NBA playoff basketball returns to NBC Sports on Saturday with a First Round tripleheader across NBC, Peacock and NBCSN, opening a four-day run of nine games from April 25 to April 28, 2026. The day starts with the Detroit Pistons visiting the Orlando Magic in Game 3 at 1 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Phoenix Suns at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, and the New York Knicks at the Atlanta Hawks at 6 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
The schedule lands at a point where every series on Saturday is alive. Orlando leads Detroit 1-0 after the Magic won Game 1, then the Pistons answered with a Game 2 win. Atlanta and New York are tied 1-1 after the Hawks pulled out Game 2 by overcoming a 12-point fourth quarter deficit behind CJ McCollum’s 32 points. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, takes a 2-0 series lead into Phoenix.
For NBC Sports, the opening weekend is the start of a deeper postseason package that will run through as many as 41 live games in the First Round and Conference Semifinals, plus exclusive coverage of the entire Western Conference Finals. It is also the network’s first time showing NBA games on a Saturday this season, a return that places one of the league’s most watched stretches back on broadcast television and streaming at the same time.
The Thunder-Suns matchup carries the sharpest historical edge. It will be the first-ever Thunder playoff game on NBC, while Phoenix last appeared on the network in Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round on April 29, 2001. That game — the Suns’ last on NBC — now sits as a reminder of how long this stage has been away from the network’s basketball lineup.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander arrives in that spotlight after winning the 2025-26 NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award with 96 of 100 first-place votes. He led the league with 175 points in Clutch Time, and the Thunder went 20-7 in the 27 clutch games in which he played. Those numbers give Oklahoma City a credible closing threat if Phoenix can keep the series from slipping further.
The day begins with NBA Showtime at 12 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN, setting up the coverage window that carries through the three-game slate. NBC Sports will follow with another NBA Showtime on Sunday, April 26, at 6:30 p.m. ET, then again Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock and Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET. For fans looking for the full viewing setup, Nba Scores: How to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs on TV and streaming is available here.
