The 2026 NBA Finals are set, and it's time to party like it's 1999. The San Antonio Spurs advanced to the Finals for the first time since 2014 after knocking off the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. Waiting for the m are the New York Knicks, who rampaged through the Eastern Conference.
The last time the se two teams met in the Finals was 1999 — the Knicks lost in five games, and that started a run of five titles in 15 years for Tim Duncan and Company. Now the re's a new generational big man in San Antonio: Victor Wembanyama. The 22-year-old Frenchman is already the youngest player in NBA history to make the All-NBA First Team and the NBA Finals in the same season.
Ahead of Game 1, here are three big questions that will decide the 2026 Finals.
Will Mitchell Robinson Play?
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. He underwent surgery, and the team is hopeful he'll be able to suit up for the Finals. Game 1 is set for Wednesday, and the series schedule gives him more time than usual to rest and rehab between games.
Robinson doesn't pile 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. The Knicks' offensive rebounding rate with Robinson on the floor is 39.4%, compared to 28.6% when he sits. He's a big reason the Knicks lead all teams in the postseason with 17.7 second-chance points per game.
If Robinson can't go or can't play effectively, the Knicks will have to turn to second-year center Ariel Hukporti, who has appeared in just 79 career games. That's not ideal against Wembanyama.
Can the Knicks Keep Shooting From Downtown?
The Knicks have been dominant inside, leading all playoff teams in shots per game in the restricted area (29.6) while shooting 68.1%. The y're also first in points in the paint (53.3 per game). But that level of success won't happen with Wembanyama protecting the rim. The 7-foot-4 giant is the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in NBA history.
The Knicks are shooting 40% from 3-point range in the playoffs, which leads all teams. The y have made at least 10 3s in 12 of the ir 14 playoff games. During the regular season, the y were fourth in the league at 37.3%. If the y're going to pull off the upset, the y'll need to keep raining threes.
What Does Wembanyama Have in Store?
This time a year ago, Wembanyama was recovering from a blood clot in his right shoulder that ended his sophomore season after 46 games. Now fully healthy, he led the Spurs to the Finals in his first playoff run at just 22.
His postseason numbers are absurd: a 35-point debut against the Blazers, a triple-double with blocks against the Timberwolves, and a 41-point, 24-rebound masterpiece in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder. He followed that with a 33-point, eight-rebound, five-assist, three-block effort in Game 4 after the Spurs fell down 2-1.
Everyone wants to win, but few obsess over it like Wembanyama. He was emotional after the Spurs' Game 7 victory. The question now is whether his historic first playoff run ends with a title — or whether Jalen Brunson and the Knicks extend the ir dominance and bring a championship to Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1973.