2026 NBA playoffs: Conference semifinals takeaways

The second round of the 2026 NBA playoffs is here, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game of the Eastern and Western conference semifinals.

The No. 2-seeded New York Knicks have opened their East series by beating the 7-seed Philadelphia 76ers twice for a 2-0 series lead. The No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons followed New York, capturing a 2-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

In the West, the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, who had Anthony Edwards (left knee injury) back for Game 1, stole a win over the 2-seed San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama on Monday. On Wednesday, the Spurs evened the series with a 38-point blowout victory over Minnesota. The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who swept the Phoenix Suns in the first round, picked up where they left off with wins over the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday and Thursday.

As teams chase the Larry O'Brien Trophy, here's what matters most in both conferences and what to watch for in all four series.

Jump to a series:

76ers-Knicks | Cavaliers-Pistons

Timberwolves-Spurs | Lakers-Thunder

More coverage:

Schedules and results | Offseason guides

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder lead (4) Los Angeles Lakers 2-0

Game 1: Thunder 108, Lakers 90
Game 2: Thunder 125, Lakers 107

Biggest takeaway from Game 2: The Thunder appeared to be in serious jeopardy of suffering their first postseason loss when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his fourth foul only 86 seconds into the third quarter, when the Lakers held a five-point lead. But Oklahoma City dominated the rest of the quarter as Gilgeous-Alexander cheered on the bench, using a 22-4 run to take command.

Oklahoma City's remarkable depth and dominant defense were on full display. Jared McCain, the 10th man in the rotation, scored eight of his 18 points during the spurt. Ajay Mitchell (20 points, five assists), who wasn't part of the playoff rotation last season as a rookie during the Thunder's championship run, operated the offense with poise and precision as the face of the franchise watched. And the Thunder converted seven Lakers turnovers into 11 points, dimming Los Angeles' hopes of returning home with the series tied. -- Tim MacMahon

Game 3: Thunder at Lakers (Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

What to watch in Game 3: Can the Lakers protect the ball better at home? They had 18 turnovers that fueled 20 points for OKC in Game 1 and 21 that turned into 26 Thunder points in Game 2. Beyond the ball-hawking style of defense the Thunder attack with, Paycom Center got so loud during OKC's runs that the Lakers' mistakes seemed to compound themselves, as L.A. succumbed to the chaos. Despite being down 2-0, L.A. proved it could hang around for big chunks of both games. It was just a few Thunder blitzes -- 11-0 in the first quarter, 22-4 in the third and 14-3 in the fourth -- that really did the Lakers in.

With Austin Reaves coming off a career-playoff high 31 points on Thursday and LeBron James (23 points on 9-of-18 shooting) and Rui Hachimura (16 points on 6-of-10) staying in rhythm, L.A. will have to prove it can put four full quarters together at Crypto.com Arena if it wants any chance of making this a series. -- Dave McMenamin

Jarred Vanderbilt dislocates right pinky finger
Austin Reaves' shooting woes persist in Lakers' Game 1 loss

San Antonio Spurs tie (6) Minnesota Timberwolves 1-1

Game 1: Timberwolves 104, Spurs 102
Game 2: Spurs 133, Timberwolves 95

Biggest takeaway from Game 2: After San Antonio's stunning loss to Minnesota in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, De'Aaron Fox stood calmly in the locker room and described the mistakes San Antonio made as "very fixable." The Spurs demonstrated as much in Game 2, dominating the Timberwolves 133-95 for the third-largest playoff victory in franchise history. San Antonio tied the series 1-1 and will head to Minnesota, where the Spurs haven't won in their past seven trips. The All-Star duo of Fox and Victor Wembanyama combined for just 21 points in Game 1 but had already surpassed that total midway through the second quarter by coming together for 28 points.

San Antonio limited Minnesota in the first half to its fewest points (35), worst field goal percentage (29.8%) and fewest 3-pointers (2) in any opening half this season, counting the regular season and the playoffs. The Timberwolves started the second half on a 9-0 run, but the Spurs quickly locked them down with suffocating defense.

San Antonio racked up 13 points off 19 Minnesota turnovers through the first three quarters, outscoring the visitors 40-24 in the paint over that span. Wembanyama and Luke Kornet held Minnesota's shooters to 5-of-19 from the floor through the first three quarters on attempts they contested.

Meanwhile, Julian Champagnie, who missed the potential winning shot in Game 1, shot 4-of-4 from 3-point range in the third quarter as San Antonio drilled seven 3-pointers in the quarter, the club's most in a playoff quarter over the past 30 postseasons, according to Research. After fouling out in Game 1,Stephon Castle scored a game-high 21 points for the Spurs.

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards came off the bench again but wasn't as impactful as he was in Game 1. Edwards shot 5-of-13 for 12 points over 24 minutes. -- Michael C. Wright

Game 3: Spurs at Timberwolves (Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video)

What to watch in Game 3: More Anthony Edwards. Chris Finch and the Timberwolves slow-played him in San Antonio, bringing Edwards off the bench both nights to help manage his minutes and protect his healing left knee. He powered them to a Game 1 road win with 11 fourth-quarter points and his knee responded well during the 48 hours between games. Edwards would have gone longer than only 24 minutes in Game 2, but the Wolves entered the fourth quarter down 35. This was a low-pressure game for them, already securing the split with the Game 1 win. The next two won't be. The pressure rises as the series shifts to Minneapolis, and Edwards' usage and minute totals should reflect that. All expectations are that he will reenter the starting lineup for either Terrence Shannon Jr. or Mike Conley. -- Anthony Slater

Spurs bounce back, beat Timberwolves by 38
Finch: Wolves 'got punked' in blowout loss

Eastern Conference

(1) Detroit Pistons lead (4) Cleveland Cavaliers 2-0

Game 1: Pistons 111, Cavaliers 101
Game 2: Pistons 107, Cavaliers 97

Biggest takeaway from Game 2: Detroit's offense looks totally different from the first round. During the opening series against the Magic, Cade Cunningham had to carry the brunt of the Pistons' offense, and though he still led Detroit with 23 points Thursday, he has gotten contributions from up and down the roster en route to this 2-0 lead. Tobias Harris scored 21, Duncan Robinson hit five 3-pointers for the second straight game and Daniss Jenkins added 14 off the bench.

Donovan Mitchellfinally snapped out of his scoring slump with 31 points in Game 2; he had been held to under 25 points in six straight games entering Thursday, which was twice as long as any other streak of his postseason career, according to Research. But whileJarrett Allen helped out with 22 points and seven rebounds, the rest of the Cavs' core four were quiet. Evan Mobley went 4-of-9 for nine points, and James Harden turned in another clunker, shooting 3-for-13 (0-for-4 from 3) for 10 points with four turnovers and a scoreless fourth quarter. -- Jamal Collier

Game 3: Pistons at Cavaliers (Saturday, 3 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)

What to watch in Game 3: The Cavaliers are 0-5 on the road this postseason, and they're returning home for Game 3. They won all four home games against Toronto in the first round by an average margin of 10 points.

The Cavaliers will need that home cooking again, with two nearly must-win games approaching in Cleveland. Harden and Mobley must play better for the Cavaliers to have a chance to salvage this series in Games 3 and 4, and more contributions from their reserves would help, too: In theory, the Cavaliers have a deeper bench than the Pistons, but Cleveland's reserves were outscored 26-17 in Game 2.

The biggest question for Detroit, meanwhile, is whether Jalen Duren will find a playoff rhythm. He seemed to turn the corner with a quick stretch of clutch baskets at the end of Game 1, but he looked lost again in Game 2, scoring just eight points on 2-for-7 shooting and struggling to corral passes inside. The Pistons are winning without his usual contributions for now, but they'll likely need a return to form from their All-Star big man at some point this postseason. -- Zach Kram

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How a G League call-up helped Detroit restore order
Pistons beat Cavaliers in Game 1

(3) New York Knicks lead (7) Philadelphia 76ers 2-0

Game 1: Knicks 137, 76ers 98
Game 2: Knicks 108, 76ers 102

Biggest takeaway from Game 2: The Knicks' victory Tuesday wasn't as pretty as the previous four games, but New York knows it can rely on Jalen Brunson down the stretch. While the 76ers struggled to get good looks late, Brunson kept the Knicks on task for the most part, hitting two critical buckets after the score was tied at 99 to give them an edge they wouldn't relinquish.

It doesn't mean the closing was perfect; 76ers coach Nick Nurse found ways to get the ball out of Brunson's hands. But the Knicks did look fresh, with Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby staying efficient and surviving surges from Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. They kept the 76ers off-balance when it counted, taking a commanding 2-0 lead heading to Philadelphia on Friday for Game 3. -- Vincent Goodwill

Game 3: Knicks at 76ers (Friday, 7 p.m. ET, Prime Video)

What to watch in Game 3: First, injury updates. Will Joel Embiid be able to play after sitting out Game 2? And what is the status of Anunoby, who left Game 2 late and didn't return after appearing to grab at his right leg. Anunoby, in particular, has been tremendous throughout New York's run so far, and Philadelphia doesn't have a great matchup for him.

Beyond that, the 76ers played much better in Game 2 than the Game 1 rout loss, but appeared to run out of steam down the stretch. Can they summon the energy to beat New York at home in Game 3? If not, it's probably curtains for the 76ers. And, finally, what will be the makeup of the crowd? Expect plenty of Knicks fans: Two years ago, it felt like a New York home game at times. -- Tim Bontemps

Anunoby exits Game 2 late with apparent leg injury
Late scoring drought dooms 76ers in Game 2 loss

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