Thunder, Spurs Lead NBA Playoff Power Rankings After Round 1

The first round did not produce much easy work, even if Oklahoma City and San Antonio made their cases quickly. The Thunder and Spurs sit atop the league’s latest Power Rankings after advancing with the kind of control that has separated them from a postseason field otherwise marked by long series, uneven stretches and plenty of warning signs.

Thunder and Spurs set the early standard

For 23 consecutive postseasons, dating back to 2004, the opening round has included at least one four-game sweep. That run continued this spring, but barely: only one series ended in a sweep, and just one additional matchup was settled before a sixth game.

That leaves Oklahoma City and San Antonio as the two clubs carrying the cleanest contender profiles into the next round. The Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves are next in line, with both facing the task of knocking off opponents who have combined for a 64-12 record since Feb. 1.

• Oklahoma City and San Antonio remain Nos. 1 and 2 in the rankings.
• Only one first-round series was a sweep.
• Only one other opening-round matchup finished in five games or fewer.
• The Lakers and Timberwolves enter their next tests against teams that have been dominant since the start of February.

A longer first round does not automatically disqualify the other survivors. In the best-of-seven first-round era, the 2007-08 Boston Celtics and 2013-14 Spurs both needed all seven games to get through their opening series before winning the championship. Four other eventual title teams required six games in Round 1.

First-round numbers reflect the postseason squeeze

The playoff environment has slowed the game and cut into offensive efficiency. Across the 16 first-round teams, the average was 110.5 points per 100 possessions, with teams playing at a pace of 96.0 possessions per 48 minutes.

Those figures are down sharply from the regular season, when the league’s 30 teams averaged 114.8 points per 100 possessions and 100.2 possessions per 48 minutes.

• OffRtg: points scored per 100 possessions.
• DefRtg: points allowed per 100 possessions.
• NetRtg: point differential per 100 possessions.
• Pace: possessions per 48 minutes.

Plus-minus ends at opposite poles

Karl-Anthony Towns gave New York a major first-round lift, finishing plus-92 across six games. Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson landed at the other end of the ledger, posting a minus-91 over six appearances.

The bracket now moves beyond the opening survival test. Oklahoma City and San Antonio have looked like the teams to chase, while the remaining contenders will try to turn first-round vulnerability into a deeper run.