Eastern Conference playoff first-round matchups are set: Harden and Mitchell lead the Cavaliers against the Raptors, Knicks face the Hawks.

On April 13 Beijing time, the NBA regular season concluded. With the Celtics narrowly defeating the Magic, the Heat beating the Hawks, the Hornets overcoming the Knicks, the 76ers defeating the Bucks, and the Raptors winning against the Nets, the Eastern Conference first-round playoff pairings have been finalized.

The specific matchups are as follows (rankings in parentheses) —

Pistons (1) vs. Eastern Conference 8th seed

Celtics (2) vs. Eastern Conference 7th seed

Knicks (3) vs. Hawks (6)

Cavaliers (4) vs. Raptors (5)

Play-in tournament matchups: 76ers (7) vs. Magic (8), Hornets (9) vs. Heat (10)

The winner between the 76ers and the Magic will become the 7th seed, facing the Celtics in the first round; the loser will compete in the second play-in game against the winner of Hornets vs. Heat, with the victorious team becoming the 8th seed to face the Pistons in the first round.

Knicks vs. Hawks

During the regular season this year, the Knicks and Hawks met three times, with the Knicks winning two and losing one. On December 28, 2025, the Knicks narrowly defeated the Hawks 128-125; on January 3, 2026, the Knicks lost to the Hawks 99-111; on April 7, 2026, the Knicks edged the Hawks 108-105. Although the Knicks hold a slight advantage with a 2-1 record, both victories were close wins by only 3 points. Comparatively, the Knicks might prefer facing the Raptors in the first round, as they won all five encounters against the Raptors this season, each by double-digit margins.

Cavaliers vs. Raptors

In regular season meetings this year, the Cavaliers and Raptors played three times, with the Cavaliers losing all three. On November 1, 2025, the Cavaliers lost to the Raptors 101-112; on November 14, 2025, they fell 113-126; on November 25, 2025, they lost again 99-110. Although the Cavaliers were defeated three times by the Raptors, all those games occurred in November last year, before Harden joined the team and when the Cavaliers were not at their current competitive level. Harden and Mitchell will lead the Cavaliers in striving to eliminate the Raptors in the first round, despite being swept by them in the regular season.

76ers vs. Magic

This regular season, the 76ers and Magic faced off three times, with the 76ers winning two and losing one. On October 28, 2025, the 76ers defeated the Magic 136-124; on November 26, 2025, the Magic routed the 76ers 144-103; on January 10, 2026, the 76ers beat the Magic 103-91. The biggest variable in this series is likely Embiid's health condition. He has undergone surgery for acute appendicitis, but his return date remains uncertain. Without Embiid, the 76ers' competitiveness in the play-in tournament would certainly be significantly impacted.

Hornets vs. Heat

During the regular season this year, the Hornets and Heat played four times, with the Heat winning three and losing one. On October 29, 2025, the Heat easily defeated the Hornets 144-117; on November 8, 2025, they won again 126-108; on March 7, 2026, they secured a third victory 128-120; on March 18, 2026, the Hornets routed the Heat 136-106. Although the Heat hold an overall advantage in the record, the Hornets have been performing exceptionally well recently. The play-in tournament is a single-game elimination contest, where everything depends on the performance on the day.