NBA postseason 2026: After a regular season of reflection, the focus is finally on the game
With tanking and superstar drama often hogging the headlines, April, May and June are here to provide answers and perhaps give way to even more unknowns.
One hundred and seventy-three days later, from October’s opening night tipoff to Sunday’s regular-season finale, the time has come. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, the blue-chip juggernaut built brick by brick, to attempt to propel their way back to June, enforce their will on the rest of the field and show why all roads lead through the reigning champs in Boomtown. For the last of a dying breed, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, to hold off Father Time just a little while longer for yet another postseason campaign — which is a separate season unto itself.
NBA playoff matchups, schedule and bracket For future Hall of Famers Steph Curry and Kawhi Leonard, celebrations of individuality and excellence in spite of aging, to endeavor to claw their way through the back door by way of the play-in tournament — an olive branch in a season full of thorns. For the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, the wide-eyed, brazen organizations way ahead of schedule who steamrolled their way to 60 wins and hope to cement their place among the NBA’s ecosystem for years to come. For the forward-thinking braintrusts in New York, Denver, Minnesota and Cleveland, front offices that shaped their respective rosters with an admirable level of aggression, tact and hope, to see the fruits of their labor manifested.
Can anyone stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder? Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images And for the fans, the casual and hardcore alike, to convene under one umbrella — and 27 different streaming platforms — to enjoy the beautiful game they love and adore. Welcome to the postseason.
“That’s a whole ‘nother ball game,” Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said following Sunday’s 132-101 win. “The intensity, the possession battle, everything matters. And you can feel that even late in the season or in-season tournaments, you can feel a difference.
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