a difference in the end. Denver battled injuries but is as good as San Antonio when healthy.
NBA conference finals predictions
Eastern Conference finals
No. 1 Pistons over No. 2 Celtics in 7: A full-strength Tatum could make this prediction age poorly, but the Pistons were better than Boston during the season and in head-to-head matchups. They’re superior defensively and stronger inside, and would have to limit Boston’s outside shooting to win.
Western Conference finals
No. 2 Spurs over No. 1 Thunder in 7: This will be a slugfest between the NBA’s two best teams. My belief is that no team will defeat Wembanyama in a seven-game series and the Spurs will be in the Finals.
NBA Finals prediction 2026
No. 2 Spurs over No. 1 Pistons in 5: No team is better-equipped to beat the Pistons than the Spurs, who swept the season series 2-0. Stephon Castle defended Cade Cunningham as well as anyone this season, and Wembanyama shuts off the paint almost entirely. Lack of consistent outside shooting and secondary perimeter scoring would bite the Pistons in this battle.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2026 NBA playoff predictions for each series: How far will Pistons go?
Reporting by Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
