The New York Knicks reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 by sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference finals [1, 2]. The Knicks then staged the largest comeback in NBA Finals history on May 27, overturning a 29-point deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, taking a 3-1 series lead [1, 3]. OG Anunoby scored the winning points on a tip-in with 1.2 seconds left, a clutch play Knicks coach Mike Brown called "the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball" [1]. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the victory as "SPEECHLESS" [1].
On the Western side, the San Antonio Spurs fought through a tough seven-game series against the Oklahoma City Thunder to claim the Western Conference crown [4, 5]. Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, standing 2.24 meters tall, led the way with 22 points and seven rebounds in the decisive Game 7 win of 111-103 on May 30 [4, 5]. Wembanyama earned both the Western Conference Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors [4, 5]. He also delivered a dominant 28-point, 10-rebound performance in Game 6 to force the decisive seventh game [6, 7]. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points in Game 7 but could not prevent the Spurs' victory, quipping, "If it was four or five of me out there, we would've been down 20 after the first quarter" [4, 5, 2].
Wembanyama reflected on the chance to win the NBA title, calling it "a lifetime chance" and noting, "I found resources inside of me. Relentlessness. I already knew that, but doing it at this level, this is the best basketball being played on the planet right now" [5]. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson praised his team's execution and resolve, saying, "There's a lot being talked about, words like competitiveness, resolve, togetherness, execution – and they had to go out and execute and they did" [4].
The NBA Finals will begin on June 3, 2026, with the Knicks hosting the Spurs in Game 1, marking New York's return to the NBA's championship series after 27 years [4, 5].
