NBA season simulation sees Magic capture first title, Warriors roll to 63 wins
nba-2025-26-simulation-outcomes
Oct. 21 – Opening Night — Oklahoma City celebrated its 2025 championship rings with a win over Houston, limiting Kevin Durant’s new club despite his 27 points. Golden State followed by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 107-99, prompting Draymond Green to declare the Warriors title favorites.
Dec. 16 – NBA Cup decided in Las Vegas — Boston beat Portland 115-103 to claim the in-season tournament. The Celtics advanced through Detroit and Miami, while the Trail Blazers upset Oklahoma City and Memphis before falling in the final.
Dec. 25 – Holiday struggles — Cleveland topped New York at Madison Square Garden in a meeting of underachieving East contenders. The Lakers fell five games under .500 after a home loss to Houston, while conference leaders Golden State, Oklahoma City and Denver all won.
Feb. 15 – All-Star break headlines — Golden State entered the break at 42-13, sending Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler III to the West roster in Inglewood. Orlando led the East, with New York and Cleveland climbing after slow starts. The Lakers, 12 games below .500, sat six games out of the play-in.
April 12 – Regular season ends — Golden State closed with a 10-game winning streak, finishing 63-19. Orlando topped the East at 56-26, seven games clear of the Knicks. Milwaukee claimed the East’s No. 6 seed via tiebreaker; Houston did the same in the West, pushing Minnesota to the play-in.
Play-in tournament
East: Cleveland beat Miami for the No. 7 seed. Chicago eliminated Boston, then ousted Miami to grab No. 8.
West: Portland defeated Minnesota to secure No. 7; Sacramento knocked out Phoenix and stunned the Timberwolves for No. 8.
Draft lottery
Utah received the No. 1 pick via a Rudy Gobert swap with Minnesota. Atlanta (from New Orleans) landed No. 2, while Brooklyn and Washington followed. Minnesota kept pick No. 5.
First round
Orlando, New York, Atlanta and Toronto advanced in the East; Golden State, Oklahoma City, Houston and the L.A. Clippers moved on in the West. Houston’s seven-game upset of Denver marked its first series win since 2019.
Second round
Orlando beat Toronto in six; New York dispatched Atlanta in five. Golden State topped the Clippers in six; Oklahoma City survived Houston in seven.
Conference finals
Orlando defeated New York 4-1, reaching its first Finals since 2009. Golden State beat Oklahoma City 4-2, returning to the championship round for the seventh time in 12 seasons.
NBA Finals
The Magic edged the Warriors 4-3, taking Game 7 at Chase Center. Paolo Banchero scored 32 points in the clincher and earned Finals MVP honors, with Franz Wagner close behind after averaging 22-8-5.
The victory delivered Orlando’s first NBA championship and ended Golden State’s 2025-26 campaign one win short of a seventh title.
Source: ESPN.com
