NBA Finals begin June 3 on ABC

The NBA set June 3 as the start date for the 2026 Finals, with ABC scheduled to carry the championship series, according to the league’s official schedule page. Game 1 is listed for Wednesday, June 3, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, and the series is slated to follow the league’s standard best-of-seven format. The announcement gives the postseason its fixed end point even as the conference finals field is still playing for the two spots in the title round. As of Monday, the remaining teams are the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the West, and the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers in the East. ### When exactly does the series start, and where will it air? June 3 is the scheduled date for Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals, and ABC is the exclusive broadcaster, the NBA said on its Finals page. The league’s schedule lists all games for 8:30 p.m. ET. The NBA’s published slate sets Game 2 for June 5, Game 3 for June 8 and Game 4 for June 10. (nba.com) Games 5, 6 and 7 are scheduled for June 13, June 16 and June 19 if necessary, according to the same league schedule. ### Which teams are still alive with the Finals approaching? CBS Sports reported Monday that the final four is set as Thunder versus Spurs in the Western Conference finals and Knicks versus Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. (nba.com) ESPN’s playoff coverage also lists those four clubs as the remaining teams in the bracket. Oklahoma City entered the postseason as the West’s No. 1 seed, while San Antonio advanced to face the defending champions, according to NBA.com’s playoff coverage. In the East, New York and Cleveland are the two teams left competing for the conference title and the Finals berth. (cbssports.com) ### How do those teams reach the Finals from here? The conference finals winners advance directly to the NBA Finals under the league’s playoff format. The bracket on NBA.com and ESPN shows the two conference champions meeting in the championship round that begins June 3. The NBA’s playoff schedule page says it will be updated each time postseason scheduling is officially announced. (espn.com) That means exact conference finals game dates and any potential changes in sequencing are posted as the league confirms them. ### Why is the June 3 date notable right now? May 12 was the date the NBA updated its Finals schedule page with the June 3 opener and the full game calendar. (nba.com) That gave teams, broadcasters and fans the official timeline for the championship round before the conference finals were completed. ESPN’s playoff tracker has also pointed to June 3 as the start of the Finals, matching the league’s own schedule. (nba.com) CBS Sports’ playoff bracket coverage on Monday likewise identified the remaining four teams and the path into the championship series. (nba.com) ### What should fans watch for next on the calendar? The next step is the conference finals, with Thunder-Spurs deciding the Western champion and Knicks-Cavaliers deciding the Eastern champion. Those two winners will meet in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, June 3, on ABC, according to the NBA’s official schedule. (cbssports.com) (espn.com)