How the 2026 Playoffs Unfolded
Play-In Tournament
In the East, the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Orlando Magic 109–97 on April 15 to take the No. 7 seed, and Orlando claimed No. 8 by beating Charlotte 121–90 two days later. In the West, the Portland Trail Blazers edged Phoenix 114–110 for the No. 7 seed, and the Phoenix Suns then beat Golden State 111–96 to take No. 8 and end the Warriors' season.
First Round: Philadelphia Stuns Boston
The biggest story of the opening round was the No. 7 76ers coming back from 3–1 down to beat the No. 2 Celtics in seven games — the first time Philadelphia had ever overcome a 3–1 series deficit. Out West, the No. 6 Timberwolves upset No. 3 Denver 4–2. The top seeds survived scares of their own: 60-win Detroit needed seven games to get past Orlando, and Cleveland outlasted Toronto in seven. Oklahoma City swept Phoenix, the Spurs beat Portland 4–1, the Lakers beat Houston 4–2 and the Knicks beat Atlanta 4–2.
Conference Semifinals: The No. 1 Seed Falls
Cleveland eliminated top-seeded Detroit in another seven-game series, winning Game 7 125–94 after trailing 0–2. New York swept Philadelphia, Oklahoma City swept the Lakers to open the playoffs 8–0, and San Antonio beat Minnesota 4–2.
Conference Finals: A Sweep and a Game 7
The Knicks swept Cleveland to reach the Finals. In the West, San Antonio won Game 1 in Oklahoma City in double overtime (122–115), fell behind 2–1, and then won three of the last four — including a 111–103 Game 7 win at Paycom Center on May 30, with Jalen Williams sidelined by a hamstring injury for the Thunder.
NBA Finals: The Most Clutch Series on Record
Every game of the Knicks–Spurs Finals was within five points in the final five minutes — the only Finals series in 30 years of play-by-play data where that was true. New York won four games by a combined 16 points, including a Game 4 comeback from as many as 29 points down that ended on OG Anunoby's tip-in. Brunson finished the series with a 45-point Game 5 and the Bill Russell Trophy, and the Knicks went 6–2 across the playoffs in games they trailed by double digits.
NBA Playoff Format Explained
The NBA playoffs feature 16 teams, eight from each conference. Seeds 1 through 6 qualify directly on regular-season record; seeds 7 and 8 come through the Play-In Tournament.
The Play-In Tournament involves the teams finishing 7th through 10th. The 7 and 8 seeds play, with the winner taking the 7 seed. The loser then hosts the winner of the 9-versus-10 game, and that winner becomes the 8 seed.
The bracket is fixed, not reseeded. First-round matchups are 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5, and winners advance along their half of the bracket — which is how the No. 3 Knicks met the No. 4 Cavaliers in the 2026 East finals.
Home-court advantage goes to the team with the better regular-season record, including in the Finals. That team hosts Games 1, 2, 5 and 7, and the other hosts Games 3, 4 and 6 — which is why the 62–20 Spurs hosted Game 5 against the 53–29 Knicks, and why New York clinched on the road.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 NBA playoffs?
The New York Knicks won the 2026 NBA championship, beating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the NBA Finals. It was the Knicks' first title since 1973, ending a 53-year drought.
Who was the 2026 NBA Finals MVP?
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks was named 2026 Finals MVP. He scored a Knicks Finals-record 45 points in the Game 5 clincher, a 94-90 win in San Antonio on June 13, 2026.
What was the Knicks' path to the 2026 title?
As the East's No. 3 seed, the Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 4-2, swept the Philadelphia 76ers 4-0, swept the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals and beat the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the Finals, finishing the playoffs 16-3.
What were the biggest upsets of the 2026 NBA playoffs?
The No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers came back from 3-1 down to beat the No. 2 Boston Celtics in the first round, the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves beat the No. 3 Denver Nuggets, and the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers knocked out the 60-win, No. 1 Detroit Pistons in seven games in the second round.
Who won the 2026 Western Conference Finals?
The No. 2 San Antonio Spurs beat the No. 1 and defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder 4-3, winning Game 7 111-103 in Oklahoma City on May 30, 2026 to reach their first NBA Finals since 2014.
Is the NBA playoff bracket reseeded after each round?
No. The NBA playoff bracket is fixed. Once the first-round matchups are set, the winners advance along their side of the bracket without reseeding, and the team with the better regular-season record gets home-court advantage in each series.
How does the NBA Play-In Tournament work?
Teams finishing 7th through 10th in each conference play in. The 7 and 8 seeds meet, with the winner taking the 7 seed. The loser then plays the winner of the 9-versus-10 game for the 8 seed.