The 2026 NBA Playoffs have started off very exciting. But as exciting as the first round was, the second round was just as exciting, if not even more! First off, I will be mentioning the matchup between the 3rd Seed New York Knicks and the 7th Seed Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers. Both teams had exciting first-round matchups, especially the Sixers, who managed to comeback from 3-1 down, with the help of Joel Embiid. However, this matchup wasn’t even close. The Knicks took Game 1 and 2, 137-98 and 108-102. Game 1 wasn’t even close, however, Game 2 was very close. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks in Game 2, with 26 points and 6 assists. Game 3 wasn’t as close, with the Knicks winning 108-94, but the real question was for the Sixers: They came back from 3-1 down, but can they come back from 3-0 down? The answer was no. The most famous game in the series, Game 4, was one of the biggest blowout wins by the Knicks. They won 144-114, with Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride combining for 47 points, advancing the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals (General Semifinals) in last year’s 2025 playoffs too, yet lost to the Indiana Pacers. Last year, the Pacers ended up making it to Game 7 of the NBA Finals. There was another great Eastern Conference matchup between the 4th Seed Cleveland Cavaliers and the 1st Seed Detroit Pistons. The Pistons had just come back from a 3-1 down comeback against the 8th Seed Orlando Magic, and won Game 7, 116-94. The Cavs as well had just come back from a Game 7 too, against the 5th Seed Toronto Raptors, winning 125-94. The Cavs were up 3-2 against the Raptors in the series, but in Game 6 a miracle occurred for the Raptors. The Raptors were down 110-109 in Game 6, when RJ Barrett received a pass with 15 seconds left. He shot a step-back 3-pointer with seconds remaining. The ball bounced off the back of the rim, bouncing six feet up in the air, and after what felt like a lifetime, gravity took it straight down, into the hoop, winning the game for the Raptors, and forcing Game 7. However, the Raptors ended up getting eliminated, but Barrett’s shot will remain one of the best buzzer-beaters for decades. The Pistons unsurprisingly took game 1 and 2, 111-101 and 107-97. However, in game 3, the Cavs turned the tables. They ended up winning 116-109, in a closer game than the previous. This really motivated them, and they managed to steal away Game 4, 112-103, tying the series 2-2. Donovan Mitchell, arguably the Cavs best player this season, had 43 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. He also added 39 points at halftime, which is a high amount even for a player like him. Game 5 was possibly the most exciting match in the series. The game was tied 103-103, and the game went into overtime (a 5-minute extra period of time that occurs when the full 48 minute time is up, and the score is tied). The Cavs ended up winning this very important game, 117The 2026 NBA Playoffs have started off very exciting. But as exciting as the first round was, the second round was just as exciting, if not even more! First off, I will be mentioning the matchup between the 3rd Seed New York Knicks and the 7th Seed Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers. Both teams had exciting first-round matchups, especially the Sixers, who managed to comeback from 3-1 down, with the help of Joel Embiid. However, this matchup wasn’t even close. The Knicks took Game 1 and 2, 137-98 and 108-102. Game 1 wasn’t even close, however, Game 2 was very close. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks in Game 2, with 26 points and 6 assists. Game 3 wasn’t as close, with the Knicks winning 108-94, but the real question was for the Sixers: They came back from 3-1 down, but can they come back from 3-0 down? The answer was no. The most famous game in the series, Game 4, was one of the biggest blowout wins by the Knicks. They won 144-114, with Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride combining for 47 points, advancing the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals (General Semifinals) in last year’s 2025 playoffs too, yet lost to the Indiana Pacers. Last year, the Pacers ended up making it to Game 7 of the NBA Finals. There was another great Eastern Conference matchup between the 4th Seed Cleveland Cavaliers and the 1st Seed Detroit Pistons. The Pistons had just come back from a 3-1 down comeback against the 8th Seed Orlando Magic, and won Game 7, 116-94. The Cavs as well had just come back from a Game 7 too, against the 5th Seed Toronto Raptors, winning 125-94. The Cavs were up 3-2 against the Raptors in the series, but in Game 6 a miracle occurred for the Raptors. The Raptors were down 110-109 in Game 6, when RJ Barrett received a pass with 15 seconds left. He shot a step-back 3-pointer with seconds remaining. The ball bounced off the back of the rim, bouncing six feet up in the air, and after what felt like a lifetime, gravity took it straight down, into the hoop, winning the game for the Raptors, and forcing Game 7. However, the Raptors ended up getting eliminated, but Barrett’s shot will remain one of the best buzzer-beaters for decades. The Pistons unsurprisingly took game 1 and 2, 111-101 and 107-97. However, in game 3, the Cavs turned the tables. They ended up winning 116-109, in a closer game than the previous. This really motivated them, and they managed to steal away Game 4, 112-103, tying the series 2-2. Donovan Mitchell, arguably the Cavs best player this season, had 43 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. He also added 39 points at halftime, which is a high amount even for a player like him. Game 5 was possibly the most exciting match in the series. The game was tied 103-103, and the game went into overtime (a 5-minute extra period of time that occurs when the full 48 minute time is up, and the score is tied). The Cavs ended up winning this very important game, 117-113, and took a 3-2 lead. The Cavs were on a roll! They had won their last three games, and just when they needed it the most as well. But the Pistons wouldn’t let them slip away that easily. They won Game 6, 115-94, tying the series 3-3, and forcing a Winner-Takes-All Game 7 at the Pistons’ home court. Both teams had a Game 7 encounter in the first round, so they both knew the pressure they had, with the winner advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. Surprisingly, with all 6 games being very close, the Cavs put all their energy right when they needed it most, winning Game 7 in a 125-94 blowout win, completing the upset simultaneously. Next, we will move on to the Western Conference, where I will start by mentioning the matchup between the 1st Seed Oklahoma City Thunder and the 4th Seed Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder had previously won four straight games, sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the first round, and were undefeated in the playoffs. Many people expected it highly probable for the Thunder to eliminate the Lakers in -113, and took a 3-2 lead. The Cavs were on a roll! They had won their last three games, and just when they needed it the most as well. But the Pistons wouldn’t let them slip away that easily. They won Game 6, 115-94, tying the series 3-3, and forcing a Winner-Takes-All Game 7 at the Pistons’ home court. Both teams had a Game 7 encounter in the first round, so they both knew the pressure they had, with the winner advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. Surprisingly, with all 6 games being very close, the Cavs put all their energy right when they needed it most, winning Game 7 in a 125-94 blowout win, completing the upset simultaneously. Next, we will move on to the Western Conference, where I will start by mentioning the matchup between the 1st Seed Oklahoma City Thunder and the 4th Seed Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder had previously won four straight games, sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the first round, and were undefeated in the playoffs. Many people expected it highly probable for the Thunder to eliminate the Lakers in one of the biggest blowout wins by the Knicks. They won 144-114, with Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride combining for 47 points, advancing the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals (General Semifinals) in last year’s 2025 playoffs too, yet lost to the Indiana Pacers. Last year, the Pacers ended up making it to Game 7 of the NBA Finals. There was another great Eastern Conference matchup between the 4th Seed Cleveland Cavaliers and the 1st Seed Detroit Pistons. The Pistons had just come back from a 3-1 down comeback against the 8th Seed Orlando Magic, and won Game 7, 116-94. The Cavs as well had just come back from a Game 7 too, against the 5th Seed Toronto Raptors, winning 125-94. The Cavs were up 3-2 against the Raptors in the series, but in Game 6 a miracle occurred for the Raptors. The Raptors were down 110-109 in Game 6, when RJ Barrett received a pass with 15 seconds left. He shot a step-back 3-pointer with seconds remaining. The ball bounced off the back of the rim, bouncing six feet up in the air, and after what felt like a lifetime, gravity took it straight down, into the hoop, winning the game for the Raptors, and forcing Game 7. However, the Raptors ended up getting eliminated, but Barrett’s shot will remain one of the best buzzer-beaters for decades. The Pistons unsurprisingly took game 1 and 2, 111-101 and 107-97. However, in game 3, the Cavs turned the tables. They ended up winning 116-109, in a closer game than the previous. This really motivated them, and they managed to steal away Game 4, 112-103, tying the series 2-2. Donovan Mitchell, arguably the Cavs best player this season, had 43 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. He also added 39 points at halftime, which is a high amount even for a player like him. Game 5 was possibly the most exciting match in the series. The game was tied 103-103, and the game went into overtime (a 5-minute extra period of time that occurs when the full 48 minute time is up, and the score is tied). The Cavs ended up winning this very important game, 117-113, and took a 3-2 lead. The Cavs were on a roll! They had won their last three games, and just when they needed it the most as well. But the Pistons wouldn’t let them slip away that easily. They won Game 6, 115-94, tying the series 3-3, and forcing a Winner-Takes-All Game 7 at the Pistons’ home court. Both teams had a Game 7 encounter in the first round, so they both knew the pressure they had, with the winner advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. Surprisingly, with all 6 games being very close, the Cavs put all their energy right when they needed it most, winning Game 7 in a 125-94 blowout win, completing the upset simultaneously. Next, we will move on to the Western Conference, where I will start by mentioning the matchup between the 1st Seed Oklahoma City Thunder and the 4th Seed Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder had previously won four straight games, sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the first round, and were undefeated in the playoffs. Many people expected it highly probable for the Thunder to eliminate the Lakers in 5 games. The Lakers were ranked 4th in the Western Conference this year, with a 53-29 Regular Season record (53 wins, 29 losses). They finished ranked 3rd in the Western Conference in the 2025 Regular Season, with a 50-32 record. Despite the Lakers being seeded lower than last season, they still had a much better record than last year. However, it just wasn’t enough for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder. The Thunder ended up sweeping the Lakers, keeping their 2026 playoff record undefeated, and keeping their playoff win streak of 8 games. Games 1, 2, and 3 weren’t even close, with the Thunder winning by at least 18 points. The closest game was Game 4, in which the Thunder barely, but still, won in a 5-point 115-110 victory, sweeping the Lakers. And finally, in what most consider to be the best second-round matchup, was the matchup between the 6th Seed Minnesota Timberwolves and the 2nd Seed San Antonio Spurs. Both teams of this Western Conference Matchup came from exciting first-round victories. I’ll start by mentioning the Timberwolves’ very exciting upset against the 3rd Seed Denver Nuggets. The Timberwolves went 49-33 in the 2025-26 Regular Season, surprisingly finishing with the exact same record as the 2024-25 season! They also finished 6th in the Western Conference, same as the 2024-25 season! The Spurs however, had just come from a frustrating first-round series in the first few games, but managed to take control after the first few games. Victor Webanyana, the Spurs 7’ 4” best player, had a concussion and an ejection in the first few games, causing the Spurs to lose game 2 106-103, after Webanyana had his concussion. The Spurs took control after winning the next 3 games. But more about the second-round series. The Timberwolves managed to win game 1, 104-102, despite Webanyana having an NBA Playoff record of 12 blocks! Some people would argue that a few of them were goaltends (an illegal play where an opposing player grabs your shot out of the year, when it is on the downward descent), but the Referees didn’t call anything, so it was official. Despite setting a new record, it clearly wasn’t enough. However, Webanyana and the Spurs clearly got mad, responding in Game 2, with all the Spurs’ starting players and 2 players on their bench scoring in double-digits in a 133-95 extreme blowout win. In Game 3, the Spurs won in a much, much closer 115-108 7-point victory. Despite it being much better than last game, it still wasn’t enough for the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves responded in Game 4, in an even closer 114-109 5-point win, tying the series 2-2. Anthony Edwards , arguably the Timberwolves best player, scored 36 points in their victory. It was pretty clear by now that this was going to be an exciting second-round series. But the Spurs had had enough. They won by 29 and 30 points in Games 5 and 6 respectively, winning the series 4-2. Despite the Timberwolves getting eliminated, it was a very exciting series that will always be remembered. From Spurs Guard Stephon Castle scoring a playoff career-high 32 points, to Webanyana setting a new NBA Playoff record of blocks, that series will always be remembered. We’re two rounds into the playoffs, but this is only when the most exciting games happen, and the Eastern and Western Conference Finals will be packed with action, so be on the lookout for more articles!