NBA openers both went to OT

The NBA’s conference finals opened with overtime in both series for the first time, according to a league YouTube highlight package published May 20 and game coverage on NBA.com. San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 122-115 in double overtime in the Western Conference finals opener, and New York beat Cleveland 115-104 in overtime in the Eastern Conference finals opener. That made the start of the round unusual even by playoff standards. The league’s own video package was titled “Both NBA Conference Finals Openers Went to OT for the First Time Ever,” and NBA.com followed the East result with a “Starting 5” item that said the Knicks had made history in Game 1. ### Which two games put this on the board? San Antonio’s Game 1 win at Oklahoma City came first. (youtube.com) The NBA’s May 20 highlight package said the Spurs erased a late deficit to beat the Thunder 122-115 in overtime, while the Washington Post reported the game went to double overtime and drew an average of 9.2 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. New York’s Game 1 win over Cleveland came next. (youtube.com) NBA.com said the Knicks closed on a 44-11 run to win 115-104 at Madison Square Garden after trailing by 22 points in the fourth quarter. ### Why was the Knicks-Cavaliers finish getting so much attention? Jalen Brunson scored 38 points in the Knicks’ comeback, NBA.com said, and the league’s East finals page described his late play as “amazing” in a Game 1 that pushed New York within three wins of the NBA Finals. (youtube.com) Mikal Bridges added 18 points, and OG Anunoby scored 13 in his return from a strained right hamstring, according to the game summary. (nba.com) Madison Square Garden also became part of the story. NBA.com’s game page described a “delirious crowd” as the Knicks opened overtime with a 9-0 run. A separate full-game highlight video on YouTube packaged the game as an “intense playoff showdown” and highlighted the late shots, defensive plays and overtime sequence. ### What made the Spurs-Thunder opener stand out on its own? (nba.com) Victor Wembanyama finished with 41 points and 24 rebounds in San Antonio’s road win, according to an MSN item that summarized the game. The Washington Post said the 122-115 Spurs victory was the most-watched Western Conference finals Game 1 on league record, averaging 9.2 million viewers. (nba.com) Oklahoma City entered the series as defending champion, which added to the weight of the result. The NBA’s official playoff pages listed Thunder-Spurs in the West and Knicks-Cavaliers in the East as the final four matchups of the 2026 postseason. ### How did the league and media frame the moment? The NBA itself leaned into the rarity. The official YouTube package used the “first time ever” framing, and NBA.com’s daily roundup paired the Knicks’ comeback with a look ahead to the next Spurs-Thunder game. (msn.com) Outside the league, coverage also centered on the closeness of the field. The Washington Post tied the West opener’s audience to broader playoff ratings gains, while NBA.com’s live and series pages emphasized comeback swings, overtime finishes and the pressure of late-game possessions. (nba.com) (youtube.com) ### What happens next in the bracket? May 20 was the scheduled date for Spurs-Thunder Game 2, according to NBA.com’s “Starting 5” and live series coverage. New York, meanwhile, moved ahead 1-0 in the Eastern Conference finals, with the Knicks and Cavaliers continuing their series after the overtime opener at Madison Square Garden. (nba.com) (washingtonpost.com)