The first round of the 2025-26 NBA playoffs was full of strange and unexpected twists.
Two teams -- the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers -- advanced despite injuries to their leading scorers. Two more teams -- the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons -- came back from 3-1 deficits. The Toronto Raptors delayed their eventual elimination by the Cleveland Cavaliers thanks to a game-winning 3-pointer that bounced high off the rim before falling safely through the net in Game 6.
The league calendar gives almost no time to rest and breathe after that first-round chaos. Following three Game 7s over the weekend, the second round begins Monday night at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m. ET, Prime Video) as the New York Knicks and 76ers renew their rivalry.
But it's still worth taking a beat to reflect on the lessons of all that chaos before plunging headlong into the second round. Let's explore 10 takeaways about how the first round's strangeness unfolded -- and how it will affect the rest of the playoffs and the offseason to come.
1. The bench matters
Conventional NBA wisdom holds that the depth of a team's rotation becomes less important in the playoffs, as stars play more minutes and rotations shrink. That sentiment holds some truth.
But reserves still matter -- and given the number of injuries in the postseason, those reserves become even more important, swinging games either off the bench or when pressed into emergency starting duty.