2026 NBA Finals Spurs vs Knicks preview

The 2026 NBA Finals feature a highly anticipated 1999 rematch between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks. The series will tip off this Wednesday, June 3rd at 8:30 PM ET on ABC, with the higher-seeded Spurs getting to host the first two games in San Antonio.

While the Knicks, who are chasing their first title in 53 years, have strung together an impressive 11 game win streak by sweeping both the 76ers and the Cavaliers, the Spurs are still the favorite in the series. The youthful Spurs are making their first Finals appearance since 2014. Led by Western Conference Finals MVP Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio is battle-tested after enduring a grueling, physical 7 game series against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Wembanyama, the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year, anchors a defense tasked with slowing down New York’s high-octane offense while the Knicks' defensive wings excel at suffocating perimeter shooters. They will aim to pressure San Antonio's backcourt, led by the trio of Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox and rookie Dylan Harper.

Historically, teams coming off a series sweep against a team coming off a 7-game series are 5-3 in the Finals. The opening quarters of Game 1 will reveal if New York's extended time off leaves them rusty, while if the series goes long we will see if all the playoff minutes finally leads to San Antonio fatigue.

I'm going to predict the Spurs win the series versus the Knicks, but I think New York's chances of winning have increased some after the Thunder didn't close out the Spurs in Game 6 and proceeded to lose Game 7 as well.