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NBA Playoffs’ 50 best players, ranked for 2026 postseason

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 6: Jaylen Brown #7 and Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics talk during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 6, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Welcome to one of the larger and more preposterous playoff preview power poll projects I’ve ever attempted. We are ranking the Top 50 players in the NBA Playoffs, an utterly ridiculous effort that is, frankly, not possible to do responsibly. There is no methodology so sound that one person can rank 50 people; there is no theory so ironclad that it can avoid the rampant, harmful subjectivity of the recesses of my troubled mind. So, without meaningfully explaining my definition of “Top 50” or a philosophy of value or any kind of scientific method, I’m going to do it anyway. Also check out our rankings of every team in the field by their championship chances.

In an effort to not make this a million words, I have only given the Top 25 (spoiler alert: it’s actually 26, you’ll see why) players their own blurbs, and then grouped the back 25 (spoiler alert: it’s 24) together in some loose categories that I think capture the spirit of the exercise. In any case, lots about this will be demonstrably wrong, and I apologize that there is absolutely no way to avoid that. Onwards! 

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Made up award: The 2019 Carsen Edwards vs. Virginia “That shot is just going in” Award 

The best player in the world until someone else feels sufficiently inevitable with the ball in their hands. Shai has achieved peak scoring excellence in that you just think his shot is always going in, and he scores at a volume, efficiency and location (over 77 percent of his shots are twos and he shoots 55.3 percent from the field … he’s a guard!) that simply shouldn’t be possible. He has the belt. 

2. Nikola Jokic

Made up award: The Novak Djokovic Lifetime Achievement Award for Serbian Sports Excellence 

I debated whether Jokic or Victor Wembanyama would get the second spot, but their majestic head-to-head battle clinched it for the Joker. The San Antonio Spurs are contenders for a number of reasons, the biggest (and tallest) one being Wemby. The Denver Nuggets are contenders for one reason and one reason only: Jokic, who could enter some seriously hallowed all-time ground if he grabs a second ring in a stacked West. 

3. Victor Wembanyama

Made up award: Voted “Most likely to record a quadruple double in the playoffs”

Wemby and his precarious health have been treated carefully this year to maximize his impact and longevity, but the kid gloves are going to have to come off eventually. When they do, he’s such an outlier that I would believe any statistical achievement if he plays 43 minutes. There have only been four quadruple doubles in NBA history, and yet I’d somehow be surprised if he wasn’t the fifth.

4. Luka Doncic

Made up award: The Bitcoin Award for Player Who Can Swing the Market the Most

Luka’s availability after an unbelievably poorly timed hamstring injury is the great question mark of these playoffs. If he can return, and actually be Luka Doncic, before the Lakers are eliminated? It’s a whole new ballgame for everyone. 

5. Anthony Edwards

Made up award:The John Henry Award for Potentially Having to Dig a Tunnel through a Mountain

Edwards is everyone’s favorite young player who might be the next Michael Jordan — he’s electrifying and displays two-way brilliance that is rare for the modern scoring guard. But he has his work positively cut out for him in these playoffs, needing to shake off some late-season injuries and then probably beat Denver, San Antonio and OKC all in a row just to make the NBA Finals. Best of luck.

6. Donovan Mitchell

Made up award: The Ralph Fiennes “We need to get this guy an Oscar” Award

This is a guy who has made the playoffs every year of his career but never made the Conference Finals, so fans are crying out for him to please get some hardware this time around. I’ve always been bullish on Mitchell as an elite playoff guy, whose highs are high enough to beat literally anyone single-handedly. But he will need to do that consistently for once to get over the hump.

7. Cade Cunningham

Made up award: The Cade Cunningham “so likeable that his injury might kill the 65 game rule” Award 

Everyone was so in agreement that Cunningham deserved to be on the All-NBA First Team that we all collectively freaked out about the 65-game rule to try to salvage his candidacy before he was granted an exemption (which is probably the best reason to kill the rule). Cunningham was the twin-turbo V8 engine that drove the Pistons to the number one seed, but may be leaned on too heavily to create shots with Detroit lacking a second scorer. 

8. Jaylen Brown

Made up award: The Captain Phillips “I am the captain now” Award 

Brown has improved his game in ways I simply did not believe were possible at this point in his career. With Jayson Tatum out most of the year, he proved he could be the First Violin in a world-class orchestra that’s about to go on tour. Truly a spectacular season for one of my favorite players.

9. Jalen Brunson

Made up award: The Second Round Pick Award for second-best second-round pick of all time

Behind only Nikola Jokic in second round pick achievement, Brunson is of course an elite first option, an elite shot creator and an elite foul-sponge, a critical skill in the playoffs with tighter whistles across the board. It’s worth wondering, though, if the Knicks can actually win the East with Brunson at this kind of usage. I think they can, but the rest of the roster will need to take on part of the burden. 

10. Jayson Tatum

Made up award: The Patriots-Falcons 28-3 Super Bowl Award for Best Comeback

Almost an unfathomably great result for Tatum, who tore his Achilles less than a year ago and now stands poised for his 122nd career playoff game and counting. He and Brown are two of the most successful playoff guys in terms of number of games played to start their careers, and Tatum is a championship-winning first option when healthy. We shall see how much strain he’s ready to take.

11. Devin Booker

Made up award: The Damian Lillard “You might need to demand a trade at some point” Award 

Booker seems committed to Phoenix financially and competitively, and it’s impressive work that such a flawed team made the playoffs. But the Suns spent all their draft capital and young pieces to build a team, tear it down and now is staring down mediocrity for the foreseeable future. There are plenty of ways to pivot around such a great player, but there’s a chance this gets 2021ish Damian Lillard. Just a chance.

12. Tyrese Maxey

Made up award: The Lightning McQueen “Ka-Chow” Award for Being Fast

There is no correlation between average player speed and… being a good player, which is why Maxey is my pick for fastest NBA player in lieu of data. This is purely in terms of visually explosive burst in transition and on drives. The Celtics have struggled to contain Maxey for years, and he is Philly’s singular win condition.

13. Kevin Durant

Made up award: The Al Horford “should we talk about how old this guy is more?” Award

Durant is still putting ball in hoop like no other in year 19 which is, somehow, still not discussed nearly enough. LeBron James cornered the market on “wow he’s how old” discussions, but Durant is casually averaging 26 a game in 36 minutes in 78 games played. In the playoffs, you often need a bucket. For all the stuff that comes with the Durant experience, he is still the bucket.

14. Jamal Murray

Made up award: The Jaylen Brown Award for scoring leap I didn’t see coming

Did you know this was Murray’s first career All-Star season? Somehow, some way, Murray became a far more efficient shooter this season and ratcheted up his scoring to over 25 a game. He and Jokic have a premier partnership that we already know can win a title. Will they win another?

15. Jalen Johnson

Made up award: The Casual NBA Fan award for “WHO are you saying is three whole spots better than LeBron?” 

Many NBA fans may have missed this development, but Jalen Johnson has been soaring up the superstar boards all season, basically getting better and better for five straight years … all the way to somehow looking like an All-NBA first option. Trae Young’s departure took off the training wheels, and now we’re flying.

16. Chet Holmgren

Made up award: The Banana Boat Award for going from Third to Second Banana 

Holmgren is a first-time All-Star who made a serious leap over Jalen Williams, whose injury-laden season saw Chet take on a bigger role. He’s a cornerstone defensive force and exactly what the Thunder need to dynasty this thing up.

17. Scottie Barnes

Made up award: The Eye Test Award for being better than your stats

Barnes’ Basketball Reference page doesn’t really suggest he improved much as a scorer, but he shot the ball much better and was a major part of a pretty spicy Toronto team that is looking to spoil some fun in Round One.

18. LeBron James

Made up award: The “Lock In” Award for potentially most epic lock-in

If LeBron James can carry the Los Angeles Lakers out of the first round without their two best scorers — Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — that would be one of the premier lock-ins of all time. I’m a Celtics fan, but I’m going to be rooting for this.

19. James Harden

Made up award: The Lucy Pulling the Football Award for most consistent playoff disappointment 

Not generally the most reliable guy in the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers nonetheless traded Darius Garland for Harden in a last-ditch effort to salvage their meh season. It could work; Harden is a good player. But nothing historically suggests it will.

20. Jalen Duren

Made up award: The “Most Improved Player Award” Award for exemplifying what that award is supposed to mean

Duren almost doubled his scoring output this season and was the second-biggest reason the Pistons took the league by storm. He is a dominating force on the glass and a pretty solid interior scorer, given his complete lack of a jumpshot. I’m a big fan of Duren.

21. Deni Avdija

Made up award: The Zion Williamson “I’m going to the rim no matter what” Award

Deni isn’t Williamson, who actually does not shoot threes at all anymore by the way, but he is at his best when he is trying to get downhill on every possession. He was a one-man wrecking crew in the first Play-In game, but we will see if that works against Wembanyama, whose 872-foot wingspan might cause problems.

22. Karl-Anthony Towns

Made up award: The James Harden “not sure how reliable this guy is” Award

Towns’ playoff plus/minus stats are not what you want out of your supposed second option, but it has proved difficult for the Knicks to keep both he and Brunson on the court and survive defensively. To avoid becoming the next Harden, towns will need a moment.

23. Alperen Sengun

Made up award: The Kevin McHale Award for 2020s Post Bag

Sengun is a legitimately great post scorer in the year 2026, and it’s pretty fun to watch him eviscerate rim protectors who haven’t had to deal with that since 1987. Balancing his and Durant’s shot diets is the real challenge.

24. Stephon Castle 

Made up award: The Jayson Tatum “he’s HOW young?” award for only being 21

Castle is so far beyond what I could have ever expected out of him at his age, and looks like a potential future star. To quote myself when I was talking about Roman Anthony, I am two years older than Stephon Castle. I am not old. 

25. Evan Mobley

Made up award: The Not-Tim Duncan Award for player who is not Tim Duncan

One of my favorite niche NBA media moments of the last five years was this strange series of Bill Simmons podcasts circa 2022 where he and Ryen Russillo kept referring to Mobley as potentially the next Tim Duncan. I was also supremely in on Evan Mobley, and have not quite made back my investment either. He’s a really good player and a beast defensively, but he’s been too inconsistent, especially on offense, to go any higher.

26. Derrick White 

(Bonus solo blurb, it was going to be the Top 25 get their own blurbs but I literally forgot about Jalen Brunson when I wrote this the first time and refuse to bump DWhite)

Made up award: The Matisse Thybulle Award for Blocking Threes

Derrick White has blocked nine threes this year. That isn’t quite the most, but he’s consistently up there in three-blocking, a skill that I’m just not sure how you teach or learn. Stuff like that is what makes White so valuable, because he’s also a great scorer and creator. What a player.

The “How healthy will you be?” Group

27. Austin Reaves

28. Jalen Williams

29. Aaron Gordon

Three players who are critically important to their respective teams that either haven’t been healthy for much of the year or may not be healthy going forward. Gordon and Williams seem fine at the moment, with Gordon in particular coming back in force, but none of their respective lineups are the same without them. Only the Thunder could hope to survive an extended absence of any of these three.

The “We need offense, do you have offense?” Group 

30. Paolo Banchero

31. Julius Randle

32. De’Aaron Fox

33. Amen Thompson

Four guys that have had up and down offensive years and four guys who will have to be on the up part of the up and down for the playoffs if their team has any big-time goals. Specifically, I’m looking at Randle as a primo candidate to sink or swim his whole team. Edwards can’t be the only creator for Minnesota, since Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels are not reliable offensively. Thompson may get exposed for his poor shooting, but is capital R required for Houston with their relative lack of ball handlers. 

The “Actually, we’re good on offense, can you just play defense?” Group

34. Rudy Gobert

35. OG Anunoby

Perhaps the two most important defensive players in these playoffs because of their matchups. Anunoby is going to have to guard some of the best wings in the league throughout the Knicks’ run, and the Eastern Conference might as well be a Wingstop with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Johnson, they’re everywhere. Gobert, meanwhile, has Wembanyama and Jokic coming at him like a train. He will have to go full Tobey Maguire Spider-Man to stop them.

The High Variance Group

36. Brandon Ingram

37. Franz Wagner

These guys could score in bunches and swing a series by themselves or completely disappear and … swing a series by themselves. Ingram is a player that I wasn’t particularly interested in anymore after his Pelicans tenure expired, but he had a really nice year in Toronto and got back to the All-Star game for the first time since 2020. Both these guys are important bucket-getters on teams without an embarrassment of creators, so lock in.

The Guy I Couldn’t Put in a Group 

38. Joel Embiid

Embiid is a player I continue to feel bad for, and having an appendectomy right before the postseason is the worst luck imaginable for a guy who has had a career of the worst luck imaginable. I’ve tried to make this list relatively injury-agnostic, but I didn’t want to speculate at all for Embiid, whose playoff impact I can’t really measure or project whatsoever. So here he is in his own group, presented essentially without comment. 

The Bucket of Wings

39. Nickeil Alexander-Walker

40. Mikal Bridges

41. Jaden McDaniels

It physically hurt me to put Alexander-Walker this low since he has more than doubled his scoring this season and is unironically shooting 50-40-90 Bridges and McDaniels are both critical players for their teams, but just feel like a lesser version of what they could be; especially Bridges, who was a legit first-option in Brooklyn for a minute there. But wings are king, and these guys will play a lot. 

Important Players on Important Teams

42. Ausar Thompson

43. Jarrett Allen

44. Alex Caruso

A bit of a grab bag here, but these are essential players on teams with championship aspirations. Ausar is definitely still a work in progress offensively but he is also one of the best defensive players in the league, an accolade you could also toss on Caruso, a peak pot-stirrer that somehow makes all of his opponents worse at basketball. Allen, meanwhile, is battling a knee injury but is a massive non-negotiable for the Cavs given how small the rest of their lineup is.

The X-Factors

45. Dyson Daniels

46. Jrue Holiday

47. Naz Reid

48. Payton Pritchard

49. Isaiah Hartenstein

Quite the collection of dudes here, all of whom could be described as “oh (insert name from this group), I really like that guy.” They all play pretty different games, but their teams would not be the same without them.

Flex Category

50. Dillon Brooks/Paul George/Peyton Watson/Cason Wallace/RJ Barrett/Donovan Clingan/Desmond Bane/whoever else you want

It’s pretty funny that in a Top 50 players list I had a pretty easy time coming up with the Top 49 but really couldn’t pick the last guy in. This is basically the free space in bingo; just put whoever you want here. I, for one, really wanted to put Baylor Scheierman or Neemias Queta here, but decided against it. Let me know in the comments who you’d put at 50, and what I messed up. If everyone just agrees with me, something went horribly wrong.

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Flyers' Porter Martone Should Be Big Difference-Maker During Playoffs

The Philadelphia Flyers kick off their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. The Flyers will be aiming to secure a victory in Game 1. 

The Flyers are entering the playoffs hot, as they won five out of their last six regular-season games. Flyers top prospect Porter Martone was certainly a reason behind this, as he was excellent for the Metropolitan Division after signing his entry-level deal. 

In nine career NHL games for the Flyers, Martone had four goals, six assists, 10 points, and 16 hits. This included him ending the regular-season on a six-game point streak, where he scored all four of his goals and recorded five assists. 

With how well Martone kicked off his NHL career this regular-season, it is hard not to feel optimistic about him heading into the playoffs. His hard-nosed style of play should make him a great fit for playoff hockey, and he should give the Flyers a major boost during the postseason because of it.

If Martone can continue to provide strong offense and physicality during the playoffs, it would be huge for a Flyers team that is looking to go on a run as big underdogs. Let's see how the Flyers' top prospect performs from here. 

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Brentford v Fulham: Premier League – live

⚽️ Premier League updates from the 12.30pm BST kick-off
⚽ Live scores | Latest tables | Top scorers | And email Tim

1 min Brentford kick off, lump the ball forward and Igor Thiago wins a corner!

“Given today’s match between two solid London sides,” says Peter O’Connor, “a poser. If there were an independent state of London, where would its football league figure among the Big Five European leagues?”

Continue reading...
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2026 NBA Playoff Predictions: Full Bracket Picks, Upsets, Conference Winners & Finals Champion

Now things get real.

The NBA playoffs are here and make no mistake: Oklahoma City is the team to beat. The Thunder are the reigning champions and had the best record in the NBA despite a rash of injuries, including their second-best player from last season missing the majority of the season.

That doesn't mean they are invincible. San Antonio, Denver, Boston and others would have a shot, but they all have to make it to face OKC first. This is going to be a long and wild playoffs.

Here are my predictions for the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

First Round

Eastern Conference

• Detroit beats Orlando 4-1
• Boston beats Philadelphia 4-1
• New York beats Atlanta 4-3
• Cleveland beats Toronto 4-2

Atlanta is going to put a scare into New York (and an upset is not out of the question). This Hawks team had the third-best net rating in the league over the last two months, is fearless, has an All-NBA talent in Jalen Johnson, plus they have Nickeil Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum giving them plenty of scoring, and Dyson Daniels locking guys down. The Knicks' bench and experience get them over the hump, but barely. Aside from that, Cleveland should look improved with its shrunken playoff rotation, and Boston and Detroit are just better than their opponents.

Western Conference

• Oklahoma City beats Phoenix 4-1
• San Antonio beats Portland 4-1
• Denver beats Minnesota 4-2
• Houston beats Los Angeles Lakers 4-2

The Suns played the Thunder tough in the regular season, but this isn't the regular season. Portland has interesting young athletes, San Antonio has better ones. The Lakers would have won this series if healthy, but at least Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James is always entertaining.

Denver vs. Minnesota is the best first-round series in either conference — a real rivalry between teams that match up well. Both teams are big, talented and know how to level up in the playoffs. I will take the consistency of Denver — and the way Nikola Jokic enjoys putting up numbers on Rudy Gobert.

Conference Semi-Finals

Eastern Conference

• Cleveland beats Detroit 4-2
• Boston beats New York 4-2

Do I feel comfortable picking a James Harden-led team to win a big playoff series? No. Not even close. However, styles make fights, and Detroit wants a low-scoring series where it gets its buckets in the paint, but Cleveland is waiting with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to shut that down. If the Pistons win this series, it will be because Daniss Jenkins and Duncan Robinson stepped up big time. The Knicks vs. Celtics will be fun, but the Celtics have been the better team of late and will send the Knicks and their owner into a tailspin this offseason.

Western Conference

• Oklahoma City beats Houston 4-1
• Denver beats San Antonio 4-3

Denver vs. San Antonio is a coin flip, and maybe the experience factor does not matter — the Spurs don’t believe it does — but if forced to choose, I will bet on it and on the Nuggets' desperation for the win. That all depends on Aaron Gordon's hamstrings holding up, by the way. In the other West series, the Rockets are a flawed team and the Thunder will expose that.

Eastern Conference Finals

• Boston beats Cleveland 4-1

Cleveland has the talent to make this a tight seven-game series, but this is where I will no longer trust Harden and a Donovan Mitchell-led team to go any further. Especially against a team that has been there and done that.

Western Conference Finals

• Oklahoma City beats Denver 4-3

This is the real NBA Finals, and the Nuggets have a chance at the upset here (as will the Spurs if they outlast the Nuggets in the second round). That said, in the end, I will trust the depth and versatility of the defending champions, not to mention Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the clutch to get it done.

2026 NBA Finals

• Oklahoma City beats Boston 4-1

Boston is a very good team about to step into a bad matchup. Oklahoma City has more depth and versatility, more athleticism, and it has more high-level defenders to impede Boston's stars than any team in the league. OKC has one ring and is now playing for a legacy, and it knows that. Expect the Thunder to win this far more comfortably than they did in the Finals a year ago.

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ESPN Predicts Flyers Will Get Swept By Penguins

As they head into their first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2020, it is becoming clear that the Philadelphia Flyers still don't have many believers out there.

Some of the skepticism is, of course, understandable. Veterans like Christian Dvorak, Noah Cates, and Dan Vladar all enjoyed career years, and the Flyers don't yet have a superstar in their ranks like many other contenders do.

That's exactly why national pundits--namely ESPN--have the Flyers on the outs before the puck is even dropped for Game 1 of the series with the Penguins.

In their recent preview, x-factor, and bold prediction story, ESPN's bold prediction is that the Flyers are swept by the Penguins. Here's the rationale:

"Vladar's lack of past playoff reps is exposed early, and the Flyers can't counteract with enough goal support. Coach Rick Tocchet does his best to shuffle the deck and keep Philadelphia alive, but it gets swept in the opening round," they wrote.

Flyers Coach Rick Tocchet Has Rave Reviews for Porter MartoneFlyers Coach Rick Tocchet Has Rave Reviews for Porter MartoneAfter a short adjustment period, Porter Martone was one of the best players for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> during their playoff push, and head coach Rick Tocchet quickly took notice.

They were careful to note in the leadup, too, that Trevor Zegras, the team's No. 2 scorer with 67 points in 81 games this season, has never played in an NHL playoff game himself.

That is what makes the upcoming experience with the battle-hardened Penguins so valuable, even though the sentiment amongst the Flyers themselves is that they have been playing playoff hockey since the Olympic break.

There is some truth to that, as the Flyers were eight points back of the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division with two games in hand back on Feb. 22.

As for the Penguins, they were still second in the division at that time and never relented, whereas the Flyers had to scratch and claw for it after a dismal winter stretch.

Flyers' Travis Sanheim Deserves Credit for This Insane StatFlyers' Travis Sanheim Deserves Credit for This Insane StatThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> made the Stanley Cup playoffs largely through hard work and discipline, and one veteran leader took the discipline part literally.

ESPN's prediction of the Flyers getting swept is interesting, if nothing else, due to the rivalry behind the series. It seems a near-impossible outcome, especially with the two sides finishing the regular season with very similar records.

The Flyers will get their first crack at proving the ESPN crew wrong when they face the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh at 8 p.m. on Saturday night.

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A Look At The Columbus Blue Jackets Attendance Numbers For 2025-26

The one thing that people can be proud of is that the Columbus Blue Jackets always put fans in the stands. We can argue about whether or not they deserve it, but that's an argument for another day. 

Let's take a look at the attendance numbers for this past season. 

Total Nationwide Arena Capacity: 18,500 - 14th highest in the NHL. 

Total Fans For Season: 691,996 total fans came out to games - 24th in the NHL.

Average Attendance: 16,878 - 26th in the NHL.

Capacity % - 91.2% - 30th in the NHL

Sellouts - 16 - Most since the 2003-04 season (16). 

Home Record - 20-13-8

Per NHL PR, the National Hockey League set a total attendance record for the 4th straight year, with a total of 23,158,522 fans passing through NHL doors. NHL teams played in front of an average of 17,651 fans, which comes out to 97.5% capacity. 

Despite the CBJ not making the playoffs for the 6th straight year, attendance remains strong. Some fans see that as a bad thing and would like attendance to drop to get the owner's attention, whiles most choose to support the team no matter what.

No matter where you sit on the issue, there is no right or wrong answer. Support the team how you'd like, but more fans in seats means more money to spend on free agents and young future stars like Adam Fantilli, Denton Mateychuk, and Jet Greaves.

The fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets are loyal, loud, and love showing up at Nationwide Arena to watch their team play NHL Hockey.  

With the excitement of the CBJ re-signing Head Coach Rick Bowness to a one-year contract, many fans said they'd come out to support the team next year, even after the epic collapse that cost them the playoffs. It's hard to imagine fans being excited about a head coach, but here we are. 

Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft Lottery on May 5, 2025, where the CBJ will most likely pick 14 or 15. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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Let us know what you think below.

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These former Arizona Wildcats are in the NBA Playoffs

DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 6: Aaron Gordon #32 of the Denver Nuggets reacts after a made three point shot in the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on April 6, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Flip on an NBA Finals game from the past decade, and you’re sure to see the Arizona men’s basketball program represented at the highest level of the sport.

For 11 straight years, a former Arizona player has coached or played in the NBA Finals. Whether that streak continues into 2026 will likely come down to whether the Western Conference Finals is won by the Oklahoma City Thunder or one of their competitors.

Five of the seven former Wildcats in this year’s NBA Playoffs are on Western Conference teams, with three of the top four seeds in the conference featuring an Arizona alum.

And while Arizona’s presence in the postseason isn’t as large as it could have been had the Warriors, Clippers or Heat advanced to out of the Play-In Tournament, the UA still has a respectable contingent.

Here are the former Arizona players in this year’s NBA Playoffs.

Aaron Gordon, Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets have been a mainstay near the top of the Western Conference over the last few years, in large part thanks to Gordon’s contributions. Denver didn’t quite as sharp for parts of this season, and one reason why is Gordon’s limited playing time due to a hamstring injury.

Fortunately for Denver, Gordon appears to be as healthy as he’s been all season. He played a season-high 41 minutes two weeks ago against the Spurs, a team that Denver could run into the Western Conference Semifinals.

Gordon is averaging 16.2 points and 5.8 rebounds this season.

The Nuggets begin their series against the Timberwolves on Saturday.

Deandre Ayton, Los Angeles Lakers

Ayton’s first season playing for the Lakers has been rocky at times, but as the playoffs begin Ayton appears fully locked in.

“I want to do backflips. I’m in the purple and gold, and I just want to really just play hard as hell to contribute to wins,” Ayton said this week.

Ayton, the Lakers’ starting center, has seen his scoring dip every month of the season. He’s averaging 12.5 points and 8 rebounds.

With the Lakers missing Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to start the playoffs versus a gritty Rockets team, Ayton will need to be at his best for Los Angeles to have a shot at advancing.

The Lakers and Rockets begin their series on Saturday.

Carter Bryant, San Antonio Spurs

Bryant might be Arizona’s best chance of having a former player in the NBA Finals. San Antonio is the two seed in the Western Conference after fighting with OKC for supremacy the last several months.

Bryant has made solid contributions as a rookie reserve, averaging 4.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11 minutes per game.

Bryant got to see some extra playing time down the stretch of the regular season and made the most of it, scoring in double figures in three straight games.

The Spurs enter the playoffs with the second-best record in the NBA, only behind the Thunder.

The Spurs face the Trail Blazers beginning Sunday.

Zeke Nnaji, Denver Nuggets

Nnaji is competing in his sixth straight postseason with the Nuggets, and much like the last five trips it’s in a limited role.

Nnaji is averaging 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12 minutes per game. His playing time dropped precipitously in February, and a hip impingement injury in late March slowed him down even more.

While Nnaji did get a start in the Nuggets’ final game of the regular season, don’t expect to see him getting much run these playoffs.

Christian Koloko, Atlanta Hawks

Koloko bounced around multiple teams this season before settling with the Hawks. He has appeared in 13 games with Atlanta since late January.

Koloko, who is averaging 2.7 points and 3 rebounds, is unlikely to see meaningful minutes this postseason.

The Hawks take on the Knicks beginning Saturday.

Caleb Love, Portland Trail Blazers

Love made a big impact early in the year for Portland before getting sent down to the G League in February. Love is back with the Trail Blazers as they make their first playoff appearance since 2020-21.

Love has appeared in four games for Portland since late March, and it’s unlikely he’ll see much playing time in the playoffs.

For the season, he’s averaging 10.4 points and 2.5 assists across 49 games.

Dalen Terry, Philadelphia 76ers

If there’s a player on this list who is just happy to be here, it’s Terry. The reserve guard was sent from Chicago to Philadelphia at the trade deadline. Terry has made 11 appearances with the 76ers but last played significant minutes on March 23.

Terry is averaging 3.7 points and 1.4 assists.

The 76ers face the Celtics beginning Sunday.

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Former Canadiens Named To CHL Top 50 Players Of Last 50 Years

The CHL is currently unveiling its list of the top 50 players of the last 50 years, and one former Montreal Canadiens captain has made it to 36th place on the countdown: Shea Weber. In three complete seasons with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, the hulking defenseman won two league championships and one Memorial Cup. In his last two seasons, he was named to both the WHL and the CHL All-Star Teams and ended his junior career by winning the 2005 playoffs MVP title, thanks to his nine goals from the blueline.

A second-round draft pick of the Nashville Predators at the 2003 draft, the 49th overall pick spent 11 seasons with the Tennessee outfit before being traded to the Canadiens in the much-talked-about trade for fellow blueliner P.K. Subban. The polarizing deal didn’t please everyone, but Weber eventually won most fans over with his physical play and booming shot.

As soon as captain Max Pacioretty was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Habs’ brass gave Weber the C. Even though he only spent five seasons with the Canadiens, three of which as a captain, Weber was a game-changer in the Habs’ culture. A true professional, he was a fantastic example for the next generation of Habs players like Nick Suzuki.

The Canadiens made the playoffs in three of his five years with the Canadiens, reaching the Stanley Cup final in his final season, bowing out in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning. That 2020-2021 Canadiens team didn’t really belong in the Cup final, but it was a tight-knit group that gave its all, inspired by a couple of veterans who were appearing in their final Stanley Cup playoffs, Carey Price and Shea Weber. The rugged blueliner would never play another game in the NHL as his career was cut short by injuries.

In his 275 games with the Canadiens, he put up 146 points, including 58 goals in the regular season and 14 points in 38 playoff games in the Habs’ three appearances. After his retirement and following his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Weber was added to the Canadiens' ring of honor in November 2024. 

Even though Weber didn’t play a single game under the new Canadiens administration, he still had an important impact. Kent Hughes recently revealed in an interview on The Sick Podcast that Weber had taken it upon himself to tell him that he had a true captain in Nick Suzuki.

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Game Preview: Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins, Round 1 Game 1, 4/18/2026

Who: Philadelphia Flyers (43-27-12, 98 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (41-25-16, 98 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division)

When: 8:00 p.m. ET

How to Watch: Local on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and TVAS, national on ESPN, streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: The series continues Monday with Game 2 at PPG Paints Arena on Monday night. Then the series swings to Philadelphia for road games on Wednesday and Saturday night.

Opponent Track: The Flyers snagged the final playoff spot in the East after finishing the season as one of the hottest teams in the NHL. Since the end of the Olympic break, this team went 18-7-1 to tie the Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche for the most wins in the league over that stretch. While the Pens were resting their starters, the Flyers finished the season out on a three-game win streak capped off with a back-to-back against the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens.

Season Series: The Pens and Flyers split this series in the regular season, although both of the Flyers’ wins came in extra time. The Flyers bookended the series with shootout wins on Oct. 28 and March 7. The Penguins outscored their in-state rivals by a combined score of 11-4 in wins on Dec. 1 and Jan. 15.

Hiden Stat: This marks the eighth all-time Battle of Pennsylvania, which officially ties the New York Islanders and New York Rangers for the most all-time NHL playoff series between in-state rivals, per NHL Stats.

Hidden Stat II: The Flyers are the first team in NHL history to qualify for the playoffs after facing a point deficit of at least nine points 60 games into the regular season, per NHL Stats.

Getting to know the Flyers

Projected lines (from Friday’s practice)

FORWARDS

Tyson Foerster – Trevor Zegras – Owen Tippett

Travis Konecny – Christian Dvorak – Porter Martone

Denver Barkey – Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov

Luke Glendening – Sean Couturier – Garnet Hathaway

DEFENSEMEN

Travis Sanheim / Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York / Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seeler / Emil Andrae

Goalies: Dan Vladar, Samuel Ersson

Potential scratches: Garrett Wilson, Carl Grundstrom, Noah Juulsen

Injured Reserve: Rodrigo Abols (fractured ankle), Nikita Grebenkin (upper body)

  • The Flyers capped off the regular season by signing their No. 6 pick from the 2025 draft, Porter Martone, to an entry-level contract. Martone responded by putting up 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his first nine NHL games. He could be noticeable during this season for his size— he’s listed by the Flyers at 6-foot-3— and his habit of posting up in front of the net.
  • Dan Vladar is likely to get the start in net against the Pens. He’s coming off a month of April during which he posted a 5-1-0 record, .921 save percentage and 1.81 goals against average.
  • Rasmus Ristolainen, who is in his 13th NHL season, is set to make his playoff debut tonight with the Flyers.

Regular season stats
via hockeydb

  • There are a few pieces of Flyers history on this stat sheet. Matvei Michkov is the first Flyers player since Simon Gagne in 2001 to start out his Flyers career with consecutive 20-goal seasons, per NHL Stats.
  • Trevor Zegras also scored 26 goals in his first season with the Flyers, the most by any first-year player with the franchise since Wayne Simmonds in 2012, per NHL Stats.

Take a closer look at the Flyers’ 18-7-1 run since returning from the Olympic break, and there seem to be some clear issues with this team. Here are some stats from the Flyers over that span:

  • Power play: 14.9 percent (30th in NHL)
  • Penalty kill: 74.0 percent (26th)
  • Shots per game: 25.1 (27th)
  • Goals per game: 3.00 (21st)

But here’s where they excel:

  • Shots against per game: 25.0 (5th fewest in NHL)
  • Goals against per game: 2.38 (3rd fewest)

The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz provided a look at some of the Flyers’ midseason defensive changes in early March. As written by Kurz:

“A big part of it is just energy,” said Cam York. “We want to be as aggressive as we can in the (defensive) zone. I think the time off just let us refresh a little bit, mentally and physically. That goes a long way being able to defend hard and close out time and space for the other guys.”

“Captain Sean Couturier said: ‘I think we’re just harder to play against by being more aggressive, taking away time and space.’

“That aggressiveness that York and Couturier mentioned is by design. Tocchet has attempted to simplify the Flyers’ defensive zone structure, even going so far as to move away a bit from the standard zone defense that he’s known for implementing in previous head-coaching stops.”

The Flyers don’t always get a lot of run support, so they’ve relied in large part on this shutdown defense at even strength during their late-season climb into the playoff picture. The Penguins’ ability to solve this could be key to taking control early in the series.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines (from Thursday and Friday’s practice)

FORWARDS

Egor Chinakhov – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust

Tommy Novak – Rickard Rakell – Evgeni Malkin

Elmer Soderblom – Ben Kindel – Anthony Mantha

Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard / Kris Letang

Ryan Graves / Jack St. Ivany

Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs

Potential Scratches: Ilya Solovyov, Justin Brazeau, Kevin Hayes

IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)

  • Connor Dewar has been back at practice after missing the end of the regular season with a lower-body injury. Getting both him and Blake Lizotte back means that the Penguins will be able to reunite the fourth line of Dewar, Lizotte and Noel Acciari that clicked so well earlier this season.
  • Justin Brazeau was the odd man out at practice this week now that Lizotte is back on the fourth line. The Pens also seem to be preparing to try Elmer Soderblom on the third line alongside Ben Kindel.
  • As of Friday’s practice, the Penguins goaltenders hadn’t been told who will be starting Saturday’s matchup. Stuart Skinner certainly has the edge in experience after back-to-back conference final appearances with the Edmonton Oilers over the last two seasons.
  • This will mark Erik Karlsson’s first time back in the playoffs since he went to the 2019 Western Conference Finals with the San Jose Sharks. It will also mark Egor Chinakhov’s first postseason action in the league.
  • Both of the NHL’s active leading playoff scorers will be on the ice in Sidney Crosby (201 goals in 180 playoff games) and Evgeni Malkin (180 goals in 177 playoff games). Among active defensemen, only the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Victor Hedman ranks ahead of Kris Letang (90 goals in 149 games).
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Bruins-Sabres Round 1 PREVIEW: Atlantic Antagonism

Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images | Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Just the Facts

  • The Times
    • Game 1: @ Buffalo, 7:30pm. EST April 19
    • Game 2: @ Buffalo, 7:30pm. EST April 21
    • Game 3: @ Boston, 7pm EST April 23
    • Game 4: @ Boston, 2pm EST April 26
    • Game 5: @ Buffalo, TBD on April 28th
    • Game 6: @ Boston, TBD on May 1st
    • Game 7: @ Buffalo, TBD on May 3rd
      • *Games 5-7 will have times added if necessary
  • The Places
    • TD Garden, Boston, MA
    • KeyBank Arena, Buffalo, NY
  • Places to Watch:
    • All games of the 1st Round will be on NESN and Madison Square Garden Network – Buffalo, respectively.
    • Other Networks:
      • Games 1 and 2: ESPN
      • Games 3 and 4: HBO MAX, TNT, TRUTV

Final regular season results for both teams

Boston Bruins

  • Record: 45-27-10
  • Points: 100
  • Goals-For: 272
  • Goals-Against: 250
  • Leading Goalscorer: Morgan Geekie, 39 in 81 games
  • Leading Points-getter: David Pastrnak, 100 in 77 games
  • Leading Goaltender by performance: Jeremy Swayman, .908 SV%
  • Corsi – Shot Attempts.
    • Corsi-For %: 48.92 (19th in the NHL)
    • Corsi-For per 60: 57.32 (16th in the NHL)
  • Fenwick – Unblocked Shot Attempts
    • Fenwick-For %: 49.15 (19th in the NHL)
    • Fenwick-For per 60: 41.29 (17th in the NHL)
  • Expected Goals – Shot Attempts weighted for their position on the ice. AKA “Shot Quality” AKA “Expected by you, dummy.”
    • Expected Goals-For %: 46.66 (28th in the NHL)
    • Expected Goals per 60: 2.56 (22nd in the NHL)
  • High Danger
    • High Danger Corsi For per 60: 10.87 (24th in the NHL)
    • High Danger Goals For per 60: 1.33 (13th in the NHL)

Buffalo Sabres

  • Record: 50-23-9
  • Points: 109
  • Goals-For: 288
  • Goals-Against: 241
  • Leading Goalscorer: Tage Thompson, 40 in 81 games
  • Leading Points-getter: Also Tage Thompson, 81 in 81 games
  • Leading Goaltender by performance: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, .910%
  • Corsi
    • Corsi-For %: 49.28 (16th in the NHL)
    • Corsi-For per 60: 56.41 (19th in the NHL)
  • Fenwick
    • Fenwick-For %: 49.83 (15th in the NHL)
    • Fenwick-For per 60: 42.18 (10th in the NHL)
  • Expected Goals
    • Expected Goals-For %: 49.95 (17th in the NHL)
    • Expected Goals per 60: 2.71 (14th in the NHL)
  • High Danger
    • High Danger Corsi For per 60: 11.6 (15th in the NHL)
    • High Danger Goals For per 60: 1.47 (4th in the NHL)

Series Preview

Man. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen these two teams against one another in the playoffs.

Ever since 2010, the Sabres have embarked on an over decade long wander in the desert to become the NHL’s punching bag when it wasn’t Arizona or Ottawa, and have returned a much more determined and battle-hardened team than even I thought they would be at the beginning of the season. At long last, the Sabres are not just watchable…but successful. Somehow, the Sabres found themselves out of hell.

Meanwhile, Boston has found an extra step they can take on the road to retooling that has had them making one of the most dramatic turnarounds in franchise history in terms of final regular season point totals. Marco Sturm found a way to get the Boston Bruins into a place where they could once again compete for Lord Stanley. The work of David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, Victor Arvidsson, and Morgan Geekie, combined with resurgent performances from Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman, combined with a Bruins power play that was, and get ready for this…good…gave them a leg up on their contemporaries to get to another 100 point season.

Don’t go looking for anything that could help you from the 2010 playoffs; The Sabres are another animal altogether from where they were in 2009. Neither Boston nor even this Sabres team know what they are for the 2026 playoffs; both teams are lightyears away from where they’d been since that time. The game has changed so much in such a short amount of time.

What we have now, is two teams with a lot to prove.

X-Factors for Round 1

How will injury impact the series?

If there is a major up the B’s have over the Sabres, it’s in health. Their lineup is arguably as healthy as it’s ever been, with the only recent absences to the team being because two players became fathers, leaving them their full compliment and roster of players including Jimmy Hagens hot off of signing his ELC and playing in his first couple of NHL games. This will give them a necessary flexibility in playing the Sabres game-to-game that Buffalo just does not have right now.

Compared to the Bruins, the Sabres are beaten pretty badly: two players on injured reserve, and a grand total of four players that are considered day-to-day; Noah Ostlund, Alex Lyon, Sam Carrick, and Colton Ellis. Naturally if asked all four of these men would say they would be ready to go, but players at less than 100% can become liabilities if their injuries are severe enough. Carrick at less than 100% is also a major blow to the Sabres as he was one of their better performers down the stretch.

Meanwhile, Boston has been…just kinda fine? They’ve had some man games lost like all teams, but they were in the middle of the season and now they have the full compliment. That does mean however…that certain players may not be at 100%, and could theoretically re-aggravate if things

Congrats to Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt, by the way! Dad strength before the playoffs is also a major X-Factor!

Can the Bruins’ Depth keep up?

One of the big surprises of the year was Morgan Geekie and Pavel Zacha becoming trigger men for the Bruins after years of David Pastrnak holding that position down. Pasta himself has diversified his game far more into being a playmaker this year, but he too still had a scorer’s touch when asked for it. This has of course filtered throughout the lineup with a bunch of pleasant surprises like Marat Khusnutdinov and Fraser Minten having excellent years, the return to form for Victor Arvidsson, who finished the year the highest goal total he’s had since 2022-23; in 25.

The Sabres are right there with Boston; obviously the big names of Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch stand out but they’ve gotten some excellent work out of Josh Doan, Jason Zucker, and Jack Quinn, just to name a few. Both teams have over 10 players in double digit goals and it contributed majorly to their respective ascents back to the postseason and respectability. Some more in one category than another.

The big question of course, is if the pleasant surprises can keep up going into the playoffs.

One of the great strengths of Sabres hockey this year is the manic puppy energy that pervades their play; Sabres do not care if the game becomes a goalscoring race, because just about everybody of note in their lineup, including their defense, can score goals if it comes down to it. It’s what gives their “River Hockey” style so much danger; even if it’s not exactly tight, it can develop shooting lanes from just about anywhere. Boston meanwhile has still largely allowed their principal names alongside Arvidsson to do the lion’s share of the scoring, even if they’re getting good efforts from guys like Mark Kastelic and Casey Mittelstadt.

The Bruins depth needs to be able to match that energy with not just physicality, but in scoring mentality. The Sabres cannot get into the thought process that there will be shifts they can just dominate at will.

Can Boston’s Defense hold the line?

This is the lynchpin for Boston’s success in this series. At least in my opinion.

As we discussed previously, Boston’s defensive core has sort of formed through McAvoy, Lindholm, and yes, Nikita Zadorov as the movers and shakers…but the drop off from Lindholm to McAvoy to Zadorov are some steep cliffs overlooking a very deep ravine. Guys like Aspirot have been okay if a little frustrating, Jordan Harris was a tantalizing player who got some playing time but was waylaid by injury…but we know what Andrew Peeke and Mason Lohrei are at this point. We know that they are going to be the millstones around this team’s neck and that Marco Sturm will simply continue to play them. They have no other options.

We also know that just about every defender on this team, when given too much time with the puck, can start to exhibit some strange behavior.

Like it or not, this net-front defense may be contributed to by every player in Black and Gold but it’s the blueliner’s problem 90% of the time. It has to change in order for this to be a win.

While the Sabres defense can look particularly shambolic, with some of their better talents being prone to some spectacular blown plays, but they can keep their net-front clear. That’s something that Boston has struggled consistently with.

If the Bruins want to get anywhere against them, especially knowing that they’re gonna have to show a little more than just muscle to put Tage Thompson down for the count, they need to effectively break a bunch of their worst habits before Game 1. That includes the players that are already doing well; they need to be more. Puck possession needs to be used well, zone exits need to be crisp and if it can’t be done by a forward then by the puck carrier, keep-ins need to be done with intention, and bad passes to nowhere needs to end.

Further…we need the return of Playoff Lohrei. The reason Lohrei has even survived this long, in spite of all of his many issues as a player, is because of his playoff performance; He wasn’t looking great coming out of his first taste of regular season hockey, but absolutely came alive when the playoffs started. All of his problems melted into strengths, all his concerns becoming afterthoughts as he became one of the brightest spots on the back-end throughout that playoff run.

They need another performance like that. Whatever that was for him, it needs to come back. One defenseman who isn’t all that great can be workable. Any more than that is absolutely not an option.

Game 1 is on Sunday night.

Whatever you are in the light of a Best-of-7 Series is one that your fate in the regular season brought you to. All of your strengths and weaknesses.

This team has given us so many wonderful surprises. So many things to look forward to in their future.

So let’s see if they can give us one more fun surprise over the next couple of weeks.

Let’s go really stick it to a team in Blue this April.

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Stunning NBA first-round upsets we still can't believe happened

The 2026 NBA playoffs are set. All first-round matchups are locked in after a dramatic Play-In Tournament, and, now, the hunt for the Larry O’Brien Trophy ramps up off Saturday, April 18 with four series-opening games.

The Play-In Tournament delivered plenty of excitemetn before a single first-round playoff game was played. The Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers locked up the No. 7 seeds in the West and East, respectively, earlier in the week before a doubleheader on Friday, April 17 determined the final two playoff berths in each conference.

The Orlando Magic knocked out the Charlotte Hornets early Friday night, building a 31-point halftime lead on their Southeast division rivals before cruising to a 121-90 victory. The Magic land the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and will face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the first round.

The Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors seemed headed for a tight battle for the final playoff berth in the Western Conference, but the Suns pulled away down the stretch for a 111-96 win to send Steph Curry and the Warroirs packing. The Suns' prize for winning? A date with the No. 1 seed, defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

With the bracket now finalized, its' time to ask: could the Magic and Suns shock the world and knock out the No. 1 seeds? Here is a look at some of the biggest first-round upsets in NBA playoff history, a reminder that anything can happen in the postseason.

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NBA playoff schedule: Full first-round dates, times, how to watch

NBA playoffs best first round upsets

1994: Denver Nuggets (8) def. Seattle SuperSonics (1)

The first time a No. 8 seed eliminated a No. 1 seed in NBA playoff history. The SuperSonics had an impressive 63-19 regular-season record, but the Nuggets overcame a 2-0 series deficit to complete the stunning five-game upset.

1999: New York Knicks (8) def. Miami Heat (1)

The Knicks became the first No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals. After upsetting the top-seeded Heat in the first round in Game 5, New York rolled through the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers before falling to the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the Finals.

2007: Golden State Warriors (8) def. Dallas Mavericks (1)

The Warriors faced a Mavericks squad that had won a league-best 67 games during the regular season, which tied for the seventh-best regular-season record of all time. The Warriors sent the Mavericks packing in six games, with three of Golden State’s four wins coming by double digits.

2011: Memphis Grizzlies (8) def. San Antonio Spurs (1)

The Grizzlies claimed their first playoff series win in franchise history by upsetting the 61-win Spurs, with five of the six games decided by single digits. The Grizzlies advanced to the Western Conference semifinals but ultimately lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 4-3.

2012: Philadelphia 76ers (8) def. Chicago Bulls (1)

Back in 2012, the Bulls secured the top seed after tying for the league's best record, and it seemed like they were destined for a deep run. However, everything shifted dramatically in the final minute of Game 1 when star guard Derrick Rose tore his ACL, giving the Sixers a huge boost. Philadelphia went on to take the series in six games, but its playoff run came to an end in the second round against the Boston Celtics.

2023: Miami Heat (8) def. Milwaukee Bucks (1)

The Heat, a Play-In Tournament team that entered as the No. 8 seed, dismantled the 58-win Bucks in five games behind one of the greatest individual series performances in playoff history from Jimmy Butler. The Heat also became the first play-in team ever to win a first-round series, and went on to reach the NBA Finals before falling to the Denver Nuggets.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA playoffs first-round upsets no one saw coming

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Who'll advance in NHL playoff bracket? Picks, predictions for first round

The NHL playoffs will have a different look this season.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are out after an injury-plagued season and the Buffalo Sabres surged after a general manager change to end their 14-season playoff drought.

All told, six 2026 playoff teams had missed the postseason last year. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers, playing in the first round, have been out for a combined eight seasons.

So who will advance to the second round? USA TODAY's Mike Brehm, Jace Evans and Kevin Skiver offer their predictions and analysis on the eight first-round series of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Eastern Conference

Carolina Hurricanes vs Ottawa Senators predictions

Mike Brehm:Hurricanes in 5. Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour has never lost in the first round and the Senators aren't deep enough to end that run. Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi gave up some bad goals down the stretch, and he'll have to stop that if the Hurricanes are going to go far.

Jace Evans:Hurricanes in 5. It's kind of the same old story for Carolina. The 'Canes are deep. They possess the puck better than anyone in the NHL. And anything short of another conference finals appearance will be a big disappointment.

Kevin Skiver:Hurricanes in 5. Full credit to Ottawa for turning its season around, particularly after some wretched goalie play. But the Hurricanes have managed to fly under the radar as one of hockey's best teams. Now, however, there's nowhere to hide. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis lead Carolina to a win over Ottawa, which goes into the offseason with a spring in its step for surviving the Eastern gauntlet.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers predictions

Mike Brehm:Penguins in 7. Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby said in 2012 that he didn't "like any guy" on the Flyers. That intensity might not be as evident this year, but it's good to see these rivals back in the playoffs. Crosby is still at the top of his game, and he'll make the difference against an upstart Flyers team.

Jace Evans:Penguins in 6. Keeping it simple on this one: One team has Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and the other doesn't.

Kevin Skiver:Penguins in 7. What a blessing of a first-round series this is. A Pennsylvania Civil War between the veteran Penguins and the upstart Flyers? With newcomer Porter Martone leading the charge for Philly? Sidney Crosby in the playoffs for the first time in four seasons? It doesn't get better. Ultimately, this is going to be an absolute bar fight for seven games. But Pittsburgh manages to eke through.

Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins predictions

Mike Brehm: Sabres in 6. The Sabres' longtime core might not have playoff experience, but Alex Tuch, Luke Schenn and coach Lindy Ruff do. And Tage Thompson thrived at the Olympics, which dials up more pressure than the NHL playoffs. The Sabres also have more talent than the Bruins and will prevail.

Jace Evans: Sabres in 5. Boston's bounceback has been a nice story, but Buffalo is a cut above the Bruins. The Sabres being better than the Bruins feels impossible for anyone who has lived through the past 15 years, but it's true!

Kevin Skiver: Bruins in 6. Buffalo gets a brutal first-round draw after snapping its playoff drought, taking on a Bruins team with one of hockey's most experienced playoff goalies in Jeremy Swayman and Charlie McAvoy alongside David Pastrnak. While Buffalo took the Atlantic this year, Boston went 3-1 against the Sabres this season. That may not always translate to a seven-game series, but we'll see if Buffalo can shrug the bear off its back in the postseason.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens predictions

Mike Brehm: Lightning in 6. I have the Lightning reaching the final, though they could easily lose this series. But Montreal isn't the Florida Panthers, who knocked Tampa Bay out the past two years. Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy will be able to get out of the first round for the first time since 2022.

Jace Evans:Canadiens in 7. Few teams were hotter down the stretch than the Habs, who closed with an 11-3 flourish. They also play in the most raucous building in the NHL, which will give them an advantage in Games 3, 4 and 6. But the real reason they get the nod here is the questions about Vasilevskiy. The Lightning goaltender has been the most responsible for his team bowing out of the postseason in the first round the past three years. Now 31 years old, it's hard to trust he'll find his old form.

Kevin Skiver: Lightning in 6. In a series where one team is literally called the Lightning, the Canadiens are bringing the flash. With one of hockey's youngest teams and brightest futures, Montreal finds itself against a team that stonewalls opponents, sometimes almost literally, by way of Vasilevsky. Although Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are strikingly good, Kucherov is the player to beat here. Indeed, even overtime will look different for Montreal in the postseason.

Western Conference

Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings predictions

Mike Brehm: Avalanche in 5. The Kings will pull off one win to extend the career of retiring captain Anze Kopitar. But the Avalanche are far too deep for Los Angeles to do any more than that.

Jace Evans: Avalanche in 4. The Kings managed to make the playoffs, and credit to them for that. But, unfortunately, they stink. Only one team in the NHL had fewer regulation wins than them: the woebegone Vancouver Canucks. The Avalanche finished on the literal other side of the standings from the Canucks. Tough sledding for LA!

Kevin Skiver: Avalanche in 4. It's nice the Kings made it back for Kopitar's farewell tour, but the President's Cup-winning Avs are a staunch opponent. Los Angeles just doesn't have the firepower to match up with Colorado, which outstrips it at nearly every turn. For the Avalanche, there's a playoff bugaboo to shake off, having lost in the first round two of the past three seasons. This is a big first step.

Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild predictions

Mike Brehm:Stars in 7. This could be the best series of the playoffs and it's a shame it has to happen so early. Adding Quinn Hughes to high-scoring forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy makes the Wild a tough out. But Dallas' Mikko Rantanen is built for the playoffs as he showed last season.

Jace Evans:Stars in 6. Can Minnesota really lose a 10th consecutive playoff series? Yes! Dallas has been on the doorstep of the Stanley Cup Final three consecutive seasons and its playoff experience will prove to be the difference.

Kevin Skiver:Stars in 7. Another downright dogfight of a first-round matchup, in a different playoff format this could easily be a Western Conference final matchup. The Stars and Wild split the season series this year and will likely take seven games to decide it here. This series is a coin flip, but the Stars barely come out on top.

Vegas Golden Knights vs Utah Mammoth predictions

Mike Brehm:Golden Knights in 7. John Tortorella has the Golden Knights playing the right way, and that and home-ice advantage should be enough to get Vegas past the Mammoth. It remains to be seen if they can go farther.

Jace Evans: Golden Knights in 7. Say what you will about John Tortorella, but the decision to fire one Stanley Cup winner (Bruce Cassidy) and replace him with another (Tortorella) seems to be working out. VGK has yet to lose in regulation with Torts behind the bench (7-0-1).

Kevin Skiver:Mammoth in 6. Utah is a grindy, difficult team that isn't going to make itself easy to get out. While John Tortorella has managed to turn things around for Vegas down the stretch and has it looking scorching hot coming into the postseason, Utah is able to hold it off as some of the fire dies in the playoffs.

Edmonton Oilers vs Anaheim Ducks predictions

Mike Brehm: Oilers in 5. The Ducks' core is young. The Oilers' core went to the Stanley Cup Final the past two years. Experience will win out.

Jace Evans: Oilers in 5. The Ducks stumbled into the playoffs and now have to face the best player in the NHL. I wish them a lot of luck!

Kevin Skiver: Oilers in 5. Talent wins out in the playoffs, and the Oilers are dripping in talent. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are obviously the headliners, and while the Ducks play a fast, fun game, there needs to be more physicality before they can be trusted as a playoff team. Edmonton has been here before, and though the road to return has been bumpy, it knows what to do now that it's back.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff bracket picks, predictions for every first round series

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Hampshire v Somerset, Warwickshire v Essex, and more: county cricket – live

Updates from the second day’s play in the latest round
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At Southampton, Kyle Abbott is hustling with admirable vigour. Baker still running in from the other end, elbows horizontally churning. Rew (85) and Abell (41) have now put on a hundred for the fourth wicket. Somerset 175-3, 63 behind.

And three for Jimmy Anderson, two in an over, old teammate Will Williams lbw and Henry Brookes caught. Gloucestershire all out 136, and I predict a couple of days of toil in the field.

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&quot;Difficult End To The Season&quot;: Dylan Larkin Reflects On Missed Chances For Red Wings

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There isn’t a player on the Detroit Red Wings who has been with the organization longer, or borne more of its setbacks, than team captain Dylan Larkin, the lone remaining player from the club’s last Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance in 2016.

Despite setting a career high with 34 goals this season, Dylan Larkin suffered an injury at a critical point. Although he eventually gutted it out and played through it, he was unable to carry his team over the finish line.

The Red Wings now hold the unfortunate distinction of owning the NHL’s longest active postseason drought, after the Buffalo Sabres, who hadn’t qualified since 2011, finally ended theirs.

"It's been hard, not great. I think it's been a very difficult end to the season," Larkin said on Friday morning. "Never a fun time when you miss the playoffs, but especially in this fashion, and kind of being here again. So today is not a pleasant day around the rink, that's for sure."

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During Detroit’s stretch run in March, they often found themselves trailing by multiple goals against opponents they were directly competing with in the standings.

Head coach Todd McLellan repeatedly called for a higher level of compete from his players, while questions also arose about “outside noise” potentially creeping into the locker room.

“I mean, that's a fair question, and I think, like I said, part of the tightness was kind of dipping your toe into a game, and when you're anxious for a game, there are tendencies as a player to go out there and see what it's going to be like,” Larkin said about Detroit's slow starts down the stretch. “Is it going to be a hard night or an easy night? Again, I don't think that was the story every night."

“It’s Their Right to Do So”: Moritz Seider Accepts Frustrated Red Wings Fans Reaction “It’s Their Right to Do So”: Moritz Seider Accepts Frustrated Red Wings Fans Reaction During locker room clean-out day, Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider addressed the frustrated reaction of fans during the team’s final home game this past Saturday evening, a loss that confirmed Detroit’s fate of missing the playoffs.

As the team captain, a position he's held since the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign, Larkin accepted responsibility for not, as he put it, driving the play more. 

"But especially at home, down the stretch, you have to know going into a game that you're going to go out there, and part of that is on me as captain of the team, a forward that plays a driving game," he said. 

“I should probably have been out there more, driving the play early in the games to set the tone early for our team, and that's a mindset that would go through the entire lineup.”

As a Metro Detroit native who grew up watching the Red Wings’ glory years, Larkin understands the weight of the moment better than others. He carries the burden of the captaincy once held by franchise legends such as Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Henrik Zetterberg.

Larkin signed an eight-year extension in 2023 to remain with the Red Wings and is committed to seeing the process through.

"I wanted to be here, and I want to be here to help this team in any way I can to win the Stanley Cup," he said. 

"We need to get the Detroit Red Wings back in the playoffs," he concluded. "Not just me." 

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