NBA Playoff Bracket 2026, Updated Picture, Schedule After April 24
The first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs continued on Friday, featuring a trio of Game 3 matchups.
The Boston Celtics opened the slate with a 108-100 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Here's a look at the results from Friday's games and the upcoming playoff schedule.
Friday Round 1 Results, Schedule
Boston Celtics 108, Philadelphia 76ers 100 (Celtics lead series 2-1)
Los Angeles Lakers 112, Houston Rockets 108 (Lakers lead series 3-0)
San Antonio Spurs 120, Portland Trail Blazers 108 (Spurs lead series 2-1)
Saturday Round 1 Schedule
Detroit Pistons at Orlando Magic, 1 p.m. ET (Series tied 1-1)
Oklahoma City Thunder at Phoenix Suns, 3:30 p.m. ET (Thunder lead series 2-0)
New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks, 6 p.m. ET (Hawks lead series 2-1)
Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m. ET (Timberwolves lead series 2-1)
Friday Highlights
Celtics 108, 76ers 100
Neither team was able to pull away throughout the first quarter of the game, as Boston held a 29-24 advantage heading into the second.
The Celtics pushed their lead to 10 points early in the second quarter, but the 76ers responded with a 10-4 run to stay within striking distance.
Still, Boston led 54-47 at halftime.
Philadelphia stormed back to take a three-point lead with just under six minutes left in the third quarter, as both teams battled down the stretch.
With the Celtics holding a narrow 103-100 edge and 30 seconds left in the game, Jayson Tatum buried a deep triple to seal the win for his squad.
Tatum finished with 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-9 from behind the arc. He dished out seven assists and grabbed four rebounds as well.
Jaylen Brown also stepped up for Boston in the victory by recording 25 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
The 76ers were still without Joel Embiid, as he has yet to play during the series while he recovers from an appendectomy.
Lakers 112, Rockets 108
Los Angeles' offense was unstoppable early, scoring 39 points in the first quarter and taking a seven-point lead at the end of the period.
The Lakers pushed their advantage to double digits in the second quarter and the Rockets struggled to close the gap, as Los Angeles led 63-52 at halftime.
Houston opened the third quarter on a 12-4 run before battling with the Lakers throughout the fourth, eventually taking a 101-95 lead with 40 seconds left in regulation.
Marcus Smart eventually connected on three free throws to trim Los Angeles' deficit to three points before a turnover on the Rockets' ensuing possession resulted in a game-tying triple from LeBron James that sent the contest to overtime.
A three-pointer from Smart as well as a layup from Rui Hachimura helped the Lakers take a 107-103 lead in overtime and Houston was ultimately unable to recover.
Smart later connected on five consecutive free throws to seal the commanding 3-0 series lead for Los Angeles. The Lakers' success is particularly impressive considering Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are still sidelined due to injuries.
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant missed his second game of the series due to an ankle injury.
James amassed 29 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals and one block in the win.
Spurs 120, Trail Blazers 108
The Spurs were able to survive without Victor Wembanyama, who missed Friday's contest due to a concussion.
Both teams weren't able to gain much separation in the first quarter, which ended with Portland holding a 29-27 edge.
The Trail Blazers pushed their lead to 10 points in the second, maintaining a 65-59 advantage at halftime.
While Portland still led 84-74 with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter, San Antonio closed the period on a 14-3 run to jump back in front.
The Spurs eventually took their own double-digit lead with six minutes left in the fourth and never looked back, holding on for the 2-1 series edge.
Stephon Castle stepped up in Wembanyama's absence, scoring a game-high 33 points on 10-of-18 shooting.
San Antonio also received a boost from Dylan Harper, as the rookie finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three assists off the bench.
