With a thrilling Game 7 victory in the Western Conference Finals, the San Antonio Spurs are headed to the NBA Finals to take on the New York Knicks.
Game one tips off Wednesday June 3 at 8:30 p.m. on ABC (Find your local affiliate channel).
DIRECTV is your hub for watching live NBA games every day.
How to Watch the NBA Finals
The NBA Finals will air exclusively on ABC (find your local ABC affiliate). Here’s the full series schedule, tipping off with Game 1 on Wednesday, June 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
| Game | Date | Location | Time (ET) | Channel |
| Game 1 | Wed June 3 | San Antonio | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Game 2 | Fri June 5 | San Antonio | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Game 3 | Mon June 8 | New York | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Game 4 | Wed June 10 | New York | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Game 5* | Sat June 13 | San Antonio | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Game 6* | Tues June 16 | New York | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Game 7* | Fri June 19 | San Antonio | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
*If necessary
2026 NBA Finals Preview: New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs
The 2026 NBA Finals features one of the league’s most fascinating contrasts: the Knicks’ machine-like offensive execution against the Spurs’ generational talent.
It’s also a rematch of December’s Emirates Cup Final, when New York defeated San Antonio after the Spurs shocked Oklahoma City to reach the championship game. Six months later, both teams have evolved into something even more dangerous.
For New York, it’s a chance to win a first title since 1973. For San Antonio, it’s the beginning of what could become the Victor Wembanyama era.
New York Knicks
The Knicks enter the Finals on the back of one of the most dominant postseason stretches the league has ever seen. After falling behind Atlanta 2-1 in the opening round, New York ripped off 11 consecutive wins, sweeping both Philadelphia and Cleveland on the way to its first Finals appearance since 1999.
Their +262 point differential during that span is unprecedented, reflecting a team that isn’t simply winning games—it’s overwhelming opponents.
The transformation starts with Mike Brown’s decision to run the offense through Karl-Anthony Towns at the high post. Towns’ playmaking has become the hub of everything New York does, forcing defenses into impossible choices and creating opportunities for everyone around him.
Towns is averaging 17 points, nearly 11 rebounds and six assists per game. Jalen Brunson has thrived in the system, averaging 27 points and 6.6 assists per game, while OG Anunoby and Josh Hart continue to provide elite two-way production. Every Knicks starter is shooting better than 44% from the field, and New York’s depth has turned close games into blowouts throughout the playoffs.
After falling short of the Finals last season and firing head coach Tom Thibodeau, New York entered this year with Finals-or-bust expectations. They answered the bell. Brown has completely bewildered the Eastern Conference with his offensive adjustments and is now coaching in his second NBA Finals as a head coach. The question is whether the offensive adjustments that dismantled the Eastern Conference will be as effective against a defense anchored by Victor Wembanyama.
San Antonio Spurs
Standing in the Knicks’ way are the San Antonio Spurs. Entering the season, the Spurs were considered a sneaky playoff contender. Then they made it to the NBA Cup finals and posted the second best regular season record in the league.
Conventional wisdom suggested San Antonio was still a year away from taking home the West. The Spurs ignored it. After dispatching Portland and Minnesota, they stunned the defending champion Thunder in a grueling seven-game Western Conference Finals. The experience gap that many expected to derail San Antonio never materialized.
That’s largely because Victor Wembanyama, the Western Conference Finals MVP, changes the math of every game. His ability to dominate as both a rim protector and perimeter threat forces opponents to build entire game plans around him.
But he is not alone. Stephon Castle is averaging 19 points and nearly seven assists per game. Devin Vassell, Dylan Harper and Julian Champagnie are all averaging double figures in points and more than a steal per game while lighting it up from long range. De’Aaron Fox has balanced inefficient shooting with elite playmaking and late-game shot creation.
Wembanyama is the centerpiece, but the Spurs are in the Finals because the supporting cast has repeatedly delivered in the postseason’s biggest moments.
The central question for San Antonio is whether the team has enough left in the tank after their marathon series against the Thunder. The Knicks have played five fewer games over the last month.
Ultimately, the Finals may come down to a simple question: Which force is stronger?
New York’s historically efficient team basketball or Victor Wembanyama’s singular ability to alter every possession on both ends of the floor.
The Knicks enter the series better rested and playing arguably the best basketball in franchise history. The Spurs arrive battle-tested after surviving the Western Conference gauntlet.
One side is chasing its first championship in 53 years. The other may be beginning a dynasty.
Either way, the NBA couldn’t have asked for a more compelling Finals matchup.
2026 NBA Playoffs Results
Below are the complete results from the 2026 NBA Playoffs, including every series leading up to the NBA Finals.
2026 Conference Finals Results
| Conference Finals Series | Results |
| New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | Knicks win 4-0 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs | Spurs win 4-3 |
The Knicks reached the Finals for the first time since 1999 by sweeping Cleveland, while the Spurs survived a seven-game battle against the defending champions Thunder.
2026 Round 2 (Conference Semifinals) Results
| Conference Semifinals Matchup | Results |
| Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | Cavaliers win 4-3 |
| New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers | Knicks win 4-0 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers | Thunder win 4-0 |
| San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | Spurs win 4-2 |
2026 Round 1 Results
Eastern Conference
| Matchup | Results |
| (1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Orlando Magic | Pistons win 4-3 |
| (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers | 76ers win 4-3 |
| (3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Atlanta Hawks | Knicks win 4-2 |
| (4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Toronto Raptors | Cavaliers win 4-3 |
Western Conference
| Matchup | Results |
| (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Phoenix Suns | Thunder win 4-0 |
| (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Portland Trail Blazers | Spurs win 4-1 |
| (3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves | Timberwolves win 4-2 |
| (4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets | Lakers win 4-2 |
Watch NBA basketball on DIRECTV
Don’t miss a single foul, free throw or field goal of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Get DIRECTV today and start watching!
Interested in a service that lets you access live sports, only live sports and includes ESPN Unlimited? Check out MySports™ Genre Pack™ today for free!.
DIRECTV Insider brings you our views on what’s happening in streaming, t.v., movies and sports. Companies and persons mentioned are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. We will disclose sponsored content on our site when we show it to you, and some of the links on the site may be ads or affiliate links which means DIRECTV may earn compensation from your purchases.
