NBA playoffs openers: Celtics, Thunder win big
NBA playoffs first-round openers on April 19, 2026 saw Celtics and Thunder blowout wins as MVP and Rookie finalists were announced.
Mehmet Şahinoğlu ·
The 2026 NBA Playoffs moved into a second day of first-round play on April 19, 2026, with four series openers scheduled across multiple arenas. The slate included Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons, and Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs.
Two games produced decisive early statements. Boston routed Philadelphia 123-91, a result the team said represented the Celtics’ largest margin of victory in a franchise playoff opener. In the Western Conference matchup, Oklahoma City beat Phoenix 119-84, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posting postseason career-highs at the free-throw line, making 15 and attempting 17.
Elsewhere, the Magic-Pistons opener was still in progress at the time of the update. Orlando led Detroit 55-51 at halftime behind Paolo Banchero’s 17 points and Jalen Suggs’ 11 points, keeping the contest tight compared with the day’s earlier blowouts.
Away from the live action, the league’s awards calendar intersected with the playoff schedule. Before and during the Magic-Pistons game, officials announced finalists for the 2025-26 NBA Awards, adding another layer of attention to players and teams already under postseason scrutiny.
For the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player award, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, and Victor Wembanyama were named as finalists. For the Kia NBA Rookie of the Year award, VJ Edgecombe, Cooper Flagg, and Kon Knueppel were selected as finalists.
While the results are sports-focused, the opening weekend of the playoffs is also a major live-events moment that concentrates global viewership and commercial activity around arenas and broadcasts. The combination of lopsided wins, an in-progress close game, and high-profile awards finalists can shape near-term attention across the league’s biggest markets and international fan bases.
Several elements remained unresolved at the time of reporting. The Magic-Pistons outcome was not yet final, and the Trail Blazers-Spurs opener was listed on the day’s schedule without a reported score in the update. The awards announcements identified finalists, but did not include winners.