The 2026 NBA Finals are set, and it's time to party like it's 1999. The San Antonio Spurs knocked out the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals to advance to the Finals for the first time since 2014, where they'll meet the New York Knicks, who rampaged through the Eastern Conference.
Back in 1999, the last time the Knicks were in the Finals, they lost in five games to the Spurs. That was the first of five titles in the next 15 years for Tim Duncan and Co. Now, there's a new generational big man in San Antonio: Victor Wembanyama. The 22-year-old Frenchman is the youngest player in NBA history to make the All-NBA First Team and NBA Finals in the same season.
Will Wembanyama complete his historic first playoff run with a title? Or will Jalen Brunson and the Knicks continue their dominance and bring a championship to Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1973?
Ahead of Game 1 on Wednesday, let's look at three big questions that will decide the 2026 Finals.
What will the Knicks get out of Mitchell Robinson?
Early on Thursday evening, just before Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, news broke that Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson had suffered a broken pinky on his right hand. Robinson has since undergone surgery, but the team is hopeful he'll be able to suit up in the Finals, per The Athletic.
Game 1 is set for Wednesday, and the series is spread out over 17 days if it goes the duration, so there will be more time than usual for him to rest and rehab between games. It's still unclear how Robinson broke his finger. Knicks coach Mike Brown said Friday that it did not happen during a game or practice, but when pressed for further details, the team's PR staff interjected, saying the team would not "get into specifics."
In any case, the injury is a big blow to the Knicks' hopes of winning their first title in more than 50 years. Robinson doesn't put up big numbers — he's averaging 5.5 points and 5.3 rebounds during the playoffs — but he's one of the best offensive rebounders in the league and a big, physical presence in the paint on both ends of the floor.
Per databallr, the Knicks' offensive rebounding rate with Robinson on the floor in the playoffs is 39.4%, and drops to 28.6% when he sits (garbage time excluded). Robinson is a big reason the Knicks lead all teams in the postseason with 17.7 second-chance points per game, and his ability to create extra possessions will be crucial against an elite Spurs defense.
Plus, Robinson is the Knicks' only reliable big man off the bench. Second-year center Ariel Hukporti is the only other true center on the roster, and he's appeared in just 79 career games. His 70 minutes this postseason have come almost entirely in garbage time. While he is at least a big body — 7-foot, 240 pounds — the Knicks would prefer not to throw him into the fire against Wembanyama and the Spurs.
But if Robinson can't go, they'll have to turn to Hukporti, at least for small stints when Karl-Anthony Towns needs a rest. If Robinson is unable to go, it would completely change the series. But even if he does suit up, he's not going to be his usual self with a broken pinky. Will he still be able to grab rebounds in the same way? Will he be as aggressive defensively?
If the Spurs use the "hack-a-Shaq" strategy, will he have any chance at the free-throw line? What the Knicks get out of Robinson will be a key storyline to watch over the next few weeks.
Can the Knicks remain red hot from downtown?
With less than a minute to play in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder were down by six and desperately needed to score. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drove to the basket and seemed to have an open lane ahead of him, until Wembanyama slid over. Even though Wembanyama had five fouls, and the Thunder were running out of time, Gilgeous-Alexander turned, hun