The last time the Spurs and Knicks met in the NBA Finals, you could not have watched highlights from the game on your iPhone — the first iPhone was eight years away. There also would have been no highlights on YouTube (2005), Twitter (2006, now X), or Instagram (2010).
Yet there are some similarities between those 1999 Finals and this year’s showdown. The Spurs are led by a big man (Tim Duncan then, Victor Wembanyama now), with quality perimeter players around them (Avery Johnson and Sean Elliott then, Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox now). The Knicks were gritty and found ways to win then, just as they do now, even if the roster makeup is a very different style (Patrick Ewing-focused rather than Jalen Brunson-focused).
In 2026, San Antonio enters as the betting favorite even though the Knicks have won 11 in a row and enter the Finals on a historic hot streak. Who do the NBC Sports experts expect to take home the title, the Spurs in a repeat of 1999, or the Knicks getting some revenge and their first title since 1973? Here are our picks.
Predictions
Kurt Helin (lead NBA writer): Spurs in 6
I preface this pick with an acknowledgment: The Knicks can win this series. If they stay red hot from 3, if they dominate the offensive glass (as they did in the NBA Cup Finals matchup of these teams), and if their wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges can put up big numbers, they can take the Finals and hoist a banner at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks match up as well as anyone with Wemby, and the best way to attack the Knicks is not the Spurs’ preferred style of play.
I just don’t believe New York can keep that going at a high enough level to win four of seven. I think the soft East has led to a perception that this good team is a little better than it actually is. In the end, talent wins out in the NBA and I think the Spurs are more talented, more versatile (especially with De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper looking healthy again), and will ask questions the Knicks just can’t answer. This San Antonio team is different — better, more confident, and now battle-tested — than the one the Knicks beat during the season. New York will win a couple but not enough, and the Spurs take the series.
Raphielle Johnson (fantasy basketball lead writer): Knicks in 7
Entering the playoffs, many assumed that the winner of the Western Conference would waltz to the NBA title. However, since Game 4 of its first round series against Atlanta, New York has been flat-out dominant. Playing more through Karl-Anthony Towns has paid dividends, and Mikal Bridges’ resurgence from Game 6 of the Atlanta series onward has been huge. OG Anunoby and Josh Hart have filled their roles, and the bench has stepped up, most notably Landry Shamet and Miles McBride.
Last but not least is the captain, Jalen Brunson. He’s capable of taking over a game with his scoring, but the subtle changes made by head coach Mike Brown have lightened the workload some, especially in the first three quarters of games. As good as San Antonio has been, the Knicks have appeared to figure things out after an, at times, uneven regular season. I think this series goes the distance, with the extra rest that New York has picked up after the last two rounds being a factor in the end.
Jay Coucher (NBC lead betting analyst): Spurs in 7
The Knicks pose interesting matchup issues for the Spurs with the sheer size and strength they can throw at Wemby in the frontcourt, but ultimately the Spurs are the more talented team here and have home court advantage. De’Aaron Fox looked much more spry last game as his ankle continues to heal, and the extended rest schedule of the Finals should favor San Antonio - Wemby, with Sean Sweeney’s weaponized defensive gameplans, should be an unstoppable force in this series.
Eric Samulski (NBA/MLB Content Creator): Knicks in 6
Yes, I’m from New York City, which maybe we should get out of the way early on, but I’m trying to be objective about this. What the Knicks have done over their 11-game playoff winning streak is historic. They are downright dismantling teams, and the only teams that have won more games in a row in the postseason both won titles. Mike Brown has adjusted to every defensive scheme other teams are throwing at them, and both Mikail Bridges and OG Anunoby are playing their best basketball at the right time. That gives the Knicks a deep, talented, and cohesive team that reminds me of when the Nuggets lifted the trophy a few years ago.
Yes, the Knicks might not shoot 40% from three during the Finals. Yes, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and De’Aaron Fox are going to challenge the Knicks’ on-ball defense. Yes, Mitchell Robinson’s injury complicates the already complicated task of guarding Victor Wembanyama. But this Knicks team is battle-tested, veteran-laden, and already beat the Spurs in intense games this season. Oh, and for all the talk about the Knicks’ offense, they have the best defensive rating of any team in the postseason with the highest rebounding percentage, and are giving up the fewest second-chance points. This is a well-rounded team that is clicking at the right time and is likely hungrier than the younger Spurs.
New York vs San Antonio NBA Finals Schedule 2026
All times are Eastern (* = if necessary).
Game 1: New York at San Antonio, Wednesday, June 3 (8:30 ET, ABC)
Game 2: New York at San Antonio, Friday, June 5 (8:30 ET, ABC)
Game 3: San Antonio at New York, Monday, June 8 (8:30 ET, ABC)
Game 4: San Antonio at New York, June 10 (8:30 ET, ABC)
*Game 5: New York at San Antonio, June 13 (8:30 ET, ABC)
*Game 6: San Antonio at New York, June 16 (8:30 ET, ABC)
*Game 7: New York at San Antonio, June 19 (8:30 ET, ABC)
