The 2026 NBA Conference Semifinals have concluded. In the Eastern Conference, the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers completed a comeback from an early 2-0 series deficit, defeating the top-seeded Detroit Pistons 125-94 in a decisive Game 7 on Sunday night. Cleveland now advances to face the well-rested No. 3 seed New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the West, the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder and No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs are set for a highly anticipated matchup. Below are the updated series outcomes, the official television broadcast schedules for both Conference Finals matchups, and instructions for tracking the remainder of the postseason.
Want to build your own custom bracket? Use our free 2026 NBA Bracket Maker to randomize seeds and share with friends.
Last Updated: May 18, 2026
2026 NBA Postseason Key Dates & Schedule
The 2025-26 season marks the first year of the NBA’s landmark 11-year media rights deal. This change introduces a new viewing rhythm for fans, with playoff coverage now spanning traditional broadcast networks and major streaming platforms.
Important Postseason Milestones:
- Regular Season Ends: April 12, 2026
- NBA Play-In Tournament: April 14–17, 2026
- NBA Playoffs Start: April 18, 2026
- Conference Semifinals: May 5–6, 2026
- Conference Finals: May 20, 2026
- NBA Finals Game 1: June 3, 2026
- NBA Finals Game 7 (if nec.): June 19, 2026
When does the 2026 NBA Playoff Start?
The 2026 NBA Playoffs start with the Play-in tournament. The tournament is held right after the regular season concludes. The Play-in tourney takes place April 14-17th, 2026 this year. The first round of the NBA Playoffs gets started on April 18th, 2026. (tentative)
2026 NBA Playoff Schedule
Here’s the high-level 2026 NBA Playoff schedule. In the NBA, there are four rounds of play in the postseason. The NBA allows the postseason schedule to be fluid between the first round and the Finals. This way, if you see too many sweeps, we don’t have as long of a pause in the action.
- SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament: April 14-17, 2026
- NBA Playoffs First Round: Begins April 18, 2026
- Conference Semifinals: Complete
- Conference Finals: May 18th- Until Complete
- NBA Finals: Begins June 3, 2026, with potential Game 7 on June 19, 2026
- Game 1: Wednesday, June 3 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 2: Friday, June 5 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 3: Monday, June 8 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 4: Wednesday, June 10 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 5: Saturday, June 13 (if necessary, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 6: Tuesday, June 16 (if necessary, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 7: Friday, June 19 (if necessary, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Once we have all of the finalized seeds and brackets, we’ll update the NBA Playoff schedule and sports bracket for you to follow the tournament.
When Do the 2026 NBA Finals Take Place?
The 2026 NBA Finals take place around June 3-19, 2026. These are another best of seven game contest. Once a team gets to four wins, they win the NBA Championship. You can checkout all of the NBA Finals winners here too.
2026 NBA Play-In Schedule
Eastern Conference Play-In Schedule 2026
| Game | Matchup | Date | Time (ET) | Network |
| 9/10 Game | (10) Miami Heat @ (9) Charlotte Hornets | Tuesday, April 14 | 7:30 PM | Prime Video |
| 7/8 Game | (8) Orlando Magic @ (7) Philadelphia 76ers | Wednesday, April 15 | 7:30 PM | Prime Video |
| 8-Seed Game | Charlotte Hornets @ Orlando Magic | Friday, April 17 | 7:30 PM | Prime Video |
Western Conference Play-In Schedule 2026
The winner of the 7/8 game advances to face the San Antonio Spurs (#2). The final #8 seed will advance to face the Oklahoma City Thunder (#1).
| Game | Matchup | Date | Time (ET) | Network |
| 7/8 Game | (8) Portland Trail Blazers @ (7) Phoenix Suns | Tuesday, April 14 | 10:00 PM | Prime Video |
| 9/10 Game | (10) Golden State Warriors @ (9) LA Clippers | Wednesday, April 15 | 10:00 PM | Prime Video |
| 8-Seed Game | Golden State Warriors @ Phoenix Suns | Friday, April 17 | 10:00 PM | Prime Video |
2026 NBA Playoff Schedule
The 2026 NBA Playoff schedule kicks off right after the Play-in tournament concludes.
2026 NBA Playoff Series Results (First Round)
Eastern Conference First Round
- (1) Detroit Pistons def. (8) Orlando Magic (4-3): A grueling seven-game series saw Detroit survive a major scare after falling behind 3-1.
- (7) Philadelphia 76ers def. (2) Boston Celtics (4-3): The biggest upset of the tournament, with Philly taking Game 7 in Boston.
- (3) New York Knicks def. (6) Atlanta Hawks (4-2): A dominant offensive performance led by a 51-point blowout in Game 6.
- (4) Cleveland Cavaliers def. (5) Toronto Raptors (4-3): Cleveland controlled the paint in Game 7 to secure their spot.
Western Conference First Round
- (1) Oklahoma City Thunder def. (8) Phoenix Suns (4-0): The only sweep of the First Round.
- (2) San Antonio Spurs def. (7) Portland Trail Blazers (4-1): A methodical five-game clinic by the Spurs’ defense.
- (6) Minnesota Timberwolves def. (3) Denver Nuggets (4-2): Minnesota’s physicality proved too much for the defending champs.
- (4) Los Angeles Lakers def. (5) Houston Rockets (4-2): A veteran-led Lakers squad handled the young Rockets in six games.
2026 NBA Playoffs – Conference Semifinals Schedule
Eastern Conference Matchups
(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
Cavaliers win series 4-3
The Central Division rivals battled through a seven-game series that concluded with a dominant showing by Cleveland in the winner-take-all finale to eliminate the East’s top seed.
- Game 1: Pistons 111, Cavaliers 101
- Game 2: Pistons 107, Cavaliers 97
- Game 3: Cavaliers 116, Pistons 109
- Game 4: Cavaliers 112, Pistons 103
- Game 5: Cavaliers 117, Pistons 113 (OT)
- Game 6: Pistons 115, Cavaliers 94
- Game 7: Cavaliers 125, Pistons 94
(2) New York Knicks vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
The Knicks remain well-rested after securing the earliest possible sweep of the second round and await the winner of Sunday’s Pistons/Cavaliers Game 7.
- Game 1: Knicks 137, 76ers 98
- Game 2: Knicks 108, 76ers 102
- Game 3: Knicks 108, 76ers 94
- Game 4: Knicks 144, 76ers 114
Western Conference Matchups
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4) Los Angeles Lakers
1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4) Los Angeles Lakers (Thunder win series 4-0)
The top-seeded Thunder completed their second consecutive sweep of the postseason and are set to host the opening round of the Western Conference Finals on Monday night.
- Game 1: Thunder 108, Lakers 90
- Game 2: Thunder 125, Lakers 107
- Game 3: Thunder 131, Lakers 108
- Game 4: Thunder 115, Lakers 110
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
(Spurs win series 4-2)
- Game 1: Timberwolves 104, Spurs 102
Game 2: Spurs 133, Timberwolves 95
Game 3: Spurs 115, Timberwolves 108
Game 4: Timberwolves 114, Spurs 109
Game 5: Spurs 126, Timberwolves 97
Game 6: Spurs 139, Timberwolves 109
Finalized Conference Finals Broadcast Schedule
Western Conference Finals: (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (2) San Antonio Spurs
The next round is officially locked in for the Western Conference, utilizing the NBA’s new media rights distribution on NBC and Peacock.
| Game | Date | Matchup | Time (ET) / TV Network |
| Game 1 | Monday, May 18 | San Antonio at Oklahoma City | 8:30 PM ET on NBC / Peacock |
| Game 2 | Wednesday, May 20 | San Antonio at Oklahoma City | 8:30 PM ET on NBC / Peacock |
| Game 3 | Friday, May 22 | Oklahoma City at San Antonio | 8:30 PM ET on NBC / Peacock |
| Game 4 | Sunday, May 24 | Oklahoma City at San Antonio | 8:00 PM ET on NBC / Peacock |
| Game 5* | Tuesday, May 26 | San Antonio at Oklahoma City | 8:30 PM ET on NBC / Peacock |
| Game 6* | Thursday, May 28 | Oklahoma City at San Antonio | 8:30 PM ET on NBC / Peacock |
| Game 7* | Saturday, May 30 | San Antonio at Oklahoma City | 8:00 PM ET on NBC / Peacock |
Eastern Conference Finals: (3) New York Knicks vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
Every game of the Eastern Conference Finals will air at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN networks, with the exception of Game 3 broadcasting on ABC.
- Game 1: Tuesday, May 19 – Cleveland at New York (8:00 PM ET, ESPN)
- Game 2: Thursday, May 21 – Cleveland at New York (8:00 PM ET, ESPN)
- Game 3: Saturday, May 23 – New York at Cleveland (8:00 PM ET, ABC)
- Game 4: Monday, May 25 – New York at Cleveland (8:00 PM ET, ESPN)
- Game 5*: Wednesday, May 27 – Cleveland at New York (8:00 PM ET, ESPN)
- Game 6*: Friday, May 29 – New York at Cleveland (8:00 PM ET, ESPN)
- Game 7*: Sunday, May 31 – Cleveland at New York (8:00 PM ET, ESPN)
*If necessary
2026 NBA Playoffs – Finals
| GAME | DATE | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Game 1 | June 3 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 2 | June 5 | 8:00 PM | ABC |
| Game 3 | June 8 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 4 | June 10 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 5* | June 13 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 6* | June 16 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 7* | June 19 | 8:00 PM | ABC |
Printable 2026 NBA Playoff Bracket (Updated)
Most fans enjoy having a printable 2026 NBA playoff bracket. The bracket can be printed to PDF or as is if you prefer to have it on a piece of paper to follow the action.
2026 NBA Playoffs FAQ
When do the Philadelphia 76ers play the Boston Celtics? Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday, April 19, 2026, at 3:30 PM ET on ABC. This marks the first postseason meeting between these historic rivals since 2023.
When do the Lakers play next? After closing out Houston 4-2, the Lakers will travel to Oklahoma City to start their second-round series on Tuesday, May 5.
How many rounds are in the NBA Playoffs? There are four rounds: The First Round, Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and the NBA Finals.
Is the NBA Playoff bracket re-seeded? No. The NBA uses a fixed bracket. The winner of the 1 vs. 8 matchup will always play the winner of the 4 vs. 5 matchup in the second round.
Where can I watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs? Under the new media deal, games are broadcast across ABC, ESPN, TNT, NBC/Peacock, and Prime Video.
Map Out the Madness: Use our Custom NBA Bracket Maker
With only two spots left in the 16-team field, now is the time to lock in your predictions. Can the 38-year-old Steph Curry lead the Warriors all the way from the #10 spot to a first-round upset of OKC? Or will the 76ers’ physical defense disrupt the Celtics’ title defense?
Use our Custom Bracket Maker to:
- Seed the Finish
- Analyze the Matchups: Visualize the 2-7 matchups, including the highly-anticipated Spurs vs. Blazers series.
- Print & Share: Generate your final “Locked-In” 2026 NBA Bracket PDF before the first round tips off this Saturday.
Don’t miss the start of the season; see the 2026 Indiana Fever Schedule & TV Broadcasts.
