Spurs Tipped to Defeat Celtics in Six Games in ESPN’s 2026 NBA Playoff Projection
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With the 2026 NBA postseason set to start this week, ESPN national writer Zach Kram released a full bracket forecast that ends with the San Antonio Spurs beating the Boston Celtics in a six-game NBA Finals.
Play-In Outcomes
Kram used ESPN’s Basketball Power Index to slot the four projected play-in winners:
- East No. 7: Philadelphia 76ers
- East No. 8: Charlotte Hornets
- West No. 7: Phoenix Suns
- West No. 8: Portland Trail Blazers
Eastern Conference Predictions
First Round
- Detroit Pistons over Charlotte Hornets in six games
- Boston Celtics over Philadelphia 76ers in five
- New York Knicks over Atlanta Hawks in seven
- Cleveland Cavaliers over Toronto Raptors in five
Semifinals
- Detroit Pistons over Cleveland Cavaliers in seven
- Boston Celtics over New York Knicks in six
Conference Finals
Boston Celtics defeat Detroit Pistons in six games.
Western Conference Predictions
First Round
- Oklahoma City Thunder sweep Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs sweep Phoenix Suns
- Denver Nuggets over Minnesota Timberwolves in five
- Houston Rockets over Los Angeles Lakers in six
Semifinals
- Oklahoma City Thunder over Houston Rockets in five
- San Antonio Spurs over Denver Nuggets in seven
Conference Finals
San Antonio Spurs defeat Oklahoma City Thunder in six games.
NBA Finals Forecast
Kram projects San Antonio to capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy by ousting Boston in six games, with 22-year-old center Victor Wembanyama expected to claim Finals MVP honors. The analyst cites San Antonio’s free-throw edge, recent three-point surge and Wembanyama’s strong on-court plus-minus against the league’s top teams as decisive factors.
If the predictions hold, the Spurs would improve to 6–1 all time in the Finals, while the Celtics would fall to 18–6.
Source: ESPN
