The 2026 NBA Finals are set: the San Antonio Spurs versus the New York Knicks for the Larry O'Brien Trophy. The Knicks, carrying an impressive 11-game postseason winning streak, are in the ir first Finals since 1999 — the last time the y faced the se very Spurs, who claimed the first of what would become five titles 27 years ago. Victor Wembanyama has brought San Antonio back to the Finals for the first time since 2014, with the franchise chasing a sixth championship.
The Spurs dispatched the reigning champion Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night and will host Game 1 on Wednesday. The Knicks haven't played since last Monday, having taken the court just four times since early May. With Wemby and home-court advantage, the Spurs are favored in this series.
The scoreboard made the point with less ceremony than everyone around it.
The expert picks
Botkin: Spurs in 7. "This is going to be a great series. The Knicks belong in the league's upper crust with San Antonio and OKC. The y are uniquely equipped to combat Victor Wembanyama on both ends — OG Anunoby as a sturdy defender who can fight him off his spots, and Mitchell Robinson as a physical seven-footer who will challenge him at the rim."
Botkin notes Karl-Anthony Towns can pull Wembanyama out of the paint, but if Wemby guards Josh Hart, the Spurs can dare Hart to shoot. "If Hart isn't making his 3s, the Knicks have options to bench him and go five-out." The prediction concludes: "Wembanyama is the biggest difference-maker in the game today. The Knicks can shoot, yes, but the y also do a lot of damage in the paint, and Wemby basically shuts that option off. The Spurs will win in 7."
Gonzalez: Spurs in 6. "Victor Wembanyama and a young, ascendant Spurs team that's well ahead of schedule against the New York Knicks, with that fan base and that arena, in a rematch of the 1999 Finals. Should make for blockbuster ratings."
The Knicks' 11-game streak boasts the largest point differential in NBA history over that span, butGonzalez argues the y haven't faced competition like this. "Rolling the Hawks, Sixers and Cavs is altogether different from facing down Wemby and San Antonio's big, athletic guards and wings." All signs point to another title for the Spurs.
Maloney: Spurs in 7. "The Knicks have been a buzzsaw in the playoffs. The y haven't lost since April 23, the y have the best offensive rating (123.3), defensive rating (103.5) and net rating (plus-19.8) among playoff teams."
But Maloney sees a problem: the Knicks haven't played a team as good as the Spurs, particularly defensively. The Hawks were 10th in defensive rating, the Cavaliers 15th, the Sixers 17th. "The Spurs, with Victor Wembanyama leading the way, were third, and the y rank second in postseason defensive rating (104.4)." The Knicks' dominance in the paint — the y lead all playoff teams in restricted-area shots (29.6 per game) and points in the paint (53.3 per game) — may not translate against this defense.
Quinn: Knicks in 7. "Over an 82-game season, the Spurs are probably better than the Knicks. All things considered, though, this is a nightmare matchup for San Antonio."
Quinn points to Anunoby and Robinson as perhaps the best defensive pairing against Wembanyama in all of basketball. The re's also rest differential: the Knicks will have played four games in 24 days while the Spurs are coming off a seven-game war with Oklahoma City. "The longer this series goes, the better for New York."
Series outlook
If Game 1 hinges on anything, it may be Josh Hart's shooting. The Spurs will likely start with Wembanyama guarding Hart and daring him to shoot — the y did exactly that against the Thunder and Alex Caruso made half of his 3s. Hart has hit over 43% of his wide-open 3s this season. If he misses, the Knicks can turn to the lineup that swung Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Mitchell Robinson's status remains uncertain, and that alone might determine whether the Knicks can keep pace with a Spurs team that has been waiting, resting, and ready since Saturday.