Back
Sports

NBA Playoffs: Western Conference Semifinals Set, Eastern Conference Semifinals Begin

Generated on: Last updated: 2 sources
View source

2026 NBA Playoffs: Second Round Begins

The Western Conference Semifinals tip off on Monday, May 4, with the San Antonio Spurs hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Eastern Conference Semifinals follow on Tuesday, May 5, featuring two games.

Western Conference Semifinals: Timberwolves at Spurs

Game 1 Details

The Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs begin their best-of-seven series on Monday, May 4, at 9:30 p.m. ET at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX. The game will be broadcast on Peacock and NBCSN.

Broadcast Team:

  • Terry Gannon (play-by-play)
  • Jamal Crawford (analyst)
  • Jordan Cornette (courtside reporter)

Series Paths

Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 6 seed)

  • Defeated the Denver Nuggets in the first round.
  • Guard Anthony Edwards is listed as questionable for Game 1 after a hyperextended left knee. He was cleared for on-court activities as of Sunday and reportedly intends to return during the series.
  • Guard Donte DiVincenzo sustained an Achilles injury during the first round.
  • Guard Ayo Dosunmu missed Game 6 of the first round with a sore right calf and is listed as day-to-day. Dosunmu led the Timberwolves in scoring during the first round (21.8 points per game).
  • Other contributors include Julius Randle, Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels (17.8 points per game vs. Denver), and Terrence Shannon Jr.

San Antonio Spurs (No. 2 seed)

  • Defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 4-1 in the first round. This is their first playoff series win since 2017.
  • Center Victor Wembanyama missed Game 3 due to a concussion. He returned for Games 4 and 5, recording double-doubles in both.
  • Rookie guard Dylan Harper scored a career-high 27 points in Game 3.
  • Guard De'Aaron Fox led the Spurs in scoring in Games 4 (28 points) and 5 (21 points).
  • This series win was the first for head coach Mitch Johnson, who took over full-time in May 2025.

Playoff History

  • This is the third playoff meeting between the franchises. The Spurs won first-round series in 1999 and 2001.
  • Minnesota won the regular-season series 2-1. The Spurs won the most recent meeting 126-123 on January 17.
  • The Timberwolves are seeking a third consecutive conference finals appearance.

Eastern Conference Semifinals: Cavaliers at Pistons

Game 1 Details

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons begin their best-of-seven series on Tuesday, May 5, at 7:00 PM ET at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI. The game will be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock.

Series Paths

Cleveland Cavaliers (No. 4 seed)

  • Defeated the No. 5 seed Toronto Raptors in a first-round series where the home team won every game.

Detroit Pistons (No. 1 seed)

  • Defeated the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic in the first round, rallying from a 3-1 deficit. This is their first playoff series win since 2008.

"This series galvanized us. Their physicality, their speed, their athleticism — things weren't perfect. I'm glad we went through it. It wasn't fun. But I think it will be a better team coming out of it."
— Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, on the first-round series

"To be honest with you, I never doubted we were going to win this series. To go through what they went through... we understand that now, and we take that with us to the second round."
— Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, on the first-round series

"The Magic really made us take a look in the mirror. I think we got a lot better from this series. I got a lot better. I learned a lot about myself, learned a lot about the team."
— Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, on the first-round series

Additional Game: Lakers at Thunder

Game 1 Details

The Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder begin their series on Tuesday, May 5, at 8:30 PM ET. The game will be streamed on Peacock.

Broadcast Information

  • NBC Sports will present up to 23 games in the First Round and 11 games in the Conference Semifinals across NBC and Peacock, or Peacock and NBCSN.
  • The Western Conference Finals will be exclusively on NBC and Peacock.
  • Peacock coverage will include Round 1, Conference Semifinals, and Western Conference Finals, with both Eastern and Western Conference games available during earlier rounds.