Ladies and gentleman, the 2026 NBA Finals is officially all set!
Following a down to the wire Game 7 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the San Antonio Spurs will face off against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
Just like all NBA fans predicted, after both of these teams played back in December during the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup, where the Knicks won 124-113, they will meet again several months later.
History repeats itself between these two franchises. The Spurs and Knicks last faced each other in the NBA Finals back in 1999, a series where the Spurs won 4-1 to claim their first championship in franchise history, which also marked the Knicks’ last Finals appearance.
During the 2025-2026 regular season, the teams split their two-game series, with each team winning a game.
Now, both squads enter the series rolling and looking to one-up each other with their respective advantages.
Brunson, Knicks Offense Face Spurs Elite Defense
The Knicks have clicked on all cylinders entering the Finals, with an dominant 11-game playoff winning streak. During this streak, they have swept consecutive series and have outscored opponents by large margins with complete dominance.
Jalen Brunson has been leading the charge for New York, averaging 26.9 points and 6.6 assists per game in the postseason. However, Brunson will have his hands full against his potential primary matchup, Stephon Castle, the standout second-year player for the Spurs.
In the Western Conference Finals, back-to-back league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 25.9 points and 8.9 assists for OKC. However, Castle and the Spurs defense made Shai feels their presence, making him as uncomfortable as possible during there seven-game series. Gilgeous-Alexander was held to just 40.9% shooting from the field and 28.6% from the three-point range. Now, Castle and the Spurs will look to make life just as miserable for the Knicks star guard.
Brunson will likely still find ways to get to his spots, as he averaged 26.0 points per game on good efficiency against the Spurs in the regular season. On the defensive side, look for the Spurs to hunt matchups on the smaller Brunson. The Knicks will look to help him by utilizing their two amazing defensive wings of OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges alongside their strong backline protection.
The Frontcourt Battle: Towns Faces Wembanyama Amid Robinson Injury News
Knicks star and Edison, New Jersey native, Karl-Anthony Towns will have his hands full with the “The Alien”, Victor Wembanyama. In six career head-to head matchups, Wembanyama has averaged 27.0 points per game and 12.2 rebounds against Towns. Similar to how the OKC Thunder attacked in the Western Conference Final, Towns and the Knicks will have to show their will and play very physical against Wemby and the Spurs.
Towns simply must show up and show out on both sides of the ball for the Knicks to have a chance at holding up the Larry O’Brien Trophy. He has averaged 16.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in the playoffs, with Knicks head coach Mike Brown and the coaching staff running the offense through his hands to get his teammates involved.
Most importantly, Towns must stay out of foul trouble. The Knicks will have to heavily rely on him after announcing that backup center Mitchell Robinson will be playing through a broken finger. The injury reportedly did not occur during a game or practice, leaving the basketball world wondering how it took place. Robinson will play through it after undergoing surgery on his broken pinky, but look for the Spurs to immediately test his health on the court.
Opposing teams have frequently turned to “Hack-a-Mitch”, as a strategy to take Robinson and the Knicks out of rhythm. While Robinson is highly valuable on defense and as a rebounder, his inability to make free throws have limited his time on the court, as the big man is shooting 30.2% from the free throw line– among the worst percentages in NBA history.
X-Factors and Bench Production
Another key thing to watch for both teams will be the production of the supporting casts.
The rest of the Knicks starters and bench have absolutely showed up and showed out. New York has received key contributions from OG Anunoby, who is the team’s second leading scorer in the playoffs at 19.7 points per game. Alongside him, the two Villanova boys Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart have enforced their will at different times whenever their names have been called. The Knicks’ bench has also been huge, a shift from previous years when the team had to fully rely on their starters. New York is getting major contributions from Landry Shamet, Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado and Jordan Clarkson. The Knicks will certainly need these players to continue stepping up to help take the load off their two stars.
On the other side, the Spurs supporting cast has been just as impressive. In addition to Castle, New Jersey native and rookie guard Dylan Harper has been exceptional. As a rookie, Harper has shown flashes of what is to come for many years, looking like a seasoned veteran while averaging 13.1 points per game in these playoffs.
Furthermore, one of the Spurs longest-tenured players, Devin Vassell, has stepped up to the challenge on both sides of the ball, averaging 13.0 points per game. Meanwhile, 2026 Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson and Brooklyn Native Julian Champagnie, have raised their level of play over the last couple of games despite experiencing an up and down postseason.
Veteran point guard De’Aaron Fox has kept the Spurs steady as their lead playmaker, averaging 16.4 points and 5.9 assists per game. Fox delivered a great performance in Game 7 against OKC while battling a right high-ankle sprain all series long, continuing his push to get back to the best version of himself.
The Spurs also received a major lift from backup center Luke Kornet. Kornet struggled mightily against the Thunder all series, becoming nearly unplayable at times as OKC targeted him in non-Wembanyama minutes. However, late in a close fourth quarter in Game 7 with Wembanyama in foul trouble, Kornet rose to the occasion. He delivered an incredible chase-down block on former Knick and current Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein, marking one of the best moments of his career despite previously winning a championship with the Boston Celtics back in 2024. The Spurs have at times struggled to match their opponents bench production so they will need consistent play from this unit to hoist the trophy.
Oddly Similar Contenders Set for Game 1
Both of these teams share striking similiarties, including being the last two squads to knock off a defending champion. Last year in the second round, the Knicks eliminated the Boston Celtics, while the Spurs knocked off the Thunder this year.
With both of these teams evenly matched, expect a back and forth series. Both coaching staffs are prepared to make the necessary adjustments. Mike Brown successfully stepped in during his first season with the Knicks following the firing of Tom Thibodeau, while Mitch Johnson has led his young roster after taking over for Gregg Popovich, becoming the fourth-youngest head coach to reach the NBA Finals.
NBA fans, get your popcorn ready. Game 1 of the NBA Finals will be played on Wednesday, June 3, in San Antonio. A new champion is guaranteed to be crowned, marking the eighth different champion in eight straight seasons– the longest streak of parity in league history.
