By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics both secured vital victories in their respective best-of-seven series in the opening round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google, on Friday.
At the Toyota Center, the Lakers squandered a 15-point second-quarter advantage and had to overcome a late six-point deficit to complete a gritty comeback in overtime, eventually defeating the Houston Rockets, 112–108.
The victory was particularly impressive as Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic remained sidelined with a hamstring strain and Austin Reaves was unavailable due to a left oblique muscle strain, despite being initially listed as questionable for Game 3.
Shouldering the load, LeBron James forced overtime by sinking a clutch triple with 13.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, en route to team highs of 29 points and 13 rebounds, and propelling the team coached by JJ Redick to a commanding 3–0 series lead. While the Lakers celebrated, German forward Maxi Kleber did not see any playing time in the contest.
The initial Rockets rally was fueled by Turkish starting center Alperen Sengun, who dominated the interior to finish with game highs of 33 points and 16 rebounds. Swiss backup Clint Capela saw limited action in the loss, contributing two points and two rebounds. However, Kevin Durant sat with an ankle injury, after missing Game 1 with a knee injury.
In the Eastern Conference, the Celtics took a 2–1 series lead following a hard-fought 108–100 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla leaned on a strong European frontcourt to control the glass, led by Portuguese starter Neemias Queta, who recorded seven rebounds and two blocks in limited minutes. Montenegrin veteran Nikola Vucevic provided a massive spark off the bench with 11 points, while Bosnian big man Luka Garza chipped in three points. However, the rotation did not include British Amari Williams, Ukrainian Max Shulga, or Spanish Hugo Gonzalez.
The Sixers found a bright spot in Turkish starting center Adem Bona, who logged ten points and three blocks, but continued to struggle with the absence of the unavailable Joel Embiid.
NBA Playoffs 2026
Eastern Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Detroit Pistons – Orlando Magic 1-1 (101-112, 98-83)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers – Toronto Raptors 2-1 (126-113, 115-105, 104-126)
3. New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks 1-2 (113-102, 106-107, 108-109)
4. Boston Celtics – Philadelphia 76ers 1-1 (123-91, 97-111)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Winners 1-2
6. Winners 3-4
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
Western Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Oklahoma City Thunder – Phoenix Suns 2-0 (119-84, 120-107)
2. Los Angeles Lakers – Houston Rockets 2-0 (107-98, 101-94)
3. Denver Nuggets – Minnesota Timberwolves 1-2 (126-115, 114-119, 96-113)
4. San Antonio Spurs – Portland Trail Blazers 1-1 (111-98, 103-106)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Winners 1-2
6. Winners 3-4
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
NBA Finals 2026 (best-of-seven)
Eastern Conference and Western Conference champions
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