The final two spots in the second round of the 2026 NBA playoffs are up for grabs on Sunday, May 3, with two winner-take-all games.
The two Game 7s in the Eastern Conference will put a wrap on a wild Round 1. First up is the No. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic on ESPN followed by the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Toronto Raptors in the evening on NBC.
The winners of each series will meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals, beginning May 5. The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers play in the other second-round series in the East.
The Pistons return home for Game 7 looking to complete the series comeback following their historic 24-point second-half comeback in Game 6 on the road. If Detroit wins Game 7, it’ll join its 2003 squad that also rallied from a 3-1 series hole to eliminate the Magic in a first-round playoff series. And the Pistons would be the second team this postseason and on consecutive days to do it after the 76ers stunned the Boston Celtics to win the final three games of their series after trailing 3-1.
For the Magic, its players and coaches must try to wipe that disastrous second half from their memory when they missed 23 straight shots at one point and scored just 19 total points. Can they find some magic for Game 7 or is it gone?
The Cavaliers and Raptors series has gone the distance after the home team has won the first six games. Like the Pistons-Magic series, the Cavs-Raptors Game 6 was unforgettable.
Toronto’s season was saved when RJ Barrett, with 1.2 seconds in the clock in overtime, drilled a game-winning three-pointer, a shot that bounced so high off the back of the rim it went above the backboard before falling through the net.
It lifted the Raptors to a 112-110 victory, sent Scotiabank Arena into a frenzy and the series to a decisive seventh game in Cleveland. The Raptors won Game 6 without their leading scorer, Brandon Ingram (heel injury), and he remains questionable for Game 7.
Here’s more on the playoff schedule on May 3, including start times, the TV schedule, an updated bracket and scores:
What are the NBA games tonight? NBA playoff schedule, start times
Here are the two NBA playoff games on May 3:
Times are Central
What channel are the NBA games on today? Where to watch on TV, live stream
Here’s how to watch the two NBA playoff games on May 3:
Game 7 of the Detroit Pistons-Orlando Magic first-round series will air on ESPN and stream on Fubo.
Stream Pistons-Magic on Fubo
Game 7 of the Cleveland Cavaliers-Toronto Raptors first-round series will air on NBC and stream on Peacock.
Stream Cavs-Raptors on Peacock
NBA playoff bracket
Here’s a look at the 2026 NBA playoff bracket (all series are best-of-seven):
Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference first round
Eastern Conference semifinals
Western Conference
Western Conference first round
Western Conference semifinals
NBA playoff series, scores, results
Here are the results for every NBA playoff first-round series:
Eastern Conference
Detroit Pistons (1) vs. Orlando Magic (8)
Boston Celtics (2) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (7)
Philadelphia 76ers win series, 4-3
New York Knicks (3) vs. Atlanta Hawks (6)
New York Knicks win series, 4-2
Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. Toronto Raptors (5)
Western Conference
Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs. Phoenix Suns (8)
Oklahoma City Thunder win series, 4-0
San Antonio Spurs (2) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (7)
San Antonio Spurs win series, 4-1
Denver Nuggets (3) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (6)
Minnesota Timberwolves win series, 4-2
Los Angeles Lakers (4) vs. Houston Rockets (5)
Los Angeles Lakers win series, 4-2
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: NBA playoffs today, TV schedule, where to watch games, updated bracket
Reporting by Christopher Kuhagen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
