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Harold Alarcon and these former UAAP stars name their top picks to rule the 2025-26 NBA season.
All eyes are on the postseason as the 2026 NBA Playoffs continue to heat up. Will the Oklahoma City Thunder go back-to-back? Or will the West run through a new city. Over in the East, can Boston return to the Finals after a one-season absence?
As the NBA season enters its critical stages, The GAME asked some local basketball stars their NBA playoff picks, specifically those who will be competing for the Larry O’Brien trophy in June. Here are their selections.
Harold Alarcon
For Harold Alarcon, the 2026 NBA Finals will boil down to either the Denver Nuggets or Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Boston Celtics.
Continuity is a major criteria in Alarcon’s picks. Save for losses like Michael Porter Jr. and Coach Mike Malone, Denver’s championship core remains mostly intact. It’s the same story for OKC, who even added Jared McCain in this year’s trade deadline.
“Siguro OKC pa rin feel ko na magcchampion. Andiyan pa rin ‘yung Denver Nuggetstas wala naman masyado nawala sa Denver. Ganon din sa OKC, so kung sino ‘yung mas buo, sila talaga ‘yung mas pwede mag-champion,” Harold said.
Alarcon believes that the East still runs through Boston, which recently welcomed Jayson Tatum back in time for the playoffs.
“’Di ko masabi sa East…Baka ‘yun, Boston. Contender pa rin ‘yung Boston eh. Wala silang [malakas na] kalaban doon,” said the two-time UAAP champion.
Safe to say that Alarcon is betting on either Denver or OKC, given his picks for Finals MVP.
“Pag sa Denver, si Jokic. SGA naman sa OKC.”
Nic Cabañero
If he’ll have it his way, Nic Cabañero wants a classic rivalry for the 2026 NBA Finals: the Lakers and Celtics. Historical context aside, the former UST guard picked these teams for good reason.
“Classics muna tayo ngayon, nauumay na ako sa mga bata eh! Joke lang,” Nic said with a laugh.
“Luka is doing his thing as MVP. Then sa Boston naman, with or without Tatum, they are just consistent. I know they were struggling at first sa regular season but look at them now, number two sa East.”
Despite a roller-coaster season, the Lakers finished fourth in the West with a 53-29 record, and are in the midst of their Round 1 matchup against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. Doncic also emerged as the scoring champ, finishing the regular season with 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds in 64 games played.
Cabañero says he is rooting for the Lakers in his dream matchup.
“I’ll go with the Lakers, then si Luka [Finals MVP],” the former King Tiger concluded.
Josh Lazaro
Former Ateneo forward Josh Lazaro says he is rooting for the Spurs to rule the West, as he is a fan of the youth revolution in San Antonio. It’s for good reason, given their core led by Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and a veteran guard in De’Aaron Fox.
San Antonio finished the regular season with an impressive 62-20 record, and are currently in battle against the seventh-seeded Portland Trail Blazers. Wemby, meanwhile, also became the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.
“I’m rooting for them kasi most of them are young guys tas wala pa silang championship, so I want them to win. And I think they have what it takes to win it all,” Lazaro, referring to the Spurs’ young core, said.
Like his peers, Lazaro believes the East still runs through Boston, given their championship experience.
“They’re very experienced as a team with JT, si Jaylen Brown. Sanay na din sila sa playoffs eh,” he said.
As for the Finals MVP, Lazaro is placing his bets on Wembanyama.
“I feel like this year is for Wemby talaga and ‘yung improvement niya is sobrang laki.”
Who do YOU have winning it all this season?
Banner images from Kieran Punay.
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