All articles tagged with #playoffs 2026
After the Lakers’ 115-110 loss to the Thunder ends their 2025-26 season, LeBron James, 41, said he doesn’t know what the future holds and will recalibrate with his family before deciding whether to return, entering unrestricted free agency without a guaranteed deal for the first time in his lengthy career.
NBC split second-round coverage by airing Knicks-Sixers on NBC and Spurs-Wolves on Peacock in overlapping windows; New York routed Philadelphia 137-98 while Minnesota edged San Antonio 104-102 in a late thriller, highlighting awkward scheduling and limited network visibility for the best game under the new deal.
At the Garden, the Knicks faced 0 timeouts with 5.6 seconds left, a miscount amplified by NBC’s TV graphic; without a reset, Josh Hart couldn’t set up a final play after CJ McCollum missed two free throws, and Mikal Bridges’ 12-foot fadeaway clanged out, sparking debate over whether a timeout should have been called to advance the ball for a cleaner shot. bot_challenge: false} }?}{
Defector writer Ray Ratto argues that Edmonton’s success has long hinged on Connor McDavid’s star power, but the Oilers still won Game 1 against Anaheim 4-3 without a McDavid point, underscoring playoff volatility and Canada’s Cup drought amid Leafs- and Gudas-related tensions.
Friday’s SoFi Play-In doubleheader features East No. 9 Charlotte Hornets at No. 8 Orlando Magic (7:30 PM ET, Prime Video) and West No. 10 Golden State Warriors at No. 8 Phoenix Suns (10 PM ET, Prime Video). The preview highlights Paolo Banchero, LaMelo Ball, Devin Booker and Stephen Curry, with Ball vs. Suggs and Curry vs. Brooks as key matchups, and predicts Charlotte and Golden State will advance to the playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers earned the No. 4 seed in the West with a 53-29 record and will face the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2026 playoffs. Game 1 is set for Saturday, April 18 at 5:30 p.m. PT on ABC. LA swept Houston 2-1 in the regular season, including two wins after the All-Star break, though Houston also handed the Lakers a Christmas Day blowout. With star availability in flux, the Lakers are viewed as underdogs against a Rockets club that finished strong down the stretch. A Durant–James playoff showdown adds intrigue, and Marcus Smart’s late-season return has the locker room optimistic about competing. Seeding depended on Nuggets–Spurs results; had Denver lost, LA would have moved to third and drawn Minnesota instead.