Jun 2, 2026; San Antonio, TX, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) talks to press during the NBA finals media day at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images
(New York, New York) – The Knicks are back on the NBA Finals stage tonight, opening Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs with New York waiting to see if this run can turn into the franchise’s first championship since 1973. The series begins in San Antonio, renewing a Finals matchup that older Knicks fans remember from 1999.
This is a day New York basketball fans have been building toward all postseason. The Knicks have already turned a deep playoff run into a citywide event, and Game 1 gives them a chance to steal early control before the series eventually shifts to Madison Square Garden.
The Spurs bring their own star power and a young core led by Victor Wembanyama, making the matchup one of the league’s biggest stage tests. For the Knicks, the priority is keeping the game physical, limiting easy runs and avoiding the kind of early road mistake that can tilt a Finals opener.
Tipoff is scheduled for tonight on ABC. Win or lose, the opener will set the tone for a series that has already pulled New York back into the center of the basketball world.
