2026 NBA playoffs

The 2026 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2025–26 season. The playoffs began on April 18 and ended on June 13 with the New York Knicks defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games at the 2026 NBA Finals. For the second straight season, the defending championsOklahoma City Thunder with two-time defending MVPShai Gilgeous-Alexander clinched the top seed in the Western Conference with a league-best record of 64–18, two games better than the San Antonio Spurs with reigning Defensive Player of the YearVictor Wembanyama. The Eastern Conference top seed was won by the Detroit Pistons for the first time since 2007. Whilst the reigning Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers missed the postseason after an injury-plagued season following the absence of Tyrese Haliburton, both the Thunder and the Spurs were widely considered as title favorites heading into the playoffs.

The Eastern Conference saw the early exit of the second-seeded Boston Celtics after they blew a 3–1 series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, which was the first time Philadelphia had overcome that deficit in franchise history. The first-seeded Pistons also overcame a 3–1 series deficit in order to win their first playoff series since 2008 in their first round series against the Orlando Magic. The Thunder started the postseason strongly by sweeping both the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers in the first two rounds, becoming the fourth champion to start the playoffs on an 8–0 record, but lost in seven games against the second-seeded Spurs in the Western Conference finals, with the latter advancing to the Finals for the first time in twelve years. The Eastern Conference was won by the third-seeded New York Knicks, who emerged as a serious title contender as the playoffs progressed after defeating the Atlanta Hawks in the first round and sweeping both the 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the following two rounds to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years, notably having blowout victories in the closeout games of all three series. The Knicks also became the second team in NBA history after the 2017 Golden State Warriors to win thirteen consecutive playoff games. Due to the outcome of the Conference finals, the NBA saw its eighth unique champion, the longest such streak across the league.

A rematch of the 2025 NBA Cup final, no clear favourite emerged heading into the NBA Finals. However, the Knicks went off to a strong start to the series by winning the first two games on the road – a distinction that happened for the first time since 1995. Despite losing Game 3 at home, the fourth game was the most notable game throughout the entire series, as the Knicks were down by 27 points at halftime and down 81-52 in the third quarter, before overcoming that deficit in order to win 107-106, thus producing the largest comeback in Finals history. After yet another double-digit deficit in Game 5, the Knicks once again came back to win the game by four points to wrap up the series in order to win their third title overall, ending their 53-year championship drought. Jalen Brunson, who tied Michael Jordan for the second-most points scored in a Finals closeout game on the road with 45 points, was later named Finals MVP after averaging 32.6 points per game throughout the entire series, becoming the first Knicks player since Willis Reed in 1973 to be awarded the Finals MVP. It was the first Finals series since 1975 in which multiple games have been won by a single point and also the first time ever in which an NBA team had accomplished the double by winning both the NBA Cup and the NBA championship. Several media outlets called the series one of the best of the last decade.