The New York Knicks overcame a 14-point third-quarter deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals on Wednesday night in San Antonio, taking a 1-0 series lead.
The Knicks, who have won 12 consecutive games, were well-rested after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. They have not lost since Game 3 of their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks on April 23.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
The Spurs needed seven games to eliminate the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. Game 2 is scheduled for Friday night before the series shifts to New York City and Madison Square Garden.
This marks a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals, 27 years after the two teams last met for the championship. The last NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden was Game 5 in 1999, which occurred on June 25.