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Playoffs Begin: LeBron-Durant Clash Sparks Opening Night, Jokic vs. Edwards Headlines West

Day 1 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs features four First-Round Game 1s (Raptors-Cavaliers, Wolves-Nuggets, Knicks-Hawks, Rockets-Lakers) with four more on Sunday (Sixers-Celtics, Suns-Thunder, Magic-Pistons, Blazers-Spurs). marquee storylines include KD and LeBron meeting in the playoffs outside the Finals for the first time, Jokic vs. Ant Edwards in the West, and key East matchups as the Knicks host the Hawks and Cavaliers host the Raptors; Suns clinch the No. 8 seed to face OKC, while Orlando advances past Charlotte to set Detroit as its opponent.