2026 nba playoffs Starting Saturday, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game March to the final.
cleveland cavaliers And Toronto Raptors kicked things, and Donovan Mitchell & Co. won by 13 points on home ground. Mitchell leads all players with 32 points, and james harden Made his Cleveland playoff debut with 22 starts. max struswho missed the first 67 games of the season left leg injury and did not debut until March 15, exploding for 24 points off the bench.
new York Knicks chased after beating atlanta hawks 113-102, as they held the Hawks to only 47 halftime points. Jalen Brunson ahead of all scorers with 28 points, and carl-anthony town Finished with 25 points in the win.
Game 1 continued on Sunday, with the Boston Celtics dominating the Philadelphia 76ers 123–91, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scoring 51 points on 20-for-38 shooting. Game 2 is Tuesday night.
As the East playoffs continue, here’s what matters most and what to watch.
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Game 1: celtics 123, 76ers 91
Biggest takeaways from Game 1: It was always going to be tough for Philadelphia in this series – especially joel embiid Likely unavailable for the entire series, following his emergency appendectomy a week and a half ago. But there was a clear formula for the 76ers to be competitive, at least in the series: Hit 3s, and get tyreese maxi Be the best player on the court. No one came close to being Sunday.
Philadelphia went 2 of 16 from 3 in the first half, and then barely made any attempts in the second half of the game, finishing just 4 of 23 from beyond the arc. Maxi had 21 points and 8 assists, but was outplayed by both jayson tatum And jaylen brown.
The Celtics controlled almost every area of the game – with ease. Their 32-point win is their largest win in a playoff opener in franchise history. But what it did do was emphasize the difference between these two teams as currently constituted, and how great the margin is if Philadelphia wants to make this a competitive series. — Tim Bontemps
Game 2: 76ers at Celtics (Tuesday, 7 p.m., NBA/Peacock)
What to watch for in Game 2: Over the past few years, the Celtics have had a tendency to lull themselves into a false sense of security. For example, last season, after losing to the New York Knicks in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals after blowing consecutive 20-point leads at the TD Garden and losing a series, Boston entered as massive favorites to win.
So no one, by any means, should assume that the Celtics are going to easily reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals. “This is an opportunity for Boston to show that, this year, they have a different attitude,” he said.
The Celtics of years past often entered series with an overwhelming talent advantage, giving them enormous margin for error. And while Boston has a clear edge in this series, especially with Embiid out, this group has a different composition, and it has a chance to show it has a different mentality, too.
Will the Celtics win wire-to-wire and take a lead by more than 35 in Game 2? Probably not. But another dominant win in Game 2 would put Boston in a commanding position in the series, and the Celtics would be wise not to pass up that opportunity. — bontemps
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Sixers face familiar fate as Celtics, Tatum dominate
Game 1: Knicks 113, Hawks 102
Biggest takeaways from Game 1: atlanta hawks Came into the playoffs as one of the most popular teams in the NBA, particularly on offense. After changes to their personnel following the All-Star break, the Hawks’ offense averaged nearly 123 points with the league’s fifth-best efficiency, and they went 20–6 over that span.
In Game 1 of their series, they ran into a wall known as the new York Knicks. Not only did New York hold Atlanta to only 102 points, but the Knicks also broke a close game in the second half, forcing the Hawks to foul the Knicks backup center. Michelle Robinson In an effort to slow down the pace.
it was compensated Jalen Brunson Quieter in the second half – he finished on 9 of 22 with 28 points. OG Anunoby And josh hart Early in the series were interchangeable and integral, limiting the look Nichelle Alexander-Walker And CJ McCallum. The score made the game more competitive than ever, and the Knicks showed why their A-game ranks among the best in the NBA. They took an 18-point lead with 3:14 remaining before the Hawks overcame the late deficit.
New York recorded the recipe for success in this series by holding Atlanta to 47 points in the second half. — Vincent Goodwill
Game 2: Hawks at Knicks (Monday, 8 p.m., NBC/Peacock)
What to watch for in Game 2: It was hard to tell where carl-anthony town Was around for two quarters, but his final stat line showed how important he is to the Knicks’ fortunes overall and how big of a problem he is for the Hawks.
“Pick your poison,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said of the Towns conundrum in pregame.
With 25 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a lump on his eye, courtesy of an accidental elbow. Jonathan KumingaBefore nightfall the cities were everywhere.
Brunson started the Knicks, but created separation after deploying Towns to his full potential. It’s something they’ll likely repeat in Game 2 on Monday.
Towns finished with only 13 shot attempts, but was 3 of 4 from 3, continuing his strong performance against Atlanta. He shot over 63% from the field and 50% from 3 in the regular season against the Hawks.
If it took the Knicks a while to discover Towns on Saturday, he gave them a shining reminder of why he makes the game easier for everyone else when he’s in the game. — credit
Game 1: Cavaliers 126, Raptors 113
What we learned from Game 1: The first game of this series went as well as the Cavs had hoped. After a hot-shooting first half from Toronto, the Cavs held the Raptors to 59 points in the second half (including just 22 in the third quarter), taking away their transition attack and allowing Cleveland’s superstar duo to dictate the pace and tenor of the game.
Donovan Mitchell While Kushal finished with 32 points on 11-of-20 shooting james harden Added 22 points and 10 assists, and the two combined to score or assist on 82 of the Cavs’ 126 points (65%). Cleveland’s backcourt will be its biggest advantage in this matchup, especially due to Toronto’s lack of guards. Emmanuel Quickly To start the series. The Cavs duo was too much for the Raptors on Saturday, and Toronto may not have the offense to sustain if it can’t find a way to get its transition game going. –Jamal Collier
Game 2: Raptors at Cavaliers (Monday, 7 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)
What to watch for in Game 2: What adjustments can the Raptors make after such an impressive performance by Cleveland? Quickly’s absence Trouble was looming for Toronto in Game 1 as the Raptors’ offense struggled to find any rhythm or momentum in the second half.
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said before the game that Quickley was improving after suffering a hamstring injury during the regular season finale, but it was unclear whether he would recover in time for Game 2 on Monday. If not, the Raptors will need to find ways to become more comfortable on offense and will need even more Scotty BarnesWho shot just 6 of 14 for 21 points and committed five turnovers in Game 1. — collier
