SportyTV | NBA: Magic stun top-seeded Pistons

Another home post-season game, another defeat for the Detroit Pistons.

The top-seeded Pistons suffered their NBA record-extending 11th straight home play-off loss as the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic pulled out a 112-101 win on Sunday in the opener of their first-round Eastern Conference series.

Detroit, which went 60-22 during the regular season to earn the No. 1 seed in the conference, has not won a home play-off game since the 2008 East finals and has dropped 19 of its last 21 overall post-season contests.

Orlando, meanwhile, was playing its third game in five days after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers and defeating the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA Play-In Tournament to capture the eighth seed in the East.

All five Magic starters scored at least 16, with Paolo Banchero leading the way with 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

"At the end of the day, we're here in the play-offs, and we have a chance to go and do what we set out to do since October," Banchero said.

The Pistons got 39 points from Cade Cunningham and 17 from Tobias Harris, but no other Detroit player scored in double digits.

“We’re sick about losing this one,” Cunningham said. “It's a long series.”

Detroit will get another opportunity to end its home play-off slide on Wednesday in Game 2 of the best-of-seven series.

WAGIC WIN pic.twitter.com/q6dBmRG91Y
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) April 20, 2026

Spurs top Trail Blazers to cap big day for Wembanyama

Hours after being named a finalist for the NBA MVP and NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards, Victor Wembanyama set a Spurs record for the most points in a play-off debut as San Antonio registered a 111-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Wembanyama scored 35 to break Tim Duncan’s franchise record of 32 points set when the Hall of Famer and five-time NBA champion made his post-season debut in 1998.

Wembanyama shot 13 of 21 overall and 5 of 6 from three-point range, Stephon Castle had 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and De’Aaron Fox scored 17 to along with eight assists and five boards in No. 2 seed San Antonio’s first play-off game since 2019.

“The pressure’s on us in our first home game, but really it’s no pressure,” Wembanyama said.

“We keep saying, 'just do the same thing we did in the regular season. Don’t overthink it.'”

The seventh-seeded Trail Blazers, back in the post-season for the first time since 2021, were led by All-Star Deni Avdija’s 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

Game 2 is on Tuesday before the series shifts to Portland.

Most points in NBA Playoff debut for the Spurs:

1. Victor Wembanyama - 35 (2026)
2. Tim Duncan - 32 (1998 at PHX) pic.twitter.com/n0inuDcXyd
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) April 20, 2026

Thunder rip Suns in play-off opener

The Oklahoma City Thunder opened their NBA title defence with an easy 119-84 win over the Phoenix Suns, leading by 15 points after the first quarter and never looking back.

Oklahoma City took a 97-66 advantage into the fourth quarter, enabling reigning league MVP and NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to sit out the entire period.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named a finalist for this season’s NBA MVP award on Sunday, had 25 points, seven assists and four rebounds.

Jalen Williams added 22 points, seven boards and six assists for a Thunder team that had nine players see at least 13 minutes of action in the blowout victory.

“We just prioritise winning across the board, and it’s as simple as that,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

"No matter what it looks like, that’s what we’re trying to accomplish."

The Suns, who lost to the Portland Trail Blazers before beating the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Play-In Tournament to secure the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, shot just 34.9 per cent from the field.

The 35-point defeat matched the third-worst play-off loss in Phoenix’s history.

Devin Booker shot the ball well for the Suns, going 8 of 17 from the field and scoring 23 points, but Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green combined to shoot 31.6 per cent (12 of 38).

Green was held to 17 points after totalling 71 in the Suns’ two play-in games.

Game 2 is on Wednesday.

Game won pic.twitter.com/yyQJmJX4Sm
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 19, 2026

Tatum leads Celtics to rout of 76ers in play-off return

Jayson Tatum had 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in his first play-off game since rupturing his Achilles tendon last spring, and the second-seeded Boston Celtics led wire-to-wire in a 123-91 Game 1 domination of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Tatum cleared another hurdle in his comeback from the devastating injury, which occurred just 11 months ago in a second-round play-off game.

The six-time All-Star, who made his season debut on March 6 and appeared in 16 games down the stretch, scored the Celtics’ final eight points of the first half to go into the break with 21 and help Boston grab a 64-46 lead.

"Not too long ago, I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to play this season, let alone get an opportunity to play in the play-offs," Tatum said.

"Today was probably the most excited and relaxed and grateful I've been in my nine years of being in the play-offs."

Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 26 points and Sam Hauser shot 4 of 6 from three-point range as the Celtics outscored seventh-seeded Philadelphia 48-12 from beyond the arc.

Tyrese Maxey had 21 points and eight assists for the 76ers, who continue to play without former NBA MVP Joel Embiid as he recovers from an appendectomy.

Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday.