2026 Playoff Predictions

[Vermont Green]

Did ORL wake up? 

[SparzWizard]

EAST
1. Pistons vs 8. Magic - Pistons in 6
2. Celtics vs 7. 76ers - Celtics in 6
3. Knicks vs 6. Hawks - Knicks in 7
4. Cavaliers vs 5. Raptors - Cavaliers in 6

1. Pistons vs 4. Cavaliers - Cavs in 6
2. Celtics vs 3. Knicks - Celtics in 7

2. Celtics vs 4. Cavaliers - Celtics in 7

WEST
1. Thunder vs 8. Suns - Thunder in 4
2. Spurs vs 7. Blazers - Spurs in 5
3. Nuggets vs 6. Wolves - Nuggets in 7
4. Lakers vs 5. Rockets - Lakers in 6

1. Thunder vs 4. Lakers - Thunder in 4
2. Spurs vs 3. Nuggets - Nuggets in 6

1. Thunder vs 3. Nuggets - Thunder in 7

NBA Finals
1. Thunder vs 2. Celtics - Celtics in 7

Celtics hoists the trophy in Paycom Center in a grueling 7-game series and Banner 19 arrives

I?m exhausted just thinking about the Celtics playing that many games!

Gonna be a run similar to 2008 with three Game 7's this time around. Of course, the shorter the series that favor Boston the better!

[DefenseWinsChamps]

EAST
1. Pistons vs 8. Magic - Pistons in 4
2. Celtics vs 7. 76ers - Celtics in 6
3. Knicks vs 6. Hawks - Knicks in 5
4. Cavaliers vs 5. Raptors - Cavaliers in 5

1. Pistons vs 4. Cavaliers - Pistons in 7
2. Celtics vs 3. Knicks - Celtics in 7

2. Celtics vs 1. Pistons - Celtics in 7

WEST
1. Thunder vs 8. Suns - Thunder in 6
2. Spurs vs 7. Blazers - Spurs in 4
3. Nuggets vs 6. Wolves - Nuggets in 6
4. Lakers vs 5. Rockets - Rockets in 7

1. Thunder vs 5. Rockets - Thunder in 5
2. Spurs vs 3. Nuggets - Nuggets in 7

1. Thunder vs 3. Nuggets - Nuggets in 7

NBA Finals
1. Nuggets vs 2. Celtics - Nuggets in 6

[Phantom255x]

EAST

Pistons > Magic in 6
Knicks > Hawks in 5
Celtics > Sixers in 5
Cavaliers > Raptors in 4

Celtics > Knicks in 6 (revenge!)
Cavaliers > Pistons in 7 (upset)

Celtics > Cavaliers in 7 (heart attacks all around)

WEST

Thunder > Suns in 4
Spurs > Blazers in 5
Nuggets > Timberwolves in 6
Rockets > Lakers in 6

Spurs > Nuggets in 7 (slight upset, home court advantage helps SAS)
Thunder > Rockets in 5

Spurs > Thunder in 6 (upset)

FINAL: Celtics > Spurs in 6, Tatum Finals MVP

I think the Spurs will be a bit like the 2022 Celtics, a team that goes on a run with some deep playoff series and pivotal wins with Wembanyama leading the way and further making a name for himself as the potential next face of the league, but then they get to the Finals and face a team who has been there multiple times before and won it in the past (like the Warriors were to us sadly). Obviously most of this is assuming health to the key guys throughout (like Wemby, Mitchell, Harden, Tatum, etc. being mostly healthy and staying that way).

The Nuggets-Spurs and Celtics-Cavaliers series could be box office IMO. Of course other ones like Spurs-Thunder and Celtics-Knicks, or even Nuggets-Timberwolves this round will be really good but I just have a feeling those two in particular are gonna be insane, and close.

I will add, I think BOS beats the Spurs in a Finals series. But I don't think they'd beat DEN/OKC if either of those two came out of the West.

After 1 game, the only one I would consider changing is my Rockets-Lakers pick (LAL in 6), but either way OKC will beat any of HOU/LAL in 5 the next round even if LAL gets healthy.