2026 NBA playoffs: Western Conference first-round takeawaysNBA InsidersMultiple AuthorsMay 1, 2026, 12:27 AM ET
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The 2026 playoffs are underway, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game in the march to the Finals. Which top seeds are cruising and which could be in danger of a first-round upset? Which stars are shining and which players are breaking through on the playoff stage?
As the Western Conference playoffs continue, here’s what matters most and what to watch in all four series.
More coverage:
East takeaways | Schedules and results | Offseason guides
(6) Minnesota Timberwolves eliminate (3) Denver Nuggets 4-2
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Game 1: Nuggets 116, Timberwolves 105
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Game 2: Timberwolves 119, Nuggets 114
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Game 3: Timberwolves 113, Nuggets 96
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Game 4: Timberwolves 112, Nuggets 96
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Game 5: Nuggets 125, Timberwolves 113
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Game 6: Timberwolves 110, Nuggets 98
Biggest takeaway from Game 6: Denver’s stars didn’t do enough. Nikola Jokic’s uncharacteristically inefficient start to the series — 39.7% shooting through four games — buried the Nuggets in a 3-1 hole. He eventually woke up, but Jamal Murray didn’t. That burned them in Thursday night’s season-ender. Murray went 4-of-17 in the Game 6 loss, capping off a dreadful 46-of-139 on the series from the field. That’s a 33% conversion on more than 23 shots per game. On the Minnesota side, the credit goes to Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels. Both were excellent defensively, carrying a wounded Timberwolves team across the finish line without Anthony Edwards. McDaniels, in particular, introduced himself to the nation as a central figure in this series as he spiked the temperature with his words and closed it out with his play. McDaniels had 32 points and 10 rebounds in Game 6 and was draped all over Murray for two weeks. — Anthony Slater
Round 2 opponent: San Antonio Spurs
(4) Los Angeles Lakers lead (5) Houston Rockets 3-2
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Game 1: Lakers 107, Rockets 98
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Game 2: Lakers 101, Rockets 94
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Game 3: Lakers 112, Rockets 108 (OT)
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Game 4: Rockets 115, Lakers 96
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Game 5: Rockets 99, Lakers 93
Biggest takeaway from Game 5: Out of Tuesday’s practices, there were a couple of telling quotes from the Lakers and Rockets that gave insight into the mindsets of both teams. On the Lakers side, coach JJ Redick was asked about the difficulty of closing out a series after L.A. failed in its first attempt in Game 4 and reported: “Well, you have to kill them. It’s difficult to kill someone.” And in Houston, forward Jabari Smith Jr. let it be known just how alive the Rockets felt like their chances are in the series. “We’re obviously the better team, I feel like,” he reported.
Smith’s 3 to put the Rockets up by 13 with 9:56 to go in the fourth quarter Wednesday certainly supported both of the previous day’s statements. The Lakers made a push, cutting Houston’s lead to three on a layup by LeBron James (25 points, seven assists) with 2:59 to go, but Reed Sheppard responded with four straight points in the next 39 seconds to put Houston back up by seven, with the second score coming after stealing it from James. The Rockets couldn’t be killed, and turnovers — much like in Game 4 — did in the Lakers again. They coughed up 15, leading to 18 points for Houston. — Dave McMenamin
Game 6: Lakers at Rockets (Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
What to watch in Game 6: One of the factors that Redick reported impacted the Lakers in Game 4 was the 48-hour turnaround after playing into overtime in Game 3. But that was when the team was already in Houston. Now the team will have just 48 hours between Games 5 and 6, with a 3½-hour flight to take in between. The difference this time is the Lakers will have Austin Reaves, who scored 22 points with six assists but shot just 4-of-16 in his first game back after a month. It remains to be seen if the extra two days will allow the Rockets to get Kevin Durant back in the lineup. Durant has missed the past three games with a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle. — McMenamin
(2) San Antonio Spurs eliminate (7) Portland Trail Blazers 4-1
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Game 1: Spurs 111, Trail Blazers 98
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Game 2: Trail Blazers 106, Spurs 103
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Game 3: Spurs 120, Trail Blazers 108
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Game 4: Spurs 114, Trail Blazers 93
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Game 5: Spurs 114, Trail Blazers 95
Biggest takeaway from Game 5: Spurs forward Devin Vassell discussed at the team’s shootaround Tuesday morning the need to ensure a fast start by “being ultra locked in” from the beginning of Game 5 to close out the Portland Trail Blazers in this best-of-seven series.
San Antonio delivered by starting Game 5 on a 12-2 run that ballooned into a 28-point lead with 1:56 left in the first half after a Stephon Castle free throw made the score 65-37. Credit the hot shooting of Julian Champagnie for San Antonio’s scorching start. Champagnie made 4-of-5 from 3-point range over the first two quarters and 5-of-7 from the field for a team that shot 67% in the first half, which tied for San Antonio’s best shooting half of the season, including the playoffs. Veteran point guard De’Aaron Fox delivered seven assists in the first half with the Spurs shooting 7-of-7 for 16 points off his passes, according to ESPN Research. San Antonio also scored 10 points off four Portland turnovers in building a monstrous lead that proved too much to overcome. — Michael C. Wright
Round 2 opponent: Winner of Timberwolves/Nuggets series (Minnesota leads 3-2)
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder eliminate (8) Phoenix Suns 4-0
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Game 1: Thunder 119, Suns 84
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Game 2: Thunder 120, Suns 107
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Game 3: Thunder 121, Suns 109
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Game 4: Thunder 131, Suns 122
Biggest takeaway from Game 4: Once again, the first round served as a nice warmup for the top-seeded Thunder. Oklahoma City is 12-0 in first-round games under coach Mark Daigneault, sweeping an 8-seed for the third consecutive postseason.
According to ESPN Research, the Thunder became the fourth defending champion to sweep its first-round series with four double-digit wins. The previous two (2012-13 Miami Heat and 1989-90 Detroit Pistons) repeated as champions. On the other hand, the Suns have lost their past 10 playoff games over a four-year span, matching the Brooklyn Nets for the longest active postseason losing streak in the league. — Tim MacMahon
Round 2 opponent: Winner of Lakers/Rockets series (Los Angeles leads 3-1)
