NBA Official 2026 NBA Playoffs Thread

DTW said:
This is the only time in the past two years where I was tempted to go Nuggets over Thunder. Things are breaking the Nuggets way and they're peaking.

Other than Murray, every rotation player missed significant time yet they're healthy now (think Watson is close) and deeper than they've been the previous two seasons, so fatigue shouldn't be an issue.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are banged up and floundering, the Spurs don't match up well and are lacking experience and their core is entering late prime with two potential dynasties in the making, so they'll have a win now urgency that the other contenders can't manufacture.
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I still don't think they have the defense to win the championship and certainly not with that path. The OKC series last season was a fake 7 game series. They will beat us because we are not ready but following that up with Thunder & Boston without HCA is a tall order.
 
spursistan said:
I still don't think they have the defense to win the championship and certainly not with that path. The OKC series last season was a fake 7 game series. They will beat us because we are not ready but following that up with Thunder & Boston without HCA is a tall order.
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I don't think their first two series will be as difficult as conventional wisdom suggests and small sample size, but their defense has been good enough with Gordon + Watson to give their offense a shot.
 
We fucked over the Nuggets just as much as ourselves yesterday tbh. The only teams that benefited from us losing were the Rockets and the thunder by a significant margin.
 
Mugen said:
We fucked over the Nuggets just as much as ourselves yesterday tbh. The only teams that benefited from us losing were the Rockets and the thunder by a significant margin.
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I don't think the Nuggets cared either way and their not playing the majority of the rotation was to not risk injury.

If they really didn't want to win, they would have barely or not played Valanciunas and even Jones (lack of secondary ball handling).
 
I think the two things that could hurt us on offense are

1. Our FT shooting. We need to make ours, especially in the 2nd half

2. Jacking up a ton of 3s, especially when we can't throw it in the ocean.

On defense

Doubling inside and leaving 3pt shooters wide open.
 
Likely locked into no less than a 2nd round appearance which is great for experience. Hoping guys catch fire and gel off the playoff atmosphere for a deep run but the intensity could be a challenge to the young team. That adversity cuts both ways, it humbles before it teaches.

Worried once it's playoffs things that were money reg season will dry up for our players. Bright lights yips for the young guys. But I'm optimistic and I believe in this team and coach. The team is young but they have that confident fire.
 
heyheymymy said:
Likely locked into no less than a 2nd round appearance which is great for experience. Hoping guys catch fire and gel off the playoff atmosphere for a deep run but the intensity could be a challenge to the young team. That adversity cuts both ways, it humbles before it teaches.

Worried once it's playoffs things that were money reg season will dry up for our players. Bright lights yips for the young guys. But I'm optimistic and I believe in this team and coach. The team is young but they have that confident fire.
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We aren’t locked into the 2nd round brother. Gotta prove it.
 
My predictions on OKC half: OKC will play Clippers; Clippers will take at least one game from them
 
I’m actually legitimately excited for both games tomorrow. Blazers are a fun team to watch for me. Likewise, looking forward to watching the Hornets. Fun basketball is fun.
 
scott said:
My predictions are based solely on what I want to happen to maximize my own personal level of enjoyment and entertainment:

East Play-in

Sixers over Magic
Hornets over Heat
--
Hornets over Magic

Eastern Conference First Round

(1) Pistons over (8) Hornets in 6
(2) Celtics over (7) Sixers in 6
(6) Hawks over (6) Knicks in 6
(4) Cavs over (5) Raptors in 6


Easter Conference Semifinals

(1) Pistons over (4) Cavs in 6
(2) Celtics over (6) Hawks in 5

Easter Conference Finals

(1) Pistons over (2) Celtics in 6

--

West Play-in

Blazes over Suns
Clippers over Warriors
--
Clippers over Suns

Western Conference First Round


(1) Thunder over (8) Clippers in 5
(2) Spurs over (7) Blazers in 4
(3) Nuggets over (6) Wolves in 7
(5) Rockets over (4) Lakers in 6

Western Conference Semifinals

(1) Thunder over (5) Rockets in 5
(2) Spurs over (3) Nuggets in 7 (and this goes down as one of the greatest series ever)

Western Conference Finals

(2) Spurs over (1) Thunder in 5


Finals


(2) Spurs over (1) Pistons in 5

Finals MVP: Victor Wembanyama (Fox averages 23.6ppg, hits the game winner in game 3, but people demand he be traded after only scoring 12 in 21 minutes in a game 4 blowout loss)
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Our brackets are a near perfect match!
 
scott said:
My predictions are based solely on what I want to happen to maximize my own personal level of enjoyment and entertainment:

East Play-in

Sixers over Magic
Hornets over Heat
--
Hornets over Magic

Eastern Conference First Round

(1) Pistons over (8) Hornets in 6
(2) Celtics over (7) Sixers in 6
(6) Hawks over (6) Knicks in 6
(4) Cavs over (5) Raptors in 6


Easter Conference Semifinals

(1) Pistons over (4) Cavs in 6
(2) Celtics over (6) Hawks in 5

Easter Conference Finals

(1) Pistons over (2) Celtics in 6

--

West Play-in

Blazes over Suns
Clippers over Warriors
--
Clippers over Suns

Western Conference First Round


(1) Thunder over (8) Clippers in 5
(2) Spurs over (7) Blazers in 4
(3) Nuggets over (6) Wolves in 7
(5) Rockets over (4) Lakers in 6

Western Conference Semifinals

(1) Thunder over (5) Rockets in 5
(2) Spurs over (3) Nuggets in 7 (and this goes down as one of the greatest series ever)

Western Conference Finals

(2) Spurs over (1) Thunder in 5


Finals


(2) Spurs over (1) Pistons in 5

Finals MVP: Victor Wembanyama (Fox averages 23.6ppg, hits the game winner in game 3, but people demand he be traded after only scoring 12 in 21 minutes in a game 4 blowout loss)
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I have the same bracket except Knicks over Hawks and Suns over Blazers. :st-toast:
 
Play-in
76ers over Magic
Hornets over Heat
Hornets over Magic

Suns over Blazers
Clippers over GSW
Clippers over Blazers

1st round
Pistons over Hornets in 5
Celtics over 76ers in 4
Knicks over Hawks in 7
Raptors over Cavs in 6

OKC over Clippers in 5
Spurs over Suns in 6
Nuggets over Wolves in 6
Rockets over Lakers in 5

2nd round (Conference Semi Finals)
Pistons over Raptors in 6
Celtics over Knicks in 5

OKC over Rockets in 4
Spurs over Nuggets in 7

3rd round (Conference Finals)
Celtics over Pistons in 5
Spurs over OKC in 6

Finals
Celtics over Spurs in 6


And yes, I am a homer.
 
I see some of the doom and gloom around here. I’m personally excited and can’t wait see what the Spurs do in the playoffs. Win or lose I’m enjoying the process. We are watching a young team grow up and start to figure it out in real time. That in itself is pretty cool to me.
 

Nick Wright and JT still kicking Spurs for losing the last game to Denver.

It makes no sense to rest Wemby for 1 game when there is a 1 week rest period prior to start of playoffs, just to trade for 6 or 7 gruelling games against Denver in 2nd round and another 7 gruelling games against OKC in WCF. Also, this made OKC path having the easiest path to the WCF. A big swing tbh
 
spursistan said:
Have watched too much basketball to know from our own history since we used to be the wily veteran team schooling various up-and-comers during our run that the most likely outcome for this team is to be on the receiving end of such treatment at the hands the Nuggets in round 2 : out-executed and out-thought by the more seasoned contender.
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I can see the parallel to the 2005 Suns with our 62 win team that came out of nowhere, but the 2026 Nuggets aren't the 2005 Prime Duncan / Parker / Ginobili / Bowen / Horry Spurs. I'm taking Spurs over Nuggets in a series on the talent imbalance in our favor, though Gordon's health being a ticking time bomb helps too.
 
Wait...what the hell is this play-in scheduling?

Heat-Hornets and Blazes-Suns today, that makes no sense since both deciding games are on Thursday.
Those matchups will have an extra day worth of rest compared to Magic-Sixers and Warriors-Clippers.
Why isn't it East tonight and West tomorrow or vice versa?

Especially dumb in East's case to have 9th/10th matchup have an extra day of rest over 7th/8th loser.
 
scott said:
My predictions are based solely on what I want to happen to maximize my own personal level of enjoyment and entertainment:
Click to expand...
Damn if we're going that route I'd do

East Play-in

Sixers over Magic
Hornets over Heat
--
Hornets over Magic

Eastern Conference First Round

(1) Pistons over (8) Hornets in 7
(2) Celtics over (7) Sixers in 6
(3) Knicks over (6) Hawks in 4
(5) Raptors over (4) Cavs in 4


Easter Conference Semifinals

(1) Pistons over (5) Raptors in 6
(3) Knicks over (2) Celtics in 4

Easter Conference Finals

(3) Knicks over (1) Pistons in 4

--

West Play-in

Suns over Blazers
Clippers over Warriors
--
Clippers over Blazers

Western Conference First Round


(1) Thunder over (8) Clippers in 4
(2) Spurs over (7) Suns in 4
(3) Nuggets over (6) Wolves in 7
(5) Rockets over (4) Lakers in 4

Western Conference Semifinals

(1) Thunder over (5) Rockets in 4
(2) Spurs over (3) Nuggets in 4 (and this goes down as one of the greatest beatdowns ever)

Western Conference Finals

(2) Spurs over (1) Thunder in 4


Finals


(2) Spurs over (3) Knicks in 4

Finals MVP: Victor Wembanyama
 
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