Conference finals matchups confirmed; NBA Finals scheduled to begin June 3

The NBA’s final four is set, and the 2026 playoffs have moved into the conference finals. New York will play Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals, while Oklahoma City will face San Antonio in the Western Conference finals, according to the league’s playoff bracket and schedule pages. The NBA has scheduled the 2026 Finals to begin June 3 on ABC, with the two conference winners advancing to that series. ### Which teams are still alive? The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers are the last two teams standing in the Eastern Conference. NBA.com’s bracket lists New York as the No. 3 seed and Cleveland as the No. 4 seed in that matchup. Cleveland reached the round after eliminating Detroit in seven games, while New York advanced by sweeping Philadelphia in the conference semifinals, according to NBA.com and ESPN. (nba.com) The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs will meet in the Western Conference finals. NBA.com’s bracket shows top-seeded Oklahoma City against No. 2 seed San Antonio after the Thunder swept the Los Angeles Lakers and the Spurs beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-2. ### When do the conference finals start? Tuesday, May 19, is the scheduled start of the Eastern Conference finals. (nba.com) Local schedule reports and the NBA playoff schedule list Game 1 between Cleveland and New York at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, with Game 2 set for Thursday, May 21. (nba.com) Wednesday, May 20, is the scheduled start of the Western Conference finals. NBA.com’s bracket lists Game 1 of Thunder-Spurs for Wednesday, with Oklahoma City holding home court in the series. ### Why does New York have home court in the East? New York has home-court advantage over Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals. WKYC reported that Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 are set for Madison Square Garden, while Games 3, 4 and 6 are scheduled for Rocket Arena in Cleveland. (wkbn.com) (nba.com) NBA.com’s playoff bracket lists New York as the No. 3 seed and Cleveland as the No. 4 seed, which puts the higher-seeded Knicks at home for a potential Game 7. ### What is the clearest path from here to the Finals? June 3 is the next fixed league-wide date on the calendar. The NBA’s official Finals page says the 2026 NBA Finals are scheduled to tip off that day on ABC. (wkyc.com) The bracket is straightforward from here: Knicks-Cavaliers will produce the Eastern Conference champion, and Thunder-Spurs will produce the Western Conference champion. (nba.com) Those two teams will meet in the NBA Finals, with the series beginning June 3 on ABC, according to the league schedule. ### Is there anything else to watch before June 3? (nba.com) Oklahoma City enters the West finals without a playoff loss. CBS Sports reported that the defending champion Thunder remained undefeated in the postseason entering the series against San Antonio. Game 1s are the next milestones on the board. (nba.com) The Eastern Conference finals open May 19 in New York, the Western Conference finals open May 20 in Oklahoma City, and the NBA Finals are scheduled to start June 3 on ABC. (wkbn.com) (cbssports.com)