The Boston Celtics fell to the Philadelphia 76ers, eliminating Neemias Queta from the NBA playoffs. The Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers are the last two teams to qualify for the conference semifinals.
The conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs concluded once and for all in the early hours of Sunday to Monday, with the qualification of the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers, who will face each other in the next round.
The Detroit Pistons were the first to advance, defeating the Orlando Magic 116-94 at Little Caesars Arena in Michigan, thus making it 4-3 in one of the most competitive series of the first round, which was only decided after seven games.
This was a crucial era, so Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren ‘dressed up’, both recording double-doubles. Cunningham’s double consisted of 32 points and 12 assists, and Duren’s 15 points and 12 assists, leaving the visitors with little chance of a response.
The only one who showed any sign of still believing in a different outcome was Paolo Banchero, whose 38 points (the best individual mark of all the players who stepped onto the court) proved insufficient to compete in the final stretch of the 2025/26 season for Jamahl Mosley’s men.
Like the Detroit Pistons, the Cleveland Cavaliers also needed seven games to get the better of the Toronto Raptors. In this case, the last game, played at Rocket Arena in Ohio, ended with a 114-102 victory, sealing their qualification once and for all.
The best basketball player on the court was Jarrett Allen, who also recorded a double-double, in this case, consisting of 22 points and 19 rebounds, to which he added two assists. These numbers ‘canceled out’ the 24 and 23 points scored, respectively, by Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett.
With no room to ‘breathe’, both teams will kick off their series next Wednesday at midnight (Portugal Continental time), at Little Caesars Arena.
The final bracket of the conference semifinals… without Neemias Queta
The NBA conference semifinals are scheduled to begin in the early hours of Monday to Tuesday, with the start of the series pitting the New York Knicks against the Philadelphia 76ers (at 1:00 AM), and the San Antonio Spurs against the Minnesota Timberwolves (at 2:30 AM).
