The 2026 NBA playoffs are up and running, and the opening weekend delivered on every front.
Defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to victory, Victor Wembanyama announced himself on the biggest stage, and an eight-seed shocked the East’s top seed.
Thunder deliver another opening-night statement
Oklahoma City dismantled the Phoenix Suns 119-84 at the Paycom Center on Sunday.
The Thunder converted 19 turnovers into 34 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted 25 points and seven assists, notching postseason career highs in free throws made and attempted, despite shooting just 5-of-18 from the floor and sitting out the fourth quarter entirely.
It was eerily familiar. Last postseason, the Thunder blew out the Memphis Grizzlies by 51 points in Game 1 of a series they swept on the way to the title.
This time they won by 35. The Thunder joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 1986 and 1987 as the only franchises in NBA history to open consecutive postseasons with wins by at least 35 points.
Their points off turnovers advantage of 34-2 was the largest in that category in a playoff game during the play-by-play era.
Gilgeous-Alexander was measured in his post-game media duties, making clear the job is far from done.
“This [Phoenix] team is going to get better throughout the series. They have good players, well coached, play really hard, play the right way. So we’ve got to be ready to get better as well and expect a better team on the other end.”
Suns star Devin Booker acknowledged the damage his side did to themselves. “Every time down, [we can’t] turn it over. I think that fuels everything – fuels them, fuels the crowd. Turns into a domino effect.”
Phoenix had barely had time to breathe. The Suns only secured their playoff berth by beating the Golden State Warriors in a play-in game on Friday night before travelling to face the league’s top seed on Sunday afternoon.
Wembanyama shatters franchise record in postseason debut
San Antonio Spurs ran out 111-98 winners over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1. It was Victor Wembanyama’s first playoff game, and he did not disappoint.
The 22-year-old Frenchman scored 35 points on 13-of-21 shooting, connecting on 5-of-6 from three, to go with five rebounds and two blocks across 33 minutes.
It was the highest-scoring postseason debut in Spurs history, surpassing the previous mark of 32 set by Hall of Famer Tim Duncan.
He also became the first player in NBA history to score 35 or more in a postseason debut while hitting at least five three-pointers.
Portland threw everything at him. Eight different defenders. Double-teams. And Wembanyama scored on all of them. On the other end, he held Portland scoreless on all 11 attempts when he was the contesting defender.
“The first time I stepped on the court, even for warmups, I felt the atmosphere was different,” Wembanyama said. “Everybody was ready. The fans were ready. It’s probably the most excitement I’ve seen this year in this arena.”
He closed the game with 14 points in the fourth quarter as Spurs legends Tim Duncan and David Robinson watched courtside.
“I heard the crowd when they went on the camera,” Wembanyama said. “Seeing those two courtside and the recognition they get from the fans was amazing. It’s so cool.”
Portland’s Deni Avdija was not without his own landmark night, finishing with 30 points to become the first Trail Blazer in history to post 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game. It just was not enough.
Magic stun Pistons on the road
The biggest shock of the opening weekend came in Detroit, where the Orlando Magic walked into Little Caesars Arena and beat the Eastern Conference’s top seed 112-101.
All five Orlando starters reached double figures, with Paolo Banchero leading the way with 23 points and nine rebounds. The win extended Detroit’s postseason losing streak at home to 11 games, the longest in NBA history.
It was Jalen Suggs who set the tone, stealing a pass from Tobias Harris in the opening minutes and converting a thunderous two-handed dunk. Orlando led 18-5 before Detroit had found their footing.
Banchero had shown similar form in the play-in win over Charlotte, and carried that confidence into Detroit. “I think everybody knows we got a really talented team,” said Franz Wagner, who finished with 19 points. “Obviously we didn’t have the regular season that we wanted, but that’s our goal. And I think we show today that we belong here.”
Cade Cunningham finished with 39 points for Detroit but was held to four assists and three turnovers. No other Pistons player reached double figures.
“They came out and they hit us first,” Detroit’s Ausar Thompson said. “So, we have to do a better job of coming out and hitting them first.”
Celtics send a message to the East
Boston’s demolition of the Philadelphia 76ers was as comprehensive as any Game 1 in recent memory. The Celtics cruised to a 123-91 win, leading wire-to-wire and at one point stretching the margin to 35 points. It was the largest margin of victory in franchise history to open a playoff series. NBA
Jayson Tatum, continuing his impressive return from a torn Achilles, posted 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting with 11 rebounds and seven assists in 32 minutes. Jaylen Brown chipped in 26.
Philadelphia shot 4-of-23 from three and allowed Boston to build a 22-3 edge in points off turnovers. With Joel Embiid still absent after emergency appendectomy surgery on April 9, the margin for error for the Sixers was always going to be slim.
“Our offense can’t win us this series,” Brown said. “We got to make sure we guard. And I think tonight we did a great job.”
Tatum reflected on what it means to be back under the playoff lights after his injury ordeal. “There were many days where I wasn’t even sure I was going to play this season, let alone get a chance to play today, so I’m overly just kind of grateful that I’m in this position right now.”
