The playoffs nba schedule is now officially in motion, with the 2026 first-round matchups and scores laid out in Eastern Time. The opening games have already started, and several series are now under way with home teams taking early control.
Opening games set the tone in playoffs nba
The most immediate result in the playoffs nba race came in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors 126-113 in Game 1 to take a 1-0 series lead. The New York Knicks also opened with a win, topping the Atlanta Hawks 113-102 to move ahead 1-0. Denver joined that group with a 116-105 Game 1 victory over Minnesota, giving the Nuggets a 1-0 edge as the first round moves deeper into the week.
Other series began with their schedules already mapped out. The Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets opened with Los Angeles winning 107-98, while the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, and Oklahoma City Thunder all have their first-round schedules set across multiple dates. All listed times are in Eastern Time, with several later games still marked time TBD.
What the schedule shows now
The Cleveland-Toronto series continues Monday, April 20 at Cleveland at 7 p. m., then shifts to Toronto on Thursday, April 23 at 8 p. m. and Sunday, April 26 at 1 p. m. The Knicks-Hawks series resumes Monday, April 20 at New York at 8 p. m., followed by games in Atlanta on Thursday, April 23 at 7 p. m. and Saturday, April 25 at 6 p. m.
Boston and Philadelphia start Sunday, April 19 at Boston at 1 p. m., with Game 2 set for Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p. m. Detroit and Orlando opened Sunday, April 19 in Detroit at 6: 30 p. m., while San Antonio and Portland began the same day at San Antonio at 9 p. m. Oklahoma City opened Sunday, April 19 against Phoenix at 3: 30 p. m., and Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22 at 9: 30 p. m.
Immediate reactions from the scoreboard
The scoreboard itself tells the story: home teams delivered the first punch in several matchups. Cleveland, New York, Denver, and Los Angeles all protected home court in their openers, while the rest of the bracket now moves into a packed stretch of April games.
With the playoffs nba schedule stacked across both conferences, the next wave of games will show whether the early home-court edge holds or whether the visitors answer back. The playoffs nba picture will sharpen as the series shift venues and the later dates fill in.
What comes next
The next few days will bring more movement across the bracket, including Toronto, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Orlando, Houston, Minnesota, Portland, Phoenix, and the remaining home sites on the calendar. Several games already have confirmed start times, while later dates remain open, keeping the playoffs nba schedule live and unfinished as the first round develops.
