The wait is over. The New York Knicks will face the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals, beginning Wednesday in San Antonio.
The road here
The Knicks arrive with an 11-game postseason winning streak, their first Finals appearance since 1999. That year, they lost to the Spurs—San Antonio's first championship in what would become a run of five titles over the next quarter-century.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
Victor Wembanyama has guided the Spurs back to the Finals for the first time since 2014. They closed out the Western Conference Finals with a Game 7 victory over the defending champion Thunder on Saturday night.
The Knicks haven't played since last Monday, just four games since May 11. They've had ample rest. FanDuel lists the Spurs as series favorites at -205.
Making the calls
Botkin picks Spurs in 7. The reasoning centers on Wembanyama's disruptive presence. The Knicks shoot well and score effectively inside, but Wemby erases the paint. "It will be a war," Botkin writes.
Gonzalez picks Spurs in 6. He notes the Knicks haven't faced competition like this—rolling past Atlanta, Philadelphia and Cleveland differs from shutting down Wemby and San Antonio's athletic backcourt. No home court this time either.
Maloney picks Spurs in 7. The Knicks' numbers are real: best offensive rating (123.3), defensive rating (103.5), net rating (+19.8) among playoff teams. They're first in restricted-area shots (29.6 per game) and shooting 68.1% there. But the Spurs finished third in defensive rating during the regular season and second in the postseason (104.4). "Betting against Wembanyama just feels foolish at this point," Maloney writes.
Quinn picks Knicks in 7. This pairing presents problems for San Antonio. OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson offer perhaps the best two defenders against Wembanyama in the league—one longwing, one physical big to wear him down. The Spurs are banged up: De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper playing at less than 100%. The Knicks have played four games in 24 days; the Spurs are weary after a seven-game series.