The first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs has turned wild, and the top-seeded Detroit Pistons are suddenly in danger of going out in the opening round. Nikola Jokić’s Denver Nuggets are also facing elimination, while the defending champions have already swept the eighth-seeded Suns.
That sweep leaves the champions waiting on either the hobbled Lakers or the hobbled Rockets in the next round. The Rockets could get Kevin Durant back, while the Lakers are hoping Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves return soon enough to matter.
The Celtics have handled their business more cleanly than almost anyone else. They took both games in Philadelphia, won Game 4 by 32 points and carry a 3-1 lead back to Boston on Tuesday, while no other top-four seed in the East leads its series entering Tuesday’s action.
The Spurs have matched that pace. They hold a 3-1 lead after Victor Wembanyama returned from a concussion he suffered when he smacked his chin against the hardwood in the only game San Antonio lost, then finished plus-28 in 34 minutes of Game 4. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are part of a young nucleus that already looks ahead of schedule.
The panic ranking changes quickly because the margins are so thin. The Magic dominated the Hornets in the second play-in tournament game and then stole a 3-1 lead against the top-seeded Pistons in the first round, while the Raptors managed to even things up in their own series and keep themselves alive. Detroit’s problems are the most obvious, but Denver’s position is just as dangerous now that Jokić is staring at elimination.
The Suns, for their part, outperformed expectations all season before meeting an Oklahoma City team that was deeper and better constructed. Jordan Ott instilled a winning culture there, and Dillon Brooks brought an attitude that fit the group. The Blazers probably will not survive San Antonio, even if Deni Avdija has looked every bit like a Playoff Guy; Portland still needs defense and one more big piece.
What comes next is the real shape of the bracket: Boston is headed home with control, San Antonio looks secure, and the defending champions are sitting in the best spot of all, already through and waiting for the Lakers or Rockets to emerge. The 2026 NBA playoffs may still have a long way to go, but the first round has already separated the teams that can absorb chaos from the ones cracking under it.