Winners (Jayson Tatum) and losers (Rockets) from NBA playoff Game 1s

Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAYMon, April 20, 2026 at 12:14 AM UTC

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Winners (Jayson Tatum) and losers (Rockets) from NBA playoff Game 1s

The first weekend of the 2026 NBA playoffs has wrapped up, with each first-round series having one game completed.

And, thus far, every higher seed has taken care of home-court advantage, but the playoffs are a long haul and series can change on an instant.

This may be disappointing to the rest of the league, but arguably no team was as impressive as the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who dominated in their postseason opener.

So what, exactly, can be gleaned from the early games of the playoffs? Plenty.

Here are the winners and losers from the first weekend of the 2026 NBA playoffs:

1 / 0Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style

The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.

WINNERSJayson Tatum

What he’s doing, 11 months removed from a torn Achilles, is nothing short of spectacular. Tatum shined in his return to the playoffs, posting an all-around efficient game of 25 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists. His day would’ve been even better had he not shot 1-of-7 from 3-point range, but Boston looked every part of a legitimate threat in the East in its commanding win Sunday over Sixers.

Knicks defensive versatility

Speaking of contenders in the East, the Knicks sent a message Saturday against an upstart Hawks squad that can generate offense from different sources. New York harassed the Hawks, deploying Josh Hart on Jalen Johnson, which allowed OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges to fly around the perimeter and smother other weapons. Even Karl-Anthony Towns made his presence felt with a team-high 3 blocks.

The Nuggets-Timberwolves series

This is, by far, the gem of the round. They’re frequent opponents, having met in three of the last four playoffs. These are fierce, competitive teams that don’t like each other. And these teams are fairly evenly matched. The play was physical, chippy and compelling, and there’s no shortage of star power. The rest of the series should be fascinating.

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Donovan Mitchell is on a mission

Although he has put up statistically impressive performances in the postseason, Donovan Mitchell often draws criticism because his teams have never gotten past the second round. Mitchell appears determined to erase that narrative; in Game 1 on Saturday, Mitchell dropped 32 points and 4 assists on the Raptors. He, James Harden and backup guard Max Strus combined to shoot 12-of-20 (60%) from beyond the arc.

So are the Oklahoma City Thunder

The defending champions looked hungry, efficient and cohesive in a 35-point blowout victory over the Suns. The defense, unsurprisingly, was oppressive, holding Phoenix to just 34.9% shooting. That, plus the 17 turnovers Oklahoma City forced, opened the path for easier transition points, with the Thunder taking an 18-2 edge on fastbreak points.

1 / 0NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energyMoondog performs during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena.LOSERSLower seeds

The first round of the playoffs tends to produce expected results, and this year has been no exception. Through the Thunder-Suns game, higher seeds are a combined 6-0, and the games, in many cases, have been lopsided. The combined average margin of victory so far has been 18.5 points.

The Houston Rockets

Yes, Kevin Durant was out. But their opponent, the Lakers, was missing Luka Dončić (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique), the highest-scoring duo in the NBA this season. And, yet, the Rockets, a team that tied for fifth in defensive rating (112.1), allowed the Lakers to shoot 60.6% from the field, including 52.6% from 3-point range. Houston let Luke Kennard, a solid, role-playing shooter, hit all five of his 3-pointers for a playoff career-high of 27 points.

Arguably more disappointing was Houston’s lack of offensive cohesion. Often, players appeared to be ball watching and waiting for iso opportunities. The problem, however, was that the Rockets shot just 37.6% from the floor.

The 76ers without Joel Embiid

It’s clear that Philadelphia is going to struggle without its big man. Embiid (appendectomy) finished the regular season strongly, generating 28.6 points per game over his last five games played. The issue, as it has been with Embiid, is that he has been so infrequently available.

Against the impressive defense that the Celtics bring, there’s simply no way the 76ers can compete without Embiid. According to ESPN, Embiid hasn’t even started basketball activities for his return and may miss the entire first round. The Sixers, almost certainly, will be eliminated at that point, anyway.

Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels

Risacher, the 2025 No. 1 overall selection, played just 2:29 on Saturday against the Knicks and missed badly on his three shot attempts, two of which were point blank. Though he played far more, Daniels, similarly, forced difficult shots and couldn’t settle into a rhythm. The pair combined to go 2-of-10 for 4 points, though Daniels did dish out 11 assists and haul in 9 rebounds.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA playoffs: Who shined and who struggled early?

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Source: “AOL Sports”