NBA Playoff Recap, West Conference

Andre Jones, Reporter • May 5, 2026

REUTERS/via SNO Sites/Erik Williams

May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) looks to dunk against Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) during the third quarter of game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The 2026 NBA playoffs in the Western Conference officially kicked off on Saturday, April 18, 2026 with multiple big games ahead. During the 2026 regular season, tanking was at an all-time low, and fans were not happy with the overall quality of play. However, the playoffs have already shown intense matchups.

The biggest storyline heading into the first round centered on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers suffered two major losses, as Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were expected to miss significant time. This meant the Lakers were leaning on 41-year-old Lebron James to lead them against a young and promising Houston Rockets team. As of April 29, the Lakers lead the series 3-2 and are looking to close it out. If they advance, they could have their star guards back for the next round, where they would face the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder are coming off a Championship in 2025 and are the favorites to win again this year. They are led by MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Their first-round matchup was against the Phoenix Suns, whom they swept in just four games. Their next series will be against the winner of the Lakers/Rockets matchup.

The two other series in the West featured the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. the Denver Nuggets, and the San Antonio Spurs vs. the Portland Trailblazers. The Nuggets/Timberwolves series stirred a lot of excitement with superstar talent on both sides. The Timberwolves currently lead the series 3-2 but are in some trouble at the moment. Point guard Donte Devincenzo suffered a season-ending injury, and superstar Anthony Edwards suffered an injury that will take him out for a significant amount of time. With these setbacks, the Nuggets have a strong chance to take control of the series, while the Timberwolves will need to hold them off.

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The final series between the Trail Blazers and the Spurs went as expected, with the Spurs winning the series in five games. Despite suffering a concussion during the series, unanimous Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama was dominant throughout!

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About the Contributor

Andre Jones, Staff Writer

Andre is a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas. This is his second year on the Raider Review staff. As a staff writer, he covers sports. Andre’s favorite part of being on the Raider Review is covering football games. He is a member of the football team. His favorite movie is “Elf.”