2026 NBA playoff preview: Series breakdowns, X-factors, predictions and rankings

2026 NBA playoff preview: Series breakdowns, X-factors, predictions and rankings

The2026 NBA Playoffsbegin on Saturday, and we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know for the first round.

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Complete schedule•How to watch•Betting odds

Series previews and predictions

Mar 16, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) dribbles the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Dan Devine and Ben Rohrbach are breaking down every first-round series, from the key matchups to the big questions.

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East:Hawks-Knicks•Raptors-CavaliersWest:Wolves-Nuggets•Rockets-Lakers

Playoff X-factors

(Dillon Marshall/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

For every team, there is one player who can swing the series, for better or worse. Let’s look at one X-factor for every team.Kevin O'Connor

Power Rankings

(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

We power ranked every team based on where they finished the regular season in the hunt for a championship.Ben Rohrbach

Playoff experience … is it overrated?

(Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Many point to the San Antonio’s inexperience as the thing that will lead to its eventual downfall. But is its youth a bug … or a feature?Tom Haberstroh

Podcast previews

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