Ranking the Game 7s of the first round of the NBA playoffs: Why Cavaliers-Raptors promises the best basketball

The first round has been more exciting than anyone expected coming in

Heading into the 2026 NBA playoffs, no one expected the first round to be super exciting. So, of course, we've wound up with three Game 7s, all in the Eastern Conference: the Detroit Pistons vs. the Orlando Magic, the Boston Celtics vs. the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the Toronto Raptors. 

There were only four Game 7s in the entire 2025 postseason, and this is the most Game 7s in a single first round since 2014, when five of the eight first-round series went the distance. Here are a few more notable facts about Game 7s as we wait for this weekend's action to begin:

• There have been 155 Game 7s in NBA postseason history
• Home teams are 115-40 in Game 7s, but...
• There has been at least one Game 7 road winner in each of the last 10 seasons
• The Celtics have played in the most Game 7s (37) and have won the most Game 7s (27)
• Jayson Tatum has the all-time Game 7 scoring record of 51 points (vs. Sixers, 2023)

Here's the schedule for this weekend's action:

• Saturday: Sixers at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET -- NBC
• Sunday: Magic at Pistons, 3:30 p.m. ET -- ABC
• Sunday: Raptors at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. ET -- NBC

And now, finally, let's rank the matchups:

1. Cavaliers vs. Raptors

From 2016-18, the Cavaliers played the Raptors in the playoffs three seasons in a row. With LeBron James leading the way, they won in six games in the second round in 2016, then swept the Raptors in the first round in both 2017 and 2018. James was so unstoppable during that stretch that ESPN's Mark Jones famously declared Toronto should be changed to LeBronto.

While James is now in Los Angeles, the Cavaliers' postseason dominance over the Raptors seemed like it would continue when they jumped out to a 2-0 lead in this series, winning both games by double digits. The Raptors, though, have refused to give up. 

The Raptors dominated Game 3 back at home thanks to Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett, who poured in 33 points apiece, then stunned the Cavs in Game 4 with a last-minute comeback to even the series. Through the first three quarters of Game 5, the Raptors seemed poised to win three games in a row, but the Cavaliers rallied in the fourth for a dramatic win to take a 3-2 lead. 

Game 6 in Toronto was another thriller. The Raptors led by as many as 15 in the second half and were still up double digits in the fourth quarter until Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley led an incredible comeback. Mobley forced overtime with a late bucket and Mitchell put the Cavs up by two in the extra frame. His bucket seemed like it would be the game-winner when RJ Barrett's 3-pointer from the top of the key hit the back of the rim, but divine intervention prevailed. The ball bounced straight up into the air, then fell through the net, giving the Raptors an unforgettable season-saving victory. 

This has easily been the most exciting and competitive first-round series, especially over the last three games, none of which have been decided by more than five points. We should be in for another battle on Sunday, and it's going to be very interesting to see how the Cavaliers respond after coming so close to ending the series in Game 6. 

2. Celtics vs. Sixers

No two franchises have met in the playoffs more often than the Celtics and Sixers, who first squared off in 1953, when the Sixers were the Syracuse Nationals. The Celtics won that best-of-three set in two games, with both victories coming by six points -- including a quadruple-overtime thriller in Game 2 that featured a 50-point effort from Bob Cousy.

This series, their 23rd playoff meeting, hasn't been as competitive, at least not on a game-by-game basis. Only one of the first six games has been decided by single digits, and the Celtics have two 30-point victories (Games 1 and 4). The Celtics, massive favorites entering the series, took a 3-1 lead and were up by 13 early in the third quarter of Game 5. 

Everything has flipped since then. The Sixers have outscored the Celtics 169-127 since the 10:13 mark of the third quarter of Game 5, and notably held Boston to 3 of 22 shooting in the fourth quarter of that contest. Now, after the Sixers' comfortable win in Game 6, the series is all square at 3-3. 

There's a good chance this game is another blowout -- it's very easy to imagine the Celtics hitting 20-plus 3s and cruising to a win -- so we can't rank it No. 1 from a pure basketball standpoint. But there's so much history in this matchup and so many storylines. 

Will Jayson Tatum (now questionable with knee stiffness) suit up? Should he, given his recent Achilles recovery? Will the Celtics blow their first 3-1 lead in franchise history? Will the Sixers beat the Celtics in the playoffs for the first time since 1982? Will the Sixers win their first playoff series since 2023? Will Joel Embiid finally beat the Celtics in the playoffs?

76ers playing with house money in Game 7 against the Celtics, with decades of history working against them John Gonzalez

3. Pistons vs. Magic

Back in 2003 -- the year the NBA changed the first round to a best-of-seven format -- the Pistons were the No. 1 seed and pulled off a 3-1 comeback to defeat the No. 8 seed Magic. Now, 23 years later, history is on the verge of repeating itself. 

The Pistons, who won 60 games this season and were the top seed in the East for the first time since 2007, lost Game 1 at home, dominated Game 2, then lost heartbreakers in Games 3 and 4 to fall down 3-1 to the Magic. Notably, the 2003 series followed the exact same pattern in terms of results.

Can Pistons come back vs. Magic? History is on No. 1 seed's side despite 3-1 hole Jack Maloney

In Game 5, Cade Cunningham scored 45 points to set the Pistons' single-game playoff scoring record and keep his team alive. When the Pistons fell behind by 24 points in Game 6 back in Orlando on Friday, it seemed as though their season was over, but they pulled off an unbelievable comeback by holding the Magic to 19 points on 4 of 37 shooting in the second half. At one point, the Magic missed 23 consecutive shots as the Pistons went on a 35-5 run. 

Now, the series will head back to Detroit for Game 7 on Sunday afternoon. Back in 2003, Game 7 was in Detroit on a Sunday afternoon as well. Everything is lining up for a Pistons victory. 

The crowd at Little Caesars Arena is going to be electric, and it will be fascinating to see if the Pistons can complete an identical comeback to the one they pulled off more than two decades ago. That said, strictly in terms of the action on the court, this game has to be third. 

This series has been a disgusting display of basketball. Both teams have failed to reach 100 points in three of the six games, the two teams are shooting a combined 410 of 998 (41.1%) from the field and there have been a combined 282 fouls and 185 turnovers. There's no reason to expect Game 7 to be any prettier.