NBA schedules Thunder vs Spurs, Knicks in East

The NBA’s conference finals picture came into focus on May 15, with the league posting Oklahoma City against San Antonio in the Western Conference finals and listing New York as the Eastern Conference finalist awaiting Detroit or Cleveland. NBA.com updated its playoff schedule late Friday after the Spurs closed out Minnesota and after the Thunder had already finished a 4-0 semifinal sweep of the Lakers. The Knicks had reached the East finals earlier in the week by sweeping Philadelphia. The remaining open question in the bracket was the Detroit-Cleveland semifinal, which was tied 3-3 heading into Game 7. ### When does Thunder-Spurs start, and where is Game 1? Game 1 of the Western Conference finals is set for Monday, May 18, at 8:30 p.m. ET in Oklahoma City, according to NBA.com. The league schedule lists NBC and Peacock as the broadcasters for the opener. NBA.com’s series page lists Oklahoma City as the No. 1 seed and San Antonio as the No. 2 seed, which gives the Thunder home court advantage. The full series runs on an every-other-day cadence through a possible Game 7 on Saturday, May 30, with Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 in Oklahoma City and Games 3, 4 and 6 in San Antonio. ### How did Oklahoma City get here? Oklahoma City swept the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 in the Western Conference semifinals, NBA.com’s playoff schedule shows. The Thunder had also entered the postseason as the West’s top seed. ESPN’s playoff coverage said Oklahoma City locked up its third straight No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. NBA.com’s West finals page lists Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the Thunder’s leading scorer entering the series at 29.1 points per game, with 7.1 assists per game. ### How did San Antonio reach the West finals? San Antonio advanced Friday night by beating Minnesota 139-109 in Game 6, according to NBA.com’s playoff schedule. The Spurs won that semifinal series 4-2 after dropping Game 1 and then taking four of the next five. NBA.com’s West finals page lists Victor Wembanyama as San Antonio’s statistical leader entering the matchup at 20.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. The same page says the Spurs are in the conference finals against Oklahoma City after closing out the Timberwolves. ### Why is New York already in the East finals? New York completed a 4-0 sweep of Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference semifinals, according to NBA.com’s playoff schedule and East finals page. The Knicks are listed as the No. 3 seed in the East finals bracket. NBA.com’s East finals page identifies the matchup as New York against the winner of Detroit-Cleveland. The league had not posted East finals game dates on the main schedule page because that semifinal was still unresolved as of the May 15 update. ### Who will the Knicks play? Detroit and Cleveland were tied 3-3 after six games, NBA.com said. The league schedule lists Game 7 for Sunday, May 17, in Detroit at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video. The winner of that game will face New York in the Eastern Conference finals, according to NBA.com. The East finals page names the matchup as “DET/CLE vs. (3) New York.” ### What does this mean for the Finals calendar? The NBA Finals are scheduled to begin on June 3, with ABC as the exclusive broadcaster, NBA.com’s playoff schedule says. The league lists Game 1 for June 3 at 8:30 p.m. ET and a possible Game 7 for June 19. ESPN’s playoff schedule page also says the Finals begin June 3 on ABC. Before that, the next confirmed conference finals game on the calendar is San Antonio at Oklahoma City on Monday, May 18, while New York waits for the Detroit-Cleveland winner to emerge Sunday.