“It’s the best time of the year.” —Tracy McGrady on the NBA Playoffs
“How is he going to lead this team past Orlando, who have shown they are a physical team? For Cade, it’s all about leading this team and getting his guys ready and giving them easy shots.” – Carmelo Anthony on Cunningham
“Paolo needs to play like an All-Star if they want to give themselves a chance to win, and that’s him being super aggressive and getting to the free throw line.” –McGrady on Orlando’s Paolo Banchero
“You have to play four perfect games to beat them.” – Vince Carter on Oklahoma City’s dominant win over Phoenix
STAMFORD, Conn. – April 19, 2026 – The NBA Playoffs have returned to NBC for the first time since 2002 and are debuting on Peacock tonight with a star-studded postseason doubleheader. In the first game, Cade Cunningham and the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons host Paolo Banchero and the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic at 6:30 p.m. ET. Following Magic-Pistons, superstar Victor Wembanyama plays his first career postseason game when the Western Conference No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs host Deni Avdija and the No. 7 seed Portland Trail Blazers at 9 p.m. ET, with both games on NBC and Peacock.
The doubleheader marks the first NBA playoff games on NBC since June 12, 2002 – Game 4 of the 2002 NBA Finals, when the Lakers defeated the New Jersey Nets to win the NBA championship.
Tonight’s edition of NBA Showtime from Studio 1 at NBC Sports Headquarters in Stamford, Conn., featured host Maria Taylor alongside Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady. Pre-game coverage also included the four of them announcing the finalists for the NBA Clutch Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and Sixth Man of the Year awards, Ashely ShahAhmadi’s pre-game interview with Cunningham, and a feature on Trail Blazers star Deni Avdija.
Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Grant Hill (analyst), and Ashley ShahAhmadi (courtside reporter) are calling Magic-Pistons. Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Reggie Miller (analyst), and Zora Stephenson (courtside reporter) will call Trail Blazers-Spurs.
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Following are highlights from tonight’s NBA Showtime ahead of Magic-Pistons on NBC and Peacock:
ON NBA PLAYOFFS
McGrady: “Best time of the year.”
ON PISTONS
Vince Carter on Cade Cunningham: “You cannot let Cade dictate what he wants and get into the paint and throw lobs to (Jalen) Duren, because when they get going, everything else gets going as well.”
Carmelo Anthony on Cunningham: “This is a perfect opportunity for Cade to play against the Orlando Magic. You’ve got a young, fiery guy in Jalen Suggs who’s going to take the challenge against (him), so that’ll be a major test for him.”
Anthony: “What’s the next step for Cade? How is he going to lead this team past Orlando, who have shown they are a physical team? For Cade, it’s all about leading this team and getting his guys ready and giving them easy shots.”
Grant Hill on the Pistons: “They got a chip on their shoulder, feeling underappreciated as the No. 1-ranked team in the East.”
Hill: “Last year, they got a taste of it. They played great in that First Round series against New York and came up short. They’re better. They’ve been waiting for this moment all season…They understand what this is all about.”
ON MAGIC
Tracy McGrady on Paolo Banchero: “Coming off that big win over Charlotte in the Play-In Tournament really built some confidence for these guys. Paolo (Banchero) needs to play like an All-Star if they want to give themselves a chance to win, and that’s him being super aggressive and getting to the free throw line.”
Carter on the Magic’s supporting players: “Franz Wagner has had a lot of success being a scorer and a facilitator when needed. (He needs to) get to the free throw line and make plays. Anthony Black is also very versatile and can make plays for them.”
Hill: “They’re feeling good. Obviously, an up-and-down season for them, but a good matchup here with Detroit.”
ON THUNDER
Carter on the Western Conference No. 1 seed Thunder’s 35-point Game 1 win over the Suns: “You have to play four perfect games to beat them. They are toying with them.”
ON CELTICS
Anthony on the Celtics’ 123-91 win over the 76ers: “This was a statement game for Boston.”
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NBC Sports will present up to 23 games in the First Round and 11 games in the Conference Semifinals across NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN, and concludes its season with exclusive coverage of the entire Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock. For more information on NBC Sports’ NBA Playoffs schedule, click here.
--NBA SHOWTIME--
