Story perspectives

Thunder Sweep Suns; Magic, Celtics Take 3-1 Leads; Jokic Triple-Double

4/28/2026

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Summary

Celtics Secure Lead

The Oklahoma City Thunder swept the Phoenix Suns 131-122 on April 27, 2026.
The Orlando Magic beat the Detroit Pistons 94-88 April 27, 2026, to a 3-1 series lead.
Nikola Jokic posted a triple-double (27 points, 16 assists, 12 rebounds) when the Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-113 on April 27, 2026, narrowing the series to 3-2.
The Boston Celtics took a 3-1 series lead with a 128-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on April 26, 2026.

Summary

Pistons Lose

The Detroit Pistons, a 3.5-point favorite, fell 3-1 and lost the series in six games, joining the 2011 Spurs and 2007 Mavericks as the only 60-win teams to do so.
FanDuel set the over/under at 215.5 points, while SportsLine’s 10,000-game simulation projected 213 points and advised the under.
Kevin Huerter was listed as questionable, Jonathan Isaac doubtful, and Franz Wagner left with calf soreness pending an MRI.

History

Historical Context

In 2007 the Dallas Mavericks posted a 67-15 record, earned the West’s top seed, and became only the third #1 seed knocked out by an #8 seed when the Golden State Warriors won the series 4-2. That shock, following 1-vs-8 upsets in 1994 and 1999, highlighted the league’s vulnerability and spurred revisions to the NBA’s seeding rules to protect top-record teams.

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Celtics Secure Lead

The Oklahoma City Thunder swept the Phoenix Suns 131-122 on April 27, 2026.
The Orlando Magic beat the Detroit Pistons 94-88 April 27, 2026, to a 3-1 series lead.
Nikola Jokic posted a triple-double (27 points, 16 assists, 12 rebounds) when the Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-113 on April 27, 2026, narrowing the series to 3-2.
The Boston Celtics took a 3-1 series lead with a 128-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on April 26, 2026.

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