The second round of the NBA Playoffs concluded on Sunday, May 17, 2026, and the four teams that advanced to the Conference Finals were the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks.
The second round featured two sweeps — one in the Western Conference and one in the Eastern Conference. The New York Knicks swept the Philadelphia 76ers in dominant fashion, with two of the four games ending in victories of more than 30 points. Star point guard Jalen Brunson led the way for New York, with his lowest-scoring performance coming in Game 4, when the Knicks defeated the 76ers 144-114 to close out the series.
The other Eastern Conference matchup was much more competitive, as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons battled through seven games. The Pistons won the first two games of the series, taking a convincing 2-0 lead. Many people around the basketball world began to doubt the Cavaliers after they fell behind against the No. 1 seed in the East. However, Cleveland responded in impressive fashion by winning the next three games to take control of the series. Detroit managed to win Game 6 and force a decisive Game 7, but the Cavaliers dominated the final game in a 30-point blowout victory.
On the Western Conference side of the bracket, the Oklahoma City Thunder were heavily favored in their series against the Los Angeles Lakers, and they proved why by winning every game comfortably. Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder by averaging 24.5 points per game throughout the series.
The final series of the second round featured the San Antonio Spurs facing the Minnesota Timberwolves in a highly anticipated matchup. The series was impacted by injuries, as Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards played through a knee injury. Although the Spurs entered the series as favorites, Minnesota made things interesting by winning Game 1. Ultimately, San Antonio won the series in six games and advanced to face the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
Fans can now look forward to the Conference Finals as the remaining teams compete for a spot in the NBA Finals.
