The San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks are officially set to clash in the 2026 NBA Finals. Game 1 of the championship series is scheduled for Wednesday at 8:30 PM ET, with the live national broadcast airing on ABC. Anticipation is building around the country as both teams prepare for the opening tipoff at the start of the final round of the postseason.
This matchup features a heavy contrast of styles and personnel on the court. The rising San Antonio roster is led by Victor Wembanyama and rookie guard Stephon Castle. They will face a red-hot New York squad that features the star tandem of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Bettors at New York sportsbooks are already backing the hometown roster heavily, but early Las Vegas lines opened with the Spurs as the series favorites at -210 while the Knicks stand at .
San Antonio earned its place in the final round by outlasting the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in a tense Game 7 thriller, powered by 22 points and 7 rebounds from Wembanyama. Meanwhile, New York has put together an incredible postseason run, entering the series on an 11-0 streak since the conclusion of the first round. The Knicks are maintaining this momentum despite dealing with roster injuries, including center Mitchell Robinson, who recently underwent surgery on his pinkie finger but plans to play in Game 1 using a protective brace.
The series marks a historic moment for both franchises as they look to capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy. This meeting is a direct rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals, and it follows a tense matchup from earlier this winter when New York defeated San Antonio to win the inaugural NBA Cup championship game. Regardless of which team wins the four required games, the series guarantees that the league will see its eighth different franchise take home the title over the last eight years, extending the longest stretch of championship parity in modern basketball history.