Basketball fans, the best time of year has arrived; playoff season. From 30 at the start of the year, we’re down to our last 16 and into the time of year that really matters. You could win 60 games in the regular season, but lose four out of seven now, and you’re out. Today, we preview each playoff matchup, first round and further, and I will predict my winner, as always, based on facts and logic. Let’s go.
East
1 Detroit vs 8 Charlotte/Orlando
While as of the time of writing, the play-in game between Charlotte and Orlando is still yet to take place, I don’t think either stand a chance against the Pistons. 60-win kings of the East, I pick Detroit to win either series in five games, and to be honest, they have their sights set further than just the first round.
After a hard-fought first-round loss against New York last year, this is finally Detroit’s time to pick up a first playoff series win since 2008. Cade Cunningham, if back from his collapsed lung, plays an instrumental role as Detroit’s star player, Jalen Duren outmuscles any big man their opponents can offer, and the Pistons get through this series without much fuss.
Prediction: Pistons in 5
2 Boston vs 7 Philadelphia
A series reminiscent of the late 2010s Embiid-Tatum days, but in 2026, this series is much different. While Boston remain with their longtime core of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but this Sixers team is much different. With Embiid ruled out of the series after undergoing surgery, the team is now led by 2020-draftee Tyrese Maxey, with rookie VJ Edgecombe and veteran Paul George providing support.
This series will be a dogfight. Despite Boston’s experience, the Sixers’ spritely team will get two of the first three games, and will make Boston sweat. Boston still takes it though.
Prediction: Boston in 6
3 New York vs 6 Atlanta
While some may be upset that we didn’t see a Toronto-New York series, this one will be miles better. New York-Atlanta is desperately missing a Trae Young presence this year, but Atlanta have honestly looked better without him. Led by the incredible insurgence of Jalen Johnson, as well as a really nice surrounding core of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum, and Dyson Daniels. While this Atlanta team isn’t to be overlooked, neither are their opponents.
The Knicks are looking better than ever this year, led by Jalen Bruson, KAT, and Mikal Bridges once again. After making it to the Conference Finals last year, the Knicks know that they can do it again.
My prediction? A back-and-forth of a lifetime, culminating in a do-or-die MSG game seven. It’ll be close, and, led by an insurgent CJ McCollum, looking to finally change the narrative of his career, the Hawks take it. What an upset.
Prediction: Hawks in Seven
4 Cleveland vs 5 Toronto
Another series reminiscent of late 2010s matchups, both teams are now completely different. The Cavs, from 64 wins last season have fallen down to earth with just 52, now led by a core of Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and Evan Mobley, and the Raptors are now well and truly moved on from their Championship era, led by a Scottie Barnes finally in a breakout year, as well as Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley.
The Raptors have been slept on by a large portion of the league this year, and is a much more dangerous roster than most give them credit for. I feel that they’re better structured than the Cavs, who, despite having better stars than the Raptors, may end up in a custody battle between two primary ball handlers in Michell and Harden. The Raptors’ stars all know their roles on the team, and in a playoff setting, could stun the Cavs. In fact, I think they will.
Prediction: Raptors in Six
West
1 Thunder vs 8 Suns/Warriors
Like the Pistons series, neither of these teams is posing a challenge to the defending champs. While I’d like to see a Thunder/Warriors series, just to see a passing of the guard of sorts between the dynasty of yesteryear and the dynasty of now.
I don’t see any hitches in OKC’s way, though, not this early, and I see a sweep on the cards.
Prediction: Thunder in Four
2 Spurs vs 7 Blazers
Similarly, the Spurs are the NBA’s newest juggernaut in their first playoff run, and in my eyes there’s no way that an equally inexperienced Blazers team. Wemby is on the hunt, not just for MVP, but for a ring. The Spurs put away this Blazers team with ease.
Prediction: Spurs in Five
3 Nuggets vs 6 Timberwolves
In a rematch of the 2024 second-round matchup that saw Minnesota come back from 20 points down in game seven, I expect a similarly entertaining series. The Nuggets, with Jokic, are likely favourites against Anthony Edwards’ Timberwolves, but I honestly can’t pick between the two.
This series is going to go all the way, and while I’ll pick Denver to get their game seven revenge over Ant, this series could go either way.
Prediction: Nuggets in Seven
4 Rockets vs 5 Lakers
Don’t sleep on this series. We already have Celtics-Sixers and Raptors-Cavs to remind us of the late 2010s, but now we have Lebron-KD. In what could very well be the last time the two face off in the playoffs, and the first time they’ve faced off that hasn’t been in the finals, KD getting the better of The King in 2017 and 2018, and Lebron taking it in 2012.
The two teams, besides their stars, are very different. While the Rockets are at full strength, with a strong surrounding core of Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Reed Sheppard, while the Lakers will be without Luka and Austin Reaves for a majority of this series, and have potentially the worst center rotation of any playoff team with DeAndre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes.
However, in Lebron’s potential final games as a Laker, and maybe even in basketball, am I crazy for predicting some magic that takes the Lakers past the Rockets? Probably. Will that stop me from predicting it? No.
Prediction: Lakers in Six
Second Round
1 Detroit vs 5 Raptors
I can only see this series going one of two ways. Either Detroit wins it in four or five, making quick work of the Raptors, or the Raptors win it in seven. Detroit is a juggernaut of a team, but I just don’t know if they have the mettle to make a deep playoff run. Toronto, on the other hand, will be brimming with confidence after pulling off the upset against Cleveland.
Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram will have the series of their lives. The Raptors’ defence will be unbelievable, and somehow, some way, Toronto will pull off another upset series win in seven.
Prediction: Raptors in Seven
2 Boston vs 6 Hawks
Similarly to the Raptors series, Atlanta is not to be slept on. Boston has the experience, yes, but Atlanta is just too much of a wild card team for Boston to be prepared. This, really, will the series in which Jalen Johnson announces himself to the world. In all six games of this series, the forward will be immense, and so will CJ McCollum. With a career legacy as a #2 to Damian Lillard, and then doing nothing after leaving, the 34-year-old will change his entire legacy in this run. Boston basketball will be stunned, as will the rest of the world.
Prediction: Hawks in Six
1 OKC vs 5 Lakers
This series is going to be so fun. If Luka comes back, this series is going to be potentially the best of the entire playoffs to this point. So many stars, so much fun basketball for the neutral. Assuming Luka comes back, I predict the Lakers can make OKC sweat, potentially stealing a couple games, but there’s still no looking past the defending champs, the team with 60 wins the past three seasons, to dominate.
Prediction: Thunder in Six
2 Spurs vs 3 Nuggets
On paper, this series looks like a great matchup between the two best centers in the league. The 3x MVP against the man who could end up with many more than just three. It looks like pure cinema. The truth is that this series won’t even be close. The Spurs are on a rampage, and this is the series that’ll put the whole world on notice. Wemby is here. Jokic and co take game three in Denver, but just let the rest of the series slip from between their fingers.
Prediction: Spurs in Five
Conference Finals
5 Raptors vs 6 Hawks
A conference finals that nobody would have predicted going into the playoffs, except, of course, me. This is, on paper, the easiest matchup for both teams in their runs, and we finally get to see what happens when two fairytale teams play each other. It’ll be another close one, but I just think the Hawks have the better star, Jalen Johnson will make this series his own, and the Hawks will get by the Raptors in six games, each one very close.
Prediction: Hawks in Six
1 OKC vs 2 Spurs
This series seems like it was foretold to us by the elders, it was fated, all the way from the two’s heated matchups early in the season. This series will be the best of the postseason, and likely what’ll end up being remembered from this postseason. It’ll be the first matchup between these two in the postseason, and it’s a rivalry that could end up defining this generation.
This series will end up going to seven, and in OKC, with a fiery home crowd, San Antonio will have it all to do. It’s a game where Wemby will have to prove that he can do it in the big moments, and at just 22, I back the Frenchman to do it. The big man drops 40 in a heritage performance. Spurs win.
Prediction: Spurs in Seven
Finals
2 Spurs vs 6 Hawks
I’m sure we’d all love as incredible a finals as OKC-Pacers last year, a simply amazing matchup that had it all. Personally, though, I think the Hawks, after three hard fought series wins, playing 19 playoff games to this point to make it 101 games played on the season, before the finals. I think they’re just not going to have it. They put up a fight in the first few games, even take a game in San Antonio, but they lose steam the later into the series they go. Spurs win. Wemby puts on a clinic for the entire postseason, cements his place among the greats in just three years, and sets up the rest of his surely legendary career.
Prediction: Spurs in Five
There it is, my NBA Playoff Predictions. If all I have foretold is to come true, what a playoffs we’d be seeing. It would quite literally have it all, and I absolutely can’t wait to see how it unfolds. We’re on the verge of some incredible basketball.
