By TheNuts - Apr 16, 2026
NBA Playoffs 2026 Is Taking Shape
Remember that this is really a warm-up act prior to the start of the NBA playoffs.
After what happened on Tuesday and Wednesday, the play-in tournament's day off on Thursday seems well-earned. Do you recall when many feared it wouldn't work?
In just the first two days of the NBA postseason, we've witnessed the following:
The NBA stated that LaMelo Ball of Charlotte ought to have been dismissed for his part in the play that eliminated Bam Adebayo of Miami from the Heat-Hornets play-in elimination game. After making a layup late in overtime to defeat the Heat, Ball cursed during a post-game interview on the court before hitting his team's mascot.
In an elimination game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State overcame a 13-point deficit with ten minutes remaining. On Friday, Golden State will take on Phoenix in a match that will determine the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The Warriors' greatest fourth-quarter comeback to win a postseason game on the road since 2015 was this one.
The Clippers' defeat gave Oklahoma City another lottery pick. This year, the Thunder's chances of landing in the top four in the draft are at least 7%. Paul George left Los Angeles for Philadelphia in 2024, and the pick was part of the trade that moved him from the Thunder to the Clippers.
Franz Wagner of Orlando, who has had a season marred by injuries, was rattled up late in his team's play-in loss to Philadelphia after teammate Wendell Carter Jr. collided with his knee. Wagner told reporters he will be alright after the game.
Portland became the third team in the history of the play-in tournament to win a game after falling behind by more than ten points in the fourth quarter. It helped the Blazers go to the playoffs after coach Chauncey Billups left the team at the beginning of the season due to federal gambling accusations. Victor Wembanyama and the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs will now face the Trail Blazers in the first round.
Thursday is a day off. Two elimination games are scheduled for Friday: Golden State at Phoenix to determine who will play Oklahoma City and Charlotte at Orlando to determine who will play Detroit. The winners advance to the postseason. The losers return home.