NBA 2K26 Predicts Its Conference Finals and Bumps Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, and OG Anunoby
2K is doubling down on the postseason with two drops in quick succession: a Conference Semifinals playoff simulation that predicts who makes the final four, and Player Ratings Update #10 rewarding the players making noise in the bracket. The two are linked in ways that feel very intentional. If 2K's simulation holds up, some of these ratings bumps are going to look prescient by the time the real Conference Finals tip off.
The Playoff Sim Results
In the East, 2K sees the Detroit Pistons defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 and the New York Knicks taking down the Philadelphia 76ers 4-2. That sets up a Pistons vs. Knicks Eastern Conference Finals - a matchup that many expected early on the season before the Celtics started dominating off the back of Jaylen Brown. The Pistons have been one of the best stories in basketball this year, and we've watched their ratings reflect that all season through the March update that bumped Jalen Duren and the Update #9 run of young stars stepping up.
In the West, Oklahoma City Thunder over the Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 and the San Antonio Spurs over the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-2. The Spurs in the Conference Finals is the headline - and given that Victor Wembanyama has been sitting at 97 OVR since his historic March ratings jump, 2K's confidence in San Antonio shouldn't surprise anyone. A Thunder vs. Spurs Western Conference Finals would be the generational talent showcase the league has been building toward all season, but for that to happen, the Spurs will have to overcome their current 0-1 record against the Ant-Man and the Timberwolves.
Player Ratings Update #10
Tyrese Maxey, PG, Philadelphia 76ers: 94 OVR (+1). The highest-rated player in this cycle, and the number reflects a point guard playing at an elite level even as his team bows out in the sim. Maxey at 94 OVR is a statement about what he's been doing on the court, regardless of team results.
Tobias Harris, PF, Detroit Pistons: 88 OVR (+2). The bigger jump of the three, and it makes sense given the context. Harris has been a cornerstone of a Pistons team that 2K just simulated into the Conference Finals. The +2 reflects both recent performance and the elevated moment - he's delivering when it matters.
OG Anunoby, PF, New York Knicks: 88 OVR (+2). OG at 88 OVR alongside Harris ties two of the four simulated Conference Finals teams to this update in a neat symmetry. Anunoby's two-way impact has always been the kind of value that shows up in winning more than in individual stat lines, and a +2 bump during the playoffs is 2K acknowledging exactly that.
The full list of NBA 2K26 Player Ratings Update #10 changes is available on the official NBA 2K26 ratings page.
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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 12:43 PM.