The 2026 NBA playoffs opened Saturday, and by Sunday a few clear narratives had emerged. Oklahoma City rolled past Phoenix 119-84 despite a subpar night from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. San Antonio impressed in a 111-98 win over Portland behind Victor Wembanyama’s historic postseason debut. And in Denver, Minnesota erased a 19-point first-half deficit to win 119-114 and even that series at 1-1. Here are the biggest takeaways and things to watch series by series.
Denver (3) vs. Minnesota (6) — Game 2: Timberwolves 119, Nuggets 114 (Series tied 1-1) Biggest takeaway: Rudy Gobert’s defense changed the game. Gobert made Nikola Jokić’s night difficult, especially on early and late possessions; Jokić struggled when Gobert was the primary defender and only began to push back after Gobert sat with four fouls in the third. Gobert returned in the fourth and made the stops that let Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo close out a comeback. Those three combined for 70 points as Minnesota erased a 19-point hole. What to watch: Anthony Edwards’ knee. He played heavy minutes (30 points, team-high 40 minutes) after missing much of the end of the regular season with a right-knee proble
