NBA Finals Knicks vs Spurs Game 1

The NBA Finals open Wednesday, June 3, with the New York Knicks facing the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. The league’s official schedule lists an 8:30 p.m. Eastern tipoff, with ABC carrying the game and the ESPN app streaming it. The matchup brings together the Eastern Conference champion Knicks and a Spurs team that returned to the Finals after eliminating the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference finals. ESPN said New York is in the Finals for the first time since 1999, while NBA.com said San Antonio is seeking the franchise’s sixth title. (nba.com) ### Why is Game 1 in San Antonio? The NBA schedule gives San Antonio home court for Game 1 and Game 2, with the opener set for Wednesday and Game 2 scheduled for Friday, June 5. NBA.com’s Finals schedule lists the Spurs as the home team for the first two games and, if needed, Game 5 and Game 7. Yahoo’s playoff schedule said the series then shifts to New York for Game 3 on June 8 and Game 4 on June 10. (sports.yahoo.com) If the series extends, Game 6 is set for June 16 at Madison Square Garden and Game 7 for June 19 back in San Antonio. ### How did the Spurs get here? San Antonio clinched the Western Conference title by beating Oklahoma City in seven games, according to Yahoo and NBA.com. (nba.com) NBA.com’s playoff page said the Spurs “take down the Thunder in Game 7,” sending San Antonio to the Finals for the first time since 2014. (sports.yahoo.com) ESPN’s Finals preview said Victor Wembanyama leads a Spurs group that entered the series after ending the Thunder’s bid to repeat as champions. ABC’s broadcast announcement identified Wembanyama as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. (sports.yahoo.com) ### What is driving the Knicks into this series? New York reached the Finals after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, ESPN and Yahoo reported. ESPN’s preview said the Knicks are trying to end a 53-year championship drought, with Jalen Brunson leading the team into its first Finals appearance since 1999. (espn.com) CBS Sports said the Knicks enter the Finals on an 11-game postseason winning streak even as San Antonio opened as the series favorite. Yahoo’s schedule report said New York and San Antonio split their two regular-season meetings, 1-1. ### Why does the 1999 comparison keep coming up? (espn.com) ESPN and Yahoo both framed this series as a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals. Yahoo noted that the last time the Knicks reached the Finals, they faced the Spurs, who won that series in five games for the first championship in franchise history. (cbssports.com) ESPN said this year’s series guarantees the league an eighth different champion in eight seasons. That detail has appeared prominently in preview coverage ahead of Game 1. ### Where can viewers watch, and what comes next? ABC begins its exclusive coverage of the Finals on Wednesday, June 3, and NBA.com said every game will air on ABC and stream on the ESPN app. (espn.com) Yahoo’s viewing guide also listed ABC as the television home for the series. Game 2 is scheduled for Friday, June 5, again in San Antonio, before the series moves to New York on Monday, June 8. The NBA’s official Finals page lists the full seven-game schedule through June 19, if necessary. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)