The first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs in the Eastern Conference lived up to the hype and then some. While the Western Conference saw quicker resolutions and blowouts in several series, the East delivered non-stop drama with three of four matchups going the full seven games. This showcased real parity across the conference, where seeding often mattered less than execution, health, and momentum. Higher seeds were pushed to the brink (or beyond), and upsets highlighted how competitive the East has become.

Here is a look at how each series unfolded, with key moments, standout performances, and what it means heading into the semifinals.

(1) Detroit Pistons Defeat (8) Orlando Magic 4-3

This series was a roller coaster from the start. The eighth-seeded Magic stunned the top-seeded Pistons in Game 1 with a 112-101 road win, then built a 3-1 lead by taking Games 3 and 4. Orlando looked poised for a massive upset behind Paolo Banchero’s scoring bursts.

Detroit responded with resilience. They forced Game 7 by winning Games 5 and 6, including a stunning 24-point comeback in Game 6 (93-79). In the decisive Game 7 on May 3, the Pistons cruised to a 116-94 victory at home. Cade Cunningham delivered a masterpiece with 32 points and 12 assists, while veteran Tobias Harris added 30 points. It marked Detroit’s first playoff series win in 18 years.

The takeaway? Experience and home-court advantage in Game 7 proved decisive for the Pistons, while the Magic showed some life. Still, that Game 6 collapse will haunt them.

(2) Philadelphia 76ers Defeat (2) Boston Celtics 4-3

One of the biggest upsets in recent playoff history. The Celtics jumped out to a commanding 3-1 lead, but the seventh-seeded 76ers refused to fold. Philadelphia won three straight to force Game 7, capping one of the rare 3-1 comebacks in NBA postseason lore (only the 14th in history).

Game 7 in Boston on May 2 was electric. The 76ers pulled out a 109-100 road victory despite Jayson Tatum missing the game with a knee injury. Joel Embiid dominated with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. Tyrese Maxey added 30 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, while rookie V.J. Edgecombe chipped in 23 points off the bench. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 33 points in a losing effort.

This series snapped Philadelphia’s long playoff struggles against Boston and set up a fascinating rivalry rematch in the next round. Going forward, can Embid thay healthy? That’s the critical question.

(3) New York Knicks Defeat (6) Atlanta Hawks 4-2

The most straightforward series in the East, though it still had its share of competitive moments. The third-seeded Knicks used strong defense and home-court advantage to control the matchup and advance in six games.

New York pulled away decisively in the later contests, including a blowout Game 6 win of 140-89. The Knicks were consistent throughout, avoiding the late drama that defined the other East series. Atlanta showed flashes, particularly early on, but could not sustain the intensity against New York’s balanced attack.

This result reinforced the Knicks as one of the more reliable teams in the conference heading into the semifinals.

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers Defeat (5) Toronto Raptors 4-3

Another seven-game thriller that kept fans on the edge of their seats. The Raptors pushed the fourth-seeded Cavaliers hard, forcing overtime in Game 6 and keeping the series tied heading into the finale. The Cavs got off the a great start to the series, winning the first two games at home, but they couldn’t win in Toronto.

The Raptors won on a miracle shot in Game 6 at home, and they took an early lead on the road in Game 7.

But Cleveland pulled away, winning Game 7 114-102 at home. Jarrett Allen was a beast with a dominating performance in the second half, while Max Strus also provided a spark. The Cavs needed that as they erased a halftime deficit with a dominant third quarter. Donovan Mitchell was mediocre after the first two games, but he also came to life at key moments in the second half.

Toronto’s Scottie Barnes and the supporting cast made it a true test, but Cleveland’s experience and depth at home proved too much in the end.

Why the East Felt So Competitive

Three Game 7s in one round is rare and speaks to the depth and balance in the Eastern Conference this season. Unlike some years where top seeds cruised, every series had genuine doubt until the final moments. Upsets, comebacks from 3-1 deficits, and key injuries all played major roles.

The advancing teams — Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers — now face off in the conference semifinals:

• Pistons vs. Cavaliers
• Knicks vs. 76ers

These matchups promise even more intensity as the East continues to prove it is anyone’s conference.

The Detroit Pistons will have the top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, with the Rockets, Cavs, Raptors and Magic rounding out the top five. Most scots believe this draft is loaded, particularly with the top five prospects.

Cade Cunningham – He’s the consensus top pick, though the Pistons will certainly do their homework on all the top prospects. Cunningham is a 6’8″ point guard who many believe can do it all. He can create his own shot or make plays passing, and is the type of wing player most GMs crave in the modern NBA.

Evan Mobley – Mobley is a modern-day big man who can handle the ball like a guard and shoot from the perimeter while also protecting the rim. As a seven-footer he’s certainly an intriguing prospect.

Jalen Green – He’s a 6’5″ wing player who is probably the most dynamic scorer in the draft. He would be an ideal for for a team like the Cavs but frankly fit the prototype of the NBA wing player who can dominate the game with his athleticism.

Jalen Suggs – A 6’4″ guard who can play the point or off the ball, Suggs is an elite athlete who has a complete game. He’s probably the best known prospect given his time at Gonzaga.

Jonathan Kuminga – Like Green, Kuminga is another G League player who will likely go in the top 5. He has prototypical size at 6’8″ but is more of a raw talent at this point. He’s very athletic with speed, strength and the ability to play above the rim.

It will be interesting to see how things play out as opinions vary on the order that these five should go after Cunningham likely gets picked by the Pistons.

Dwight Howard informed Orlando Magic management late Wednesday night that he wants to stay with the team through next season and will not opt out of his contract, according to sources close to the situation.

Howard plans to sign a waiver of the early termination option in his contract Thursday morning. Until both Howard and his agent sign the waiver, the Magic will assume he is not staying and go ahead with their plans to trade him before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline, sources said.

By signing the waiver, Howard would remain under contract with the Magic through the 2012-2013 season.

Of course this means nothing until Howard signs the paperwork Anything can still happen.

The Dallas Mavericks acquired Lamar Odom from the Los Angeles Lakers, which will have ripple effects throughout the NBA as teams try to finalize rosters in this chaotic period following the NBA lockout. Above you see a photo of Odom battling Dirk Nowitzski last year in the NBA playoffs. Instead of working to get revenge for the Lakers, Odom will now be a crucial part of the Dallas effort to return to the NBA finals.

This trade signals the end of the bizarre saga surrounding the Chris Paul trade that was rejected by David Stern. That controversial decision has rocked the NBA, and now we’ll be hearing about it over and over again as New Orleans tries to unload Paul to another team. The Lakers decided to back out of the talks rather than submit a new trade from Chris Paul to the league, and in dealing Odom put an abrupt end to that scenario. Meanwhile, the Lakers now seem to be focusing their attention on acquiring Dwight Howard in a deal that would involve Andrew Bynum.

As for the Mavericks, this trade for Odom became possible when they decided to work a deal with the New York Knicks when it became clear they would be losing center Tyson Chandler to the Knicks. That gave the Mavs an $11 million trade exception which they then used to acquire Odom. Odom made it clear he didn’t want to leave LA, but the powers that be clearly decided to go in another direction.

Dallas has more moves to make as it reworks in roster in the wake of losing Chandler. Chandler was a very important piece of their championship puzzle, but he’s the kind of player that can be replaced. Dallas is now one of the teams that might get a shot at landing Dwight Howard as the Orlando Magic have permitted them along with the Lakers and the New Jersey Nets. There’s also buzz out there that Vince Carter will land in Dallas as well. Carter can still score, but he’s not the kind of player one thinks of to help a championship team. Maybe he’ll be better in a reduced role.

The Dwight Howard sweepstakes will be the next big story that will have ripple effects around the league. We’ll see how serious Dallas is in that contest.

Kevin Pelton of ESPN says not so fast. (Insider subscription required, unfortunately.)

Should Howard make it clear that he wants to leave Orlando when his contract expires, the Lakers will be a logical trade destination because of the bright lights of L.A. and their ability to offer Andrew Bynum to the Magic. In the long run, making Howard the latest superstar center to wear Forum blue and gold would be a way for the Lakers to prepare for a future in which Kobe Bryant is no longer the team’s go-to player. Still, the transition would be painful in the short term, depending on what the Lakers had to deal in such a scenario.

Behind Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, post depth has long been a weakness for the Lakers. To get Howard, they’d likely have to surrender two of their three stalwarts. The Lakers have been able to survive for stretches without Bynum by playing Gasol and Odom heavy minutes, but that has taken its toll over time and going with just two reliable big men for an entire season would be difficult.

There’s a saying… don’t cut off your nose to spite your face. And that’s exactly what the Lakers would be doing if they did not seize the opportunity to trade for Dwight Howard, whether it costs some combination of Bynum, Gasol or Odom or not.

Howard represents a life after Kobe for the Lakers and giving up front court depth is a small price to play for that long-term positioning. Bynum would almost surely be involved in any potential deal for Howard, so the question is whether or not it’s worth giving up Gasol or Odom to get the Magic to bite. To me, that’s a no-brainer. Make the deal and then sign someone like Kurt Thomas to backup your big men.

Depth on the front line is hard to come by but so are bona fide franchise centers. Do the deal.

It was a Graduation Night of sorts as three teams closed out their respective series instead of letting things go to a Game 7.

Hawks 84, Magic 81
Joe Johnson (23 points) and Jamal Crawford (19) led the way for the Hawks, who shot just just 39% from the field (to the Magic’s 43%), but still managed to win due to three extra three-pointers and seven more offensive rebounds. Dwight Howard had 25 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and six turnovers. He averaged 5.5 turnovers against the Hawks, which is way too many for any player, especially a big man.

Where do the Magic go from here? Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Wasn’t it just two years ago that Orlando was an up-and-coming team giving the Lakers a good run in the NBA Finals? Pay attention, kids. This is what trading for Vince Carter (and then Gilbert Arenas) will do to you. Whatever mojo the Magic had is clearly gone and they could very well have their own Carmelo Anthony situation brewing with Dwight Howard scheduled to become a free agent after next season.

Lakers 98, Hornets 80
The Lakers enjoyed nice games from each of their top four players. Kobe (24 points), Pau Gasol (16 points, eight rebounds), Andrew Bynum (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Lamar Odom (14 points, eight rebounds) all played well, and when that happens, the Lakers are nearly impossible to beat. The difference in this game was on the glass, where the Lakers’ length outrebounded the Hornets by 13, including seven additional offensive rebounds. Offensive rebounds equal extra possessions, and extra possessions usually equal points.

Where do the Hornets go from here? I’ve been impressed with Chris Paul and the Hornets this season, and taking two games off the defending champs without your second best player (David West) is not an easy feat. That said, Paul is probably going to become a free agent after next season, so the Hornets will have to re-sign West at an injury discount and find a bona fide shooting guard soon, because Marco Bellineli isn’t going to cut it. (He was serviceable during the season, but had a dreadful series shooting the ball.) There is the makings of a contender here, but to convince CP3 to re-up, the Hornets need West to return to form and they need to land a really good perimeter scorer, and those aren’t easy to find.

Mavericks 103, Blazers 96
Many pundits, including myself, picked the Blazers in this series and it just didn’t happen. The Mavs shrugged off the Game 4 debacle and showed some grit by winning both Game 5 and Game 6 to close out the series. Dirk Nowitzki led the way with 33 points (on 11-of-17 shooting, highly efficient) to go along with 11 rebounds. Shawn Marion (16 points, six rebounds) has been playing well lately, averaging 14 points over the last three games. He’s the X-factor for the Mavs.

Where do the Blazers go from here? Portland has a nice team, but they’re never going to get over the hump with this lineup, largely because Brandon Roy’s knees aren’t healthy enough to get them there. He has four more $15 M+ years on his contract and if he doesn’t somehow get back to form soon, that deal is destined to hamstring the franchise. Portland should be building around LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and maybe Gerald Wallace, so they really need to strike gold by finding a Ty Lawson-type point guard in the late first round of the draft. Kemba Walker is that kind of player, but he’ll probably be long gone by the time the Blazers pick. Portland is in no man’s land (too good for the lottery, but not good enough to contend) and it looks like a long, hard road ahead. Roy’s contract is a great example of why guaranteed deals should be a max of 3-4 years.

— Stan Van Gundy

The Heat’s summer celebration (after signing LeBron, Wade and Bosh) raised more than a few eyebrows around the league. I’m sure the players and franchise just wanted to celebrate the fact that they signed all three players, but it clearly didn’t go over very well outside of South Florida.

It is funny that anyone in their position would be surprised at the attention the team is getting. Of course the team is going to be under heavy scrutiny after the summer it had. And when you lose four games in a row, that attention isn’t going to be positive. Man up.