Ranking the eight NBA first-round playoff matchups: Celtics-76ers highlight originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
It’s the best time of the NBA season.
After 82 long games, it’s time for the even more grueling grind of the postseason. Sixteen more wins are required to hoist the championship.
The cream will rise to the top, while others may get exposed in a setting where every weakness and every margin matter.
So, which of the eight battles in the first round will be the one to relish the most? Let’s rank them from least to most entertaining:
8. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns
Oklahoma City is the No. 1 seed after winning the championship last season. Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder should easily handle a Phoenix team with Devin Booker running the show. Booker’s main supporting cast is Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. Not good enough. They could steal one game with hot shooting, but the Thunder should cruise to the second round, health willing.
7. New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks
This postseason is a significant part of the Knicks‘ current timeline. Jalen Brunson needs to lead the team to at least the conference finals, but Karl-Anthony Towns has to quell his previous defensive miscues if New York is to take the next step. Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart will need to have the odd hot game every now and then, too. Combine all of that and they should also get past Atlanta with little worries, as the Hawks really only have Jalen Johnson and C.J. McCollum as their main on-the-ball threats. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is also facing a defining run amid a career year, while Jonathan Kuminga will need to offer more consistency if an unlikely upset transpires.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors
Neither of these teams are expected to win the championship, but it’ll be interesting to see if James Harden can add more that Darius Garland couldn’t, especially if the top ranking on the list spices things up. Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have been here before, but the latter two and their relatively inexperienced supporting cast will need to step up. Toronto is led by the trio of Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes, but that’s not the right balance to move the needle in the postseason.
5. Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
This matchup and Cleveland-Toronto could be swapped, but ultimately the star quality of Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards provided the edge. Jokic and Jamal Murray have to do a lot of heavy lifting to win the championship, but they should be enough to take down Edwards, who likely will struggle alongside Julius Randle as his main scoring threat.
4. San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Here it gets a little more intriguing. San Antonio is back in the playoff setting where it thrived under Gregg Popovich, and this time Victor Wembanyama is involved. With De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and more balanced profiles, the Spurs are rightfully in the contending mix. The playoff inexperience might be a hurdle, but the conference finals should be the minimum. If they get OKC, anything can happen. Portland is also new blood after a while, with Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday the key figures. The Blazers need this experience for their trajectory, so it’ll be interesting to see how they fare.
3. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets
Injuries are the main concern in this matchup, but if players come back in time then the intensity and quality will increase. Kevin Durant missed Game 1 for Houston in its loss to Los Angeles, while LeBron James turned back the clock without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Whoever triumphs may just come down to health, but Houston looked rough on offense without Durant. That bodes well for point guard LeBron, who received major help from Luke Kennard. Regardless, Durant vs. LeBron in 2026 can still attract hype.
2. Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid has previously said this matchup isn’t a rivalry. To paraphrase safely, the Celtics tend to rout the 76ers. That was the case in Game 1, but adding Embiid back into the frame could swing a few games for Philly. Boston will still be favored overall given Jayson Tatum’s return and the Eastern Conference being weaker, but Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe and Paul George can supply key help that Embiid hasn’t always had. Plus, who doesn’t love when these two cities face off?
1. Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic
But the top spot goes to Detroit and Orlando. In a matchup that should be a throwback to the league’s past, the Pistons have soared to the top seed with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren leading the way. However, with Tobias and Duncan Robinson being the next two key scorers, there is a risk of Detroit being upset here. Orlando will need to be at its best, which hasn’t always been the case as it hung on to the No. 8 seed. Still, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, Anthony Black and Co. won’t get a better chance to raise their trajectory than here. Let the battle commence.