NBA schedules Finals for June 3

The NBA has set June 3 as the start date for the 2026 Finals, with ABC as the exclusive broadcaster for the championship series. The league posted the schedule on its official site this week, listing Game 1 for Wednesday, June 3, at 8:30 p.m. (nba.com) ET. ESPN’s playoff hub also lists June 3 as the opening date for the Finals. With the conference finals underway, four teams remain alive: the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. (espn.com) ### When does the Finals actually start, and what is the full schedule? (nba.com) Game 1 is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3, at 8:30 p.m. ET, according to NBA.com. The league’s posted schedule lists Game 2 for Friday, June 5; Game 3 for Monday, June 8; and Game 4 for Wednesday, June 10. Games 5, 6 and 7 are set for Saturday, June 13, Tuesday, June 16, and Friday, June 19, if necessary, the NBA said. NBA.com lists all games at 8:30 p.m. ET. ### Which teams are still in contention for the title? (nba.com) ESPN’s playoff bracket shows four teams left in the field: the Knicks and Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, and the Thunder and Spurs in the Western Conference finals. That leaves the Finals matchup unresolved heading into the next round of conference-finals games. (nba.com) The NBA’s playoff schedule page also identifies New York and Cleveland in the East final and Oklahoma City and San Antonio in the West final. The league said that page will be updated as postseason scheduling is officially announced. (nba.com) ### Where will the games air, and how can viewers watch? ABC will carry the 2026 Finals, the NBA said on its Finals schedule page. The league’s Finals hub repeats that the series is scheduled to tip off June 3 on ABC. (espn.com) ABC’s own playoffs page says viewers can watch NBA playoff coverage on ABC and ABC.com, and its site hosts a dedicated NBA Finals page. ESPN’s playoff coverage also lists television information alongside the postseason schedule. (nba.com) ### Why was the date announced before the matchup was set? The NBA routinely posts the Finals calendar before the conference champions are decided, and the 2026 playoff schedule page says it updates the postseason calendar as scheduling is officially announced. (nba.com) That means the broadcast windows and game dates are fixed while the participating teams are still being determined. June 3 also fits the league’s published spacing between playoff rounds. The official postseason schedule shows the conference finals preceding the Finals, with the championship round beginning once those series are completed. (abc.com) ### What happens next before the Finals tip off? The conference finals continue with Knicks-Cavaliers in the East and Thunder-Spurs in the West, according to ESPN’s bracket and the NBA’s playoff schedule page. Those series will determine the two teams that advance to the June 3 opener. (nba.com) Wednesday, June 3, is the next fixed date on the league’s championship calendar. Until then, the NBA, ESPN and ABC schedule pages are the posted places for updated matchup, game-time and viewing information. (nba.com) (espn.com) (nba.com)