NBA Conference Semifinals Set: Eight Teams Begin Quest for Finals Berth
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The 2026 NBA postseason has been whittled to eight contenders. After the play-in round and a grueling first round, the conference semifinals open this week with every team eight victories away from the NBA Finals.
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4) Los Angeles Lakers
• Path to Round 2: Oklahoma City swept the Phoenix Suns 4-0; Los Angeles eliminated the Houston Rockets 4-2.
• Regular-Season Sweep: The Thunder won all four meetings by an average margin of 29.3 points, the largest single-season differential ever recorded against the Lakers.
• Luka Doncic’s Status: The Lakers’ star guard has not played since straining his right hamstring on Apr. 2. Head coach JJ Redick said Doncic remains on a “week-to-week” timetable and did not practice Sunday.
• Key Matchups: Oklahoma City’s top-ranked defense limited Doncic to 33.3% shooting and forced 10 turnovers in their three head-to-head games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 27.7 points on 64.2% true shooting against Los Angeles.
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
• Path to Round 2: San Antonio dispatched the Portland Trail Blazers 4-1; Minnesota upset the Denver Nuggets 4-2.
• Season Series: Minnesota captured two of three matchups, including a 13-point win in November without Victor Wembanyama on the floor for San Antonio.
• Injury Report: Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (ankle) is expected to miss the first two games, while Donte DiVincenzo is out for the remainder of the postseason.
• Frontcourt Battle: Rudy Gobert moves from defending Nikola Jokic to facing Wembanyama, while Julius Randle (22 points, 12 assists in the November meeting) challenges the Spurs’ power-forward rotation.
Eastern Conference
(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
• Path to Round 2: Detroit overcame a 3-1 deficit to edge the Orlando Magic 4-3; Cleveland also prevailed in seven games, beating the Toronto Raptors.
• Season Split: The clubs divided four regular-season contests.
• Pistons’ Revival: Detroit’s Game 6 comeback featured a playoff-record 23 consecutive Orlando misses. Cade Cunningham scored 45, 32 and 32 points in the final three victories, while Tobias Harris added 30 in Game 7.
• Cleveland’s Challenge: Donovan Mitchell and James Harden face another elite defense after Toronto’s. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said matching Detroit’s physicality is “a similar test” to the first round.
(3) New York Knicks vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
• Path to Round 2: New York beat the Atlanta Hawks 4-2; Philadelphia survived the Boston Celtics 4-3.
• Season Series: Tied 2-2, with Joel Embiid appearing twice.
• Knicks’ Surge: New York registered wins by 15, 29 and 51 points in Round 1, showcasing a higher offensive gear.
• Sixers’ Momentum: The Tyrese Maxey–Embiid pick-and-roll powered Philadelphia past Boston, but the team will play at least 11 games in 21 days if this series reaches six contests.
The conference semifinals begin tonight, launching the next phase of a postseason that has already featured sweeps, comebacks and multiple Game 7 dramas.
Source: ESPN
