The 2026 NBA playoffs are underway, and the opening weekend is bringing it to every corner.
The defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder won, Victor Wembanyama announced himself on the biggest stage, and the eighth seed shocked the Eastern team.
The Thunder make another opening night statement
Oklahoma City dismantled the Phoenix Suns 119-84 at Paycom Center on Sunday.
The Thunder converted 19 turnovers into 34 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted 25 points and seven assists, notching a postseason career high in free throws made and attempted, despite shooting 5-of-18 from the floor and sitting out the entire fourth quarter.
It was frighteningly familiar. In the postseason, the Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies by 51 points in Game 1 in the series they swept en route 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-to-turnover advantage of 34-2 was the largest in that stretch in the final game during the playoffs.
Gilgeous-Alexander weighed in on his media duties after the game, making it clear that the job is far from done.
“This [Phoenix] the team will improve throughout the series. They have good players, well trained, they play hard, they play the right way. So we have to be ready to be better and expect a better team on the other side. “
Suns star, Devin Booker, acknowledged the damage done by his team. “Always down, [we can’t] answer it. I think that fuels everything – it fuels them, it fuels the crowd. It becomes a domino effect.”
Phoenix didn’t have time to breathe. The Suns had a chance to beat the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs on Friday night before taking on the league’s top seed on Sunday afternoon.
Wembanyama breaks the franchise record for the start of the season
The San Antonio Spurs cruised to a 111-98 victory 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 threes, to go with five rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes.
It was the first high-scoring postseason game 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 points in the first postseason game while hitting at least a three-pointer.
Portland threw everything at him. Eight different defenders. Two groups. And Wembanyama scored in all of them. On the other hand, he held Portland scoreless in all 11 attempts while a quarterback.
“The first time I stepped on the court, even when I was warming up, I felt that the situation was different,” said Wembanyama. “Everybody was ready. The fans were ready. Probably the most excitement I’ve seen this year in this stadium.”
He closed out the game with 14 points in the fourth quarter as Spurs legends Tim Duncan and David Robinson watched on the court.
“I heard the crowd when they entered the camera,” said Wembanyama. “Seeing these two stadiums and the respect they got from the fans was amazing. It’s great.”
Portland’s Deni Avdija was no exception to his historic night, finishing with 30 points to become the first Trail Blazer in history to put up 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game. It wasn’t enough.
The magic stun Pistons on the road
The biggest shock of the opening weekend came in Detroit, when the Orlando Magic entered Little Caesars Arena and defeated 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 home losing streak 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 two-handed dunk. Orlando led 18-5 before Detroit found its footing.
Banchero showed similar form in the play-in win over Charlotte, and carried that confidence into Detroit. “I think everyone knows that we have a really talented team,” said Franz Wagner, who finished with 19 points. “Obviously we didn’t have the regular season we wanted, but that’s our goal. And I think we showed today that we can be here.”
Cade Cunningham finished with 39 points for Detroit but was held to four assists and three turnovers. No other Pistons player has reached double figures.
“They came out and hit us first,” Detroit’s Ausar Thompson said. So, we have to do a better job of going out and hitting them first.
The Celtics are sending a message to the East
Boston’s demolition of the Philadelphia 76ers was as complete as any Game 1 in recent memory. The Celtics won 123-91, took the lead and at one point extended the margin to 35 points. It was the largest margin of victory in franchise history to open a playoff series. The NBA
Jayson Tatum, continuing his impressive comeback from a torn Achilles, posted 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting with 11 rebounds and seven assists in 32 minutes. Jaylen Brown recorded 26.
Philadelphia shot 4-of-23 from three and allowed Boston to build a 22-3 edge in points. With Joel Embiid still out after an emergency appendectomy on April 9, the margin for error for the Sixers was always going to be slim.
“Our offense will not win this series,” said Brown. “We have to make sure we guard. And I think we did a great job tonight.”
Tatum reflected on what it means to be back under the playing lights after his injury. “There were a lot of days when I wasn’t sure if I was going to play this season, let alone get the chance to play today, so I’m very grateful to be in this situation right now.”
