The New York Knicks are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, and they'll meet the San Antonio Spurs—this time as opponents rather than the team that ended their last championship dream 27 years ago.
Victor Wembanyama has guided the Spurs back to the Finals for the first time since 2014, and they earned their spot by beating the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday. The Spurs will host Game 1 on Wednesday night.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
The Knicks haven't played since last Monday—just four games since early May—while rolling through the postseason with an 11-game winning streak. They're listed as underdogs at -205 odds on FanDuel.
Expert Picks
Botkin (Spurs in 7): "The Knicks can shoot, yes, but they also do a lot of damage in the paint—and Wemby shuts that option off. It'll be a war."
Gonzalez (Spans in 6): "Rolling the Hawks, Sixers and Cavs is altogether different from facing down Wemby and San Antonio's big, athletic guards."
Maloney (Spurs in 7): "The Knicks lead all playoff teams in restricted-area shots per game (29.6) and are shooting 68.1% there. That won't fly against the Spurs, who ranked third in defensive rating during the regular season and second in the postseason."
Quinn (Knicks in 7): "There might not be a better pair of defenders to throw at Victor Wembanyama than OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson. The longer this series goes, the better for New York."
The Knicks have been dominant—they've piled up four 30-point wins and 11 of their 12 victories have been by double digits—but they haven't faced a defense like this. Wembanyama changes how teams operate on offense. He collapses the paint, and the Knicks thrive on finishing there.
Mitchell Robinson's availability remains uncertain. If he can go, the Knicks have a real chance to throw length at Wembanyama on both ends. If not, it'll be a shorter series than Knicks fans hoped.
The Spurs are favored for a reason. But this one could go the distance.