For the first time, both conference-final openers went to overtime

The NBA opened both of its conference-final series with overtime games for the first time in league history this week, according to NBA highlight and recap pages. New York beat Cleveland 115-104 in overtime in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 19, and San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 122-115 in double overtime in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on May 18. NBA.com packaged the two results together in a league video headlined “Both NBA Conference Finals Openers Went to OT for the First Time Ever.” The back-to-back finishes came at the start of series that have already moved on. Oklahoma City beat San Antonio in Game 2 on May 20 to level the West finals at 1-1, and New York beat Cleveland in Game 2 on May 21 to take a 2-0 lead in the East, according to NBA.com and ESPN playoff pages. ### How unusual were the two openers? NBA.com described the pairing as the first time both conference-final openers went to overtime. (nba.com) The league’s own recap video used that line in its headline, and the individual game pages confirm that one opener needed one extra period and the other needed two. San Antonio’s 122-115 win over Oklahoma City was also rare on its own terms. (nba.com) NBA.com said it was the sixth Game 1 in NBA playoff history to go to double overtime, and the first since a Spurs-Warriors game in 2013. ### What happened in Knicks-Cavaliers? New York trailed Cleveland by 22 points in the fourth quarter before winning 115-104 in overtime at Madison Square Garden on May 19. NBA.com said the Knicks closed on a 44-11 run and called it a 22-point fourth-quarter comeback. (nba.com) Jalen Brunson led the late push for New York, and NBA.com’s Game 1 coverage described the finish as a comeback that stunned Cleveland. The official game summary listed the result as final in overtime and set Game 2 for May 21. (nba.com) ### What happened in Spurs-Thunder? San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 122-115 in double overtime on May 18 in the Western Conference finals opener. NBA.com’s game summary said Victor Wembanyama lifted the Spurs in an “instant classic,” while the box score and recap confirmed the game went through two overtime periods. (nba.com) Victor Wembanyama delivered the decisive late scoring in a game that stretched toward midnight, according to NBA.com’s recap. (nba.com) The same summary noted that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and 12 assists for Oklahoma City on the night he received his second straight Most Valuable Player trophy. ### Did the overtime pattern carry into the rest of the series? Game 2 in the West did not. Oklahoma City beat San Antonio on May 20 to even the series 1-1, with NBA.com saying the Thunder used pressure defense to harass the Spurs. (nba.com) Game 2 in the East also ended in regulation. New York beat Cleveland again on May 21, and ESPN’s playoff coverage said the Knicks now lead the Eastern Conference finals 2-0. (nba.com) ### What comes next on the schedule? The 2026 playoffs continue with Game 3 in both conference-final series this weekend, according to ESPN’s playoff schedule. Spurs-Thunder is next on Saturday, May 23, and Knicks-Cavaliers follows on Sunday, May 24, before the NBA Finals begin on June 3. (nba.com) (espn.com)