Both conference finals openers went to OT

The NBA said on May 21 that both 2026 conference finals openers went to overtime for the first time in league history, a note the league highlighted in a recap video posted to YouTube. The marker covered New York’s 115-104 overtime win over Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals and San Antonio’s 122-115 double-overtime win over Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals. NBA.com repeated the note in its “Starting 5” roundup on May 20 and in playoff recap material. ### Which two games created the first-ever pair of overtime openers? The Eastern Conference finals opener was played on May 19 at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks beat the Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime after erasing a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit, NBA.com said. Jalen Brunson led New York’s comeback as the Knicks turned a game Cleveland controlled for most of the night into an overtime win. (youtube.com) The Western Conference finals opener was played the previous night, on May 18, and ended with San Antonio beating Oklahoma City 122-115 in double overtime. NBA.com described that game as an “instant classic” and said Victor Wembanyama lifted the Spurs in the extra sessions. (nba.com) ### Where did the “first time ever” note come from? The NBA’s official YouTube account posted a video titled “Both NBA Conference Finals Openers Went to OT for the First Time Ever” on May 21. The video description said, “The opening games of the 2026 Conference Finals delivered two instant classics,” before listing the Spurs’ overtime win over the Thunder. (nba.com) NBA.com also carried the same historical note in its May 20 “Starting 5” roundup. That item said both conference finals Game 1s went to overtime, “the first time that’s ever happened.” ### How unusual was the Knicks game by itself? NBA.com said New York’s rally was historic even before the broader conference-finals note was added. (youtube.com) The league’s May 20 roundup said teams had been 1-594 since 1997 when trailing by 22 or more points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game, and that the Knicks changed that record to 2-594 with their comeback. (nba.com) The league’s Game 1 recap said the Knicks outscored Cleveland 14-3 in overtime after forcing the extra period with the late push. NBA.com’s separate overtime-highlight page also listed the final score and paired it with San Antonio’s double-overtime win in the West. ### Did both series stay tight after those openers? (nba.com) The Eastern series moved quickly after Game 1. NBA.com’s playoff news feed said the Knicks’ overtime victory on May 19 averaged 7.1 million viewers, the most-watched East finals Game 1 since 2018, and later updates showed New York taking a 2-0 lead. ESPN’s 2026 playoff coverage listed the conference finals matchups as Knicks-Cavaliers in the East and Thunder-Spurs in the West. (nba.com) ESPN also said the 2026 NBA Finals are scheduled to begin on June 3 and will be broadcast by ABC. ### Where can readers verify the record and follow what comes next? (nba.com) The NBA’s May 21 YouTube recap and its May 20 “Starting 5” post are the clearest league-issued references for the “first time ever” claim. NBA.com’s live blogs and recap pages for Knicks-Cavaliers Game 1 and Spurs-Thunder Game 1 provide the game-level details behind it. (espn.com) The next major date on the calendar is June 3, when the NBA Finals are set to start on ABC, according to ESPN and the league’s playoff schedule page. (espn.com) (youtube.com)