Game 7s, blowouts, and a backcourt-less Minnesota. Week 2 delivered.
Week 2 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs delivered some of the most dramatic NBA playoff results we've seen all year. A 51-point blowout. A team that lost its entire starting backcourt and still won the series. A 24-point comeback on the road. A buzzer-beating three-pointer in overtime. Kevin Durant's durability becoming a real concern. Three Game 7s.
This is why we watch.
The Story of the Week: Minnesota Does It Without Everyone
Let's start with the most remarkable story of the round.
The Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated the Denver Nuggets — and they did it without Anthony Edwards, without Donte DiVincenzo, and without Ayo Dosunmu, who had been one of the best players in Game 4. That is their entire starting backcourt plus a key bench contributor. Gone.
Denver was already playing without Aaron Gordon for much of the series, so neither team was fully healthy. But what Minnesota pulled off was extraordinary. The Timberwolves dug deep into their roster, asked guys to step up in roles they weren't prepared for, and still found a way to close it out. That's not luck — that's depth, toughness, and smart roster construction.
The question now: can they get healthy before the second round, or are they going to try and make a deep run this shorthanded? Either way, they have already earned the right to be taken seriously.
Knicks Send a Message With a 51-Point Blowout
If anyone in the Eastern Conference needed a reminder of how dangerous the New York Knicks are, Game 6 against Atlanta provided it.
New York closed out the Hawks by 51 points — one of the largest playoff margins in recent history. The Knicks controlled every aspect of that series and finished it in the most dominant fashion possible. Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby have been exceptional, and Madison Square Garden is going to be an absolute cauldron in the second round.
The Knicks look like the most complete team in the East right now.
Kevin Durant and the Question Nobody Wants to Ask
The Los Angeles Lakers eliminated the Houston Rockets in six games, and the series told a difficult story about where Kevin Durant is in his career.
Durant missed Games 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 — first with a knee issue, then with a left ankle sprain sustained in Game 2. He is 37 years old and turns 38 in September. The Rockets, a team built around him to compete, watched their season end without their best player on the floor for most of it.
Nobody questions what Durant has been. He is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. But his durability is becoming a real concern at 37. A player who missed time in the regular season and then couldn't stay on the floor in the playoffs raises legitimate questions about how much runway is left.
Houston has to look at this offseason and ask hard questions. Is KD still the right centerpiece to build around? Can he stay healthy enough to justify it? There are no easy answers, but the questions are legitimate.
Three Game 7s — Because the Playoffs Owed Us Some Drama
Pistons 24-Point Comeback
Detroit trailed Orlando by 24 points on the road in Game 6. They came all the way back to win and force a Game 7. That is one of the most stunning comebacks of the entire playoffs. The Magic had this series in hand and let it slip away. Game 7 is anyone's.
76ers Force Game 7 Against Boston
Nobody saw this coming. The Philadelphia 76ers — who had watched Joel Embiid return from appendicitis in the middle of the series — won at home to force a winner-take-all Game 7 against the Celtics. Boston took a commanding 3-1 lead and had every reason to feel comfortable. Now they have to win one more.
The Celtics are still favorites. But this series just got a lot more interesting.
Raptors Buzzer-Beater Forces Game 7
Toronto hit a three-pointer with two seconds left in overtime to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers and force a Game 7. Just an absolutely wild finish. The Raptors have been fighting all series and now they get a chance to pull off what would be a genuine upset. Cleveland has to respond.
NBA Playoff Matchups: Game 7 Schedule and Series Updates
Already through to Round 2:
- New York Knicks (over Hawks)
- Los Angeles Lakers (over Rockets)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (over Nuggets)
- San Antonio Spurs (over Trail Blazers) — Wembanyama returned from concussion protocol and San Antonio closed it out
- Oklahoma City Thunder (over Suns)
Round 2 matchups set:
- San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves — a rematch of two Western Conference heavyweights, healthy vs. banged up
- Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Three Game 7s still to come:
- Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic
- Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors
This has been an exceptional first round. The second round is going to be even better.
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