The NBA conference semifinals continued Tuesday, May 5, 2026, with two series openers. The top-seeded Detroit Pistons defeated the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers 118-105 at Little Caesars Arena, building an early lead that reached 18 points. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 28 points and 10 assists, while Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points for the Cavaliers.
In the Western Conference, the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder beat the No. 4 Denver Nuggets 119-108 at Paycom Center. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 35 points and 8 assists, and Nikola Jokic had 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists for Denver. The Thunder led by as many as 16 points in the second half.
Game 2 of both series is scheduled for Thursday, May 7. The Pistons lead the Cavaliers 1-0, and the Thunder lead the Nuggets 1-0.
