All eight first-round series are underway, and for the most part, they have gone chalk — the favorites showed why they should be the favorites.
However, there were a couple of exceptions, with the biggest one being in Detroit, where the No. 1 seed Pistons got pushed around by the No. 8 seed Magic. We’ve got questions in Houston, too. Here are five takeaways from the opening weekend of the 2026 NBA playoffs.
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Detroit doesn’t need to panic. Yet.
Home teams that lose Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoff series tend to bounce back big in Game 2.
That reason alone is why Detroit should not panic. While Game 1 was concerning, there is plenty of time to turn this around — but it has to start with a Game 2 win.
The Pistons’ success this season was based on Cade Cunningham’s shot creation — which they got plenty of with his 39 points, although nobody else stepped up — along with a stout defense and physicality. Those last two things were legit issues on Sunday. Orlando was the more physical team from the opening tip, as evidenced by its winning the points-in-the-paint battle 54-34. Paolo Banchero bullied his way past anyone guarding him. Jalen Suggs was a menace. More concerning for Detroit, Wendell Carter Jr. completely outplayed Jalen Duren, who had eight points on four shot attempts all night.
“I thought we were a little rusty to start,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Giving up a 35-point [first] quarter, that’s not typical of us. I felt like we were chasing them all night.”
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In Game 2, Detroit has to take control again of the pace and the paint — it has to dominate in the half court. For two games in a row now, Orlando has looked like the team we all expected this season. Detroit can right the ship with a Game 2 win, but if not, it will be time to find that panic button.
More than Durant, Rockets need defense in Game 2
First, give credit where credit is due: LeBron James was brilliant in Game 1. The 41-year-old shouldered the Lakers’ offensive creation burden and had 19 points and 13 assists. Luke Kennard was the primary beneficiary of the Space LeBron created and scored 27.
Houston was without Kevin Durant, and the team’s offense was certainly worse when he was out this season (3.5 points per 100 possessions), but the issues in Game 1 were bigger than that. Alperen Şengun — 19 points on 19 shot attempts — has to be better, especially going against Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes.
More importantly, Houston’s defense has to be dominant and it wasn’t — the Lakers shot 60.6% for the game. Without Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves (who remain out and likely will be for the entire series). Amen Thompson and the Rockets were expected to smother LeBron and the Lakers’ offense, and instead, the Lakers largely got whatever they wanted.
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Durant may well be back for Game 2 on Tuesday, but Houston needs a lot more than KD if they are going to bounce back in this series.
Knicks defense showed up for the playoffs
The Knicks’ offense got the headlines: Jalen Brunson scoring 19 in the first quarter, and Karl-Anthony Towns with 11 in the fourth to seal the win (KAT finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds).
However, it was the Knicks’ defense, which slowed the athletic Hawks’ offense, that was the real story. Nickeil Alexander-Walker did not look like the guy about to win Most Improved with 17 points on 17 shot attempts. Jalen Johnson scored 23 but was 8-of-19 shooting. CJ McCollum was the highest-scoring Hawk at 26 because that man is a tough shot maker — but all the Hawks’ shots seemed tough.
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New York had the sixth-best defense in the NBA after the calendar flipped to 2026 and that defense showed up in Game 1. It’s that defense that gives them a chance if they face Boston in the next round. Speaking of Boston…
Favorites Thunder, Celtics roll
Boston and Oklahoma City showed exactly why they are the betting favorites to meet in the NBA Finals.
Jaylen Brown scored 26, Jayson Tatum 25, and the Celtics’ defense smothered the 76ers, who shot just 38.9% as a team in the game. Tyrese Maxey seemed to find a little space but still needed 20 shots to get to his 21 points. Boston simply looked dominant, winning by 32.
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So did Oklahoma City, which ran Phoenix out of the building by 35 points and held the Suns to 34.9% shooting as a team. Dillon Brooks, in particular, could not get going, shooting 6-of-22.
The only real question in Boston and Oklahoma City is whether it’s a sweep or a gentleman’s sweep (letting their opponent win one).
Don’t sleep on Denver to win it all
Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert deserves a lot of credit for Game 1, he did as good a job on Nikola Jokic as could be asked of any human. It was a game where Jokic leveraged his gravity and position more than looking to take over.
Jokic still had a 25-point, 13-rebound and 11-assist triple-double (almost an average day at the office for him), and he shot 5-of-9 with a dozen points while Gobert was on him.
Jokic’s casual triple-double isn’t what was most impressive from Denver. It was playoff Jamal Murray taking charge in the first half and finishing with 30. It was Aaron Gordon — the glue that holds this team’s title hopes together — going for 17 and eight and making plays all over the court. It was Christian Braun knocking down corner 3s. It was Bruce Brown coming in and making plays off the bench.
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That Nuggets performance should scare the rest of the league — Denver looked every bit the title contender, and that wasn’t even their fastball. Yes, Oklahoma City is still the team to beat and the San Antonio Spurs are everybody’s hot new thing, but the Nuggets we saw on Saturday can win it all.