NBA postseason guide: Schedule, stories, betting odds, how to watch and more

Victor Wembanyama has reached the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time. LeBron James is trying to get there for the 16th time.

And the Orlando Magic are in position to pull off a stunning upset.

Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are through to Round 2 after eliminating the Portland Trail Blazers in their Western Conference quarterfinal series on Tuesday night and finishing off a five-game ousting.

The Spurs join Oklahoma City (4-0 winners over Phoenix) in the second round. San Antonio awaits the Minnesota-Denver winner. The Thunder could see James in the second round; James and the Los Angeles Lakers have a 3-1 series lead over the Houston Rockets going into Game 5 of that matchup on Wednesday.

Also Wednesday: The eighth-seeded Magic take a 3-1 series lead into Detroit for Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal, while Toronto goes to Cleveland — with the winner of Game 5 in that series set to emerge with a 3-2 lead.

Tuesday recaps

— 76ers 113, Celtics 97 to get within 3-2 in series. Boston falls apart late.

— Knicks 126, Hawks 97 for a 3-2 series lead. Jalen Brunson broke out.

— Spurs 114, Trail Blazers 95 to win series 4-1.

Stories of note

— NBA moves closer to lottery changes

— Rockets’ Kevin Durant out for Game 5

— Jones enters guilty plea in gambling case

— Edwards (knee) officially week to week

— NBA going through bids from Europe

— Pat Riley says Heat will be ‘aggressive’

— Taylor Jenkins set to return to Milwaukee

— AJ Dybantsa formally enters NBA draft

— Donovan steps down as Chicago’s coach

— Warriors brace for possible Kerr departure

— Some news, notes going into the postseason

— Heat equipment manager needs transplants

Awards watch

Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics has won the NBA’s Executive of the Year award, his second time receiving that honor in the last three seasons.

Other awards being announced this week are the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year on Wednesday and the Hustle Award on Thursday.

A breakdown on the awards handed out to this point:

— San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama became the youngest Defensive Player of the Year, and the first to win the award in a unanimous vote.

— Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nearly became the first unanimous winner of the Clutch Player of the Year award. He got 96 of a possible 100 first-place votes.

— San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson topped Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. for Sixth Man of the Year, getting 63 first-place votes.

— Boston’s Derrick White was revealed as the Sportsmanship Award winner, as selected by the league’s players. Indiana’s TJ McConnell — who got more first-place votes than anyone else — was second.

— Atlanta now has back-to-back Most Improved Player winners, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker taking that trophy this year. Dyson Daniels won for the Hawks last year.

— Dallas’ Cooper Flagg edged fellow former Duke player Kon Knueppel of Charlotte for Rookie of the Year.

Among the announcements still to be scheduled:

— Most Valuable Player, which will be either Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama or Denver’s Nikola Jokic.

— Coach of the Year, which will be either Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff, San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson or Boston’s Joe Mazzulla.

Wednesday’s games

7 p.m. EDT — Game 5, Orlando at Detroit (Prime)

7:30 p.m. EDT — Game 5, Toronto at Cleveland (ESPN)

10 p.m. EDT — Game 5, Houston at LA Lakers (ESPN)

Thursday’s games

7 p.m. EDT — Game 6, New York at Atlanta (ESPN)

8 p.m. EDT — Game 6, Boston at Philadelphia (Peacock/NBCSN)

9:30 p.m. EDT — Game 6, Denver at Minnesota (ESPN)

Betting odds

The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder (-115) are favorites to win the NBA title, according to oddsmakers.

The Thunder are followed by San Antonio (+400), Boston (+550), Cleveland (+1500), New York (+2000), the Los Angeles Lakers (+2800), Denver (+3000) and Detroit (+5000).

Orlando, even with a 3-1 series lead on Detroit, is at +25000. Minnesota, even with a 3-2 series lead on Denver, is at +35000 after injuries to Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards.

Key dates

— May 2, 3 or 4: Conference semifinals begin.

— May 10: NBA draft lottery.

— May 10-17: NBA draft combine.

— May 17 or 19: Eastern Conference finals begin on ESPN and ABC.

— May 18 or 20: Western Conference finals begin on NBC and Peacock.

— June 3: Game 1, NBA Finals on ABC. (Other finals dates: June 5, June 8, June 10, June 13, June 16 and June 19).

— June 23: Round 1, NBA draft

— June 24: Round 2, NBA draft

Quote of the day

“He should get Executive of the Year for not making a move.” — San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama, on Spurs general manager Brian Wright and how the team has stayed the course.

Stats of the day

— Boston has wasted leads of 13 or more points in four of its last six home playoff games, going back to last season. The Celtics in that scenario — up 13 or more, in Boston (not the bubble), and in the playoffs — were 66-3 in such games between 2002 and May 2025.

— Teams are shooting .450 from the floor so far in Round 1, on pace to be the worst-shooting conference quarterfinal round in the NBA since 2019 (.447).

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba