The second round has arrived in the 2026 NBA playoffs. Eight teams remain after an intriguing first round that saw a pair of 3-1 comebacks, a few upsets and some notable injuries. It’s Knicks vs. 76ers and Pistons vs. Cavaliers in the East, and Spurs vs. Timberwolves and Thunder vs. Lakers in the West.
Second-round action tips off Monday night. Who will make it to the conference finals? That’s what our experts are here to predict. Let’s get to it.
New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Botkin: 76ers in 7. This is the marquee second-round matchup, and I’m going with what I believe at this point is the more talented team. This assumes a healthy enough Joel Embiid for the duration, which is a dangerous, if not outright irresponsible assumption, but life is for the adventurous. The Knicks aren’t going to have anywhere to hide Jalen Brunson in this series and Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Paul George are going to be hunting him relentlessly. Maxey is built for this kind of series. He’s going to take over the Garden.
Gonzalez: Knicks in 7. The Knicks were the better team at both ends of the floor this season, but what if Embiid had been healthy (healthier? Healthy-ish?) and Paul George hadn’t been suspended for 25 games? What seed might the Sixers have gotten with a fully functioning roster led by that blur of a backcourt? As the Celtics just found out, that makes for a formidable opponent. Should be an entertaining series between two teams (and fan bases) that don’t dig each other.
Herbert: 76ers in 6. This feels like a coin flip to me, and the safe pick is New York, given how the Knicks finished their series against Atlanta and the fact that Joel Embiid was hobbling around near the end of Game 7 in Boston on Saturday. I’ve decided not to be safe, though, and instead allow myself to imagine Embiid continuing the remarkable run he’s on. If he’s more or less healthy, this is the most fascinating matchup of the bunch
Maloney: Knicks in 6. If Joel Embiid and Paul George are going to play like they did in the Celtics series, the Sixers’ entire outlook changes. It’s just hard to have faith that will happen. The Knicks looked unbelievable to close out the Hawks and will carry that momentum into the second round.
Quinn: Knicks in 7. These teams may have played two years ago, but the rosters look quite different. Karl-Anthony Towns poses a different set of defensive problems for Philadelphia than New York’s old centers did. Will he be able to draw Joel Embiid out of the paint, or will the 76ers put a wing on him as Atlanta did? New York seemed to figure out how to beat that approach by using Towns as a hub late in that series. Tyrese Maxey’s speed poses a big problem for New York as it did two yeras ago, but with VJ Edgecombe and Paul George now on the team, there are far fewer places to hide Jalen Brunson. Expect the Sixers to pull him into as many screens as possible. Ultimately, New York’s edge comes down to durability. It’s easier to imagine a Knicks team that has been mostly healthy all year surviving seven games than Embiid doing so.
Salerno: Knicks in 6. This is the second-round series I’m most looking forward to watching. Just some good ‘ol fashion hatred between the New York and Philadelphia fan bases. I’ll keep a particularly close eye on Joel Embiid vs. Karl-Anthony Towns. Those two have history dating back to 2019, when Embiid and Towns beefed on social media.
Wimbish: 76ers in 7. This is going to be the best series of the second round… hopefully. Joel Embiid has been downright dominant, and while the Knicks have more size than the Celtics had to challenge him, Karl-Anthony Towns doesn’t have the defensive chops to actually stop Embiid. The Sixers have the depth to push this series the distance, as well as a versatile offense that is finally healthy and humming at the right time. The Sixers are the underdogs, but I’m leaning on an offensive unit that also features Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and VJ Edgecombe, all of whom could take over a game at any point.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Botkin: Spurs in 6. I’m going to assume Anthony Edwards returns by Game 2. In that scenario, the Wolves are the sneakiest team remaining in these playoffs. Nobody puts them in the elite class, and yet they’ve been to two straight conference finals and just smoked the Nuggets. That said, the Spurs are another level. I picked them to win it all, so I’m certainly picking them to win this series.
Gonzalez: Spurs in 5. Anthony Edwards is questionable for Game 1, and there’s a chance he returns from a knee injury sooner than later. But this is still a lot to ask of the hobbled Wolves. No Donte DiVincenzo. Ayo Dosunmo is day-to-day. And even if/when Ant comes back, what version of him will be on the court? Will he be limited physically or on a minutes restriction? Meanwhile, the Spurs have had their feet up for the better part of a week waiting to clobber their second-round opponent. Feels like Wemby and Co. are on a glide path to the conference finals matchup everyone outside of Minnesota and L.A. wants to see.
Herbert: Spurs in 5. After the Denver series, going up against San Antonio’s defense is going to be a shock to the system for the Wolves. If they were healthier, I’d predict that this would go longer, but I have no idea what version of Anthony Edwards they’re going to get.
Maloney: Spurs in 5. I would have picked the Spurs in this matchup even if everyone was healthy, but Anthony Edwards might not be back until Game 3. The Timberwolves were able to get past the Nuggets despite Edwards’ absence, but the Spurs are a significantly better defensive team.
Quinn: Spurs in 5. This would have been a far more interesting series if Minnesota had been at full strength. They just don’t have enough offense with Anthony Edwards hobbled. He’s questionable for Game 1, an encouraging sign that he’ll make it back at some point. That should give the Timberwolves enough juice to take one of their home games. Otherwise, this is a mismatch. Minnesota’s upset over Denver relied on an absolutely porous Nuggets defense. It’s hard to imagine Jaden McDaniels torching the Spurs to that degree. The common defensive strategy against Victor Wembanyama this season has been to put a wing on him and a center on Stephon Castle. McDaniels and Rudy Gobert should execute that strategy as well as anyone could. But it won’t matter if they’re scoring in the 80s every night.
Salerno: Wolves in 7. If Anthony Edwards can get healthy in time, give me Minnesota in 7. I liked what I saw in the last series vs. Denver. After going chalk for the entire first round, this is the upset I’m going with.
Wimbish: Spurs in 5. Victor Wembanyama going against his countryman in Rudy Gobert will be a treat. But this is yet another series ruined by injuries. Anthony Edwards could miss multiple games with a hyperextended knee, and Donte DiVincenzo is out with an Achilles tear. Ayo Dosunmu even got banged up in the first round. I just don’t see the Wolves being able to push this series without Edwards fully healthy.
Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Botkin: Pistons in 7. It’s possible that Detroit just saw its toughest Eastern Conference opponent in the first round. It’s also possible the Magic stink so badly at offense that they were actually the only team the Pistons can beat in this field. I don’t have much confidence in either of these teams, to be honest, so I’m going with the best player, and that’s Cade Cunningham.
Gonzalez: Pistons in 7. I’ve been stumping for the Pistons all season. This is mostly me being stubborn. All the issues and problems that their critics warned about were on full display during the unsightly first-round series against a Magic team that had no business making them work that hard. But ugly as it was, the Pistons still found a way to win. If they want to get past the Cavs, they have to slow down Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Evan Mobley. Cade Cunningham has to be the best player on the floor. Tobias Harris can’t disappear. Jalen Duren has to be worlds better than he was in the first round. It would help if Duncan Robinson hit a normal number of open 3s. And Detroit has to turn this series into another physical, low-scoring rock fight. Avert your eyes.
Herbert: Cavs in 6. Both of these teams came much closer than most expected to losing in the first round, and I’m not feeling as good about either of them as I did heading into the playoffs. I’m picking Cleveland, though, for a pretty simple reason: I have more confidence in its offense than I do in Detroit’s.
Maloney: Pistons in 7. The Pistons pulled off a 3-1 comeback to avoid an extremely disappointing first-round exit, and surviving that challenge should lift a weight off their shoulders. The Cavaliers have more firepower than the Magic, but they cannot match Orlando’s defensive toughness and physicality. In some ways, this could be an easier series for the Pistons.
Quinn: Cavs in 7. Cleveland just faced and struggled with a somewhat similar opponent in Toronto. Detroit just barely eeked through a series against a team that couldn’t score. Cleveland’s offense is orders of magnitude better than Orlando’s, but the Cavaliers lack that same rugged, defensive identity. Cleveland doesn’t have the same roaming, defensive weapon Orlando had in Jalen Suggs to punish Ausar Thompson’s lack of shooting, but Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen will live in the paint in this matchup and dare Detroit to make jumpers. Jalen Duren has to be better in this matchup, but given some of the struggles Allen has had with playoff physicality in the past, maybe he can be. In the end, I just favor offense over defense. I think Cleveland is going to have an easier time getting stops when it counts than Detroit will have generating buckets.
Salerno: Pistons in 7. Cade Cunningham was incredible in Game 7 vs. Orlando. I would be shocked if this series doesn’t go at least six games. Give me Detroit to advance to the ECF. Cleveland will need the best version of Donovan Mitchell after he didn’t have his best showing against Toronto.
Wimbish: Pistons in 7. A lot has to go right for the Pistons to win this series. They’ll have to study the heck out of what the Raptors did to slow Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Tobias Harris has to be consistent. Jalen Duren cannot be a ghost. Cade Cunningham has to be the best player on the floor. OK, so writing it out makes this seems even less likely that it’s going to go Detroit’s way. But I just watched a Cavaliers team sputter to the finish line against the Raptors. The Pistons, meanwhile, figured things out as the series wore on against Orlando. So I’m going with Detroit (also because I picked them to advance to the NBA Finals).
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Botkin: Thunder in 4. Luka Dončić and Jalen Williams are both dealing with hamstring injuries, but Williams is a much safer bet to be back in this series. And, besides that, he’s damn near a luxury for Thunder. Dončić, on the other hand, is pretty much everything to the Lakers in a series this demanding. Calling back-to-back sweeps for OKC.
Gonzalez: Thunder in 4. In the penultimate week of the regular season, the Lakers were cruising. They had won 15 of 17 games. Luka, LeBron and Austin Reaves were all healthy. Then they went to OKC, suffered their worst loss in years, and Dončić and Reaves got hurt. The best the Lakers can hope for here is that everyone makes it out healthy.
Herbert: Thunder in 4. Even with Jalen Williams out, OKC’s defense and depth is going to be a lot for Los Angeles to handle. I hope Luka comes back and makes this interesting, but I’m not counting on it.
Maloney: Thunder in 5. The Thunder are just better, and have a far greater ability to withstand Jalen Williams’ absence than the Lakers do to withstand Luka Dončić’s absence. Even with Austin Reaves back, how are the Lakers possibly going to score enough in this series?
Quinn: Thunder in 4. There is absolutely no shame in this. The Lakers have already vastly overachieved just by reaching this point. But they’re not going to be able to score on Oklahoma City without Luka Dončić, who is still week-to-week. The Lakers needed wild early series shooting variance, Kevin Durant‘s injury and quite a bit of Houston dysfunction to escape the first round. Oklahoma City is better, deeper and more disciplined. This could’ve been a competitive series, but with their best player still hurt, the Lakers just don’t have much hope here.
Salerno: Thunder in 5. Even if Luka Dončić were healthy, I would still give OKC the edge. The Rockets won the statistical battle against Los Angeles, but the key difference was shotmaking. The Thunder will make the Lakers pay in that department. It’s hard to count out LeBron after he helped his team pull off a major upset against Houston, but the Thunder are a different beast.
Wimbish: Thunder in 5. The Thunder aren’t the Rockets. The Lakers aren’t just going to win games because the other team lacks an offensive identity or has injuries to star players. Austin Reaves being back helps matters. But without Luka Dončić for the entirety of this series, I feel this will be over before Dončić can even return.
;)
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