Knicks and Spurs Set to Meet in 2026 NBA Finals; Game 1 on June 3

The 2026 NBA Finals are officially set: the New York Knicks will face the San Antonio Spurs, with Game 1 scheduled for Wednesday, June 3, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

The NBA announced the matchup in a league social media post published early Sunday and on NBA.com. The pairing sends the Knicks to the Finals for the first time since 1999 and puts the Spurs back in the championship round for the first time since 2014. It also recreates the 1999 NBA Finals, when San Antonio beat New York in five games.

The bracket closed Saturday night when the Spurs advanced by winning Game 7 in Oklahoma City, according to NBA.com’s playoff coverage. New York had already secured the Eastern Conference title by sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the conference finals.

The series also brings together two of the central figures from each team’s playoff run. Knicks guard Jalen Brunson was named Eastern Conference Finals MVP on May 26 after leading New York through the East. “It’s an honor to be here in this city and this organization,” Brunson said then. For San Antonio, NBA.com’s playoff coverage has centered on Victor Wembanyama as the focal point of the Spurs’ run to the Finals.

The NBA’s official Finals schedule lists every game at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. After Game 1 on June 3, Game 2 is set for Friday, June 5, followed by Game 3 on Monday, June 8, and Game 4 on Wednesday, June 10. If necessary, Game 5 would be played Saturday, June 13, Game 6 on Tuesday, June 16, and Game 7 on Friday, June 19.

For the Knicks, the matchup revives the last Finals appearance in franchise history. New York’s 1999 run came in the lockout-shortened season, when the team reached the championship round before falling to the Spurs 4-1. This year marks the franchise’s first return to that stage in 27 years.

For the Spurs, the series ends a 12-year gap since their last Finals appearance in 2014. Now they will meet New York again with the league title at stake, beginning Wednesday night.