Knicks and Spurs to open NBA Finals in San Antonio on June 3

The 2026 NBA Finals begin on Wednesday, June 3, with the New York Knicks opening against the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio, according to the NBA’s official Finals schedule. The best-of-seven series is set to tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, with San Antonio holding home-court advantage for Games 1, 2, 5 and 7. The matchup sends New York back to the Finals for the first time since 1999 and brings San Antonio back behind Victor Wembanyama. The series is also a rematch of the 1999 Finals, which the Spurs won in five games. ### Why does the series start in San Antonio? The NBA’s 2-2-1-1-1 Finals format gives the team with home-court advantage the first two games, and the official schedule lists San Antonio as the home team for Game 1 on June 3 and Game 2 on June 5. The series then moves to New York for Game 3 on June 8 and Game 4 on June 10. If needed, Game 5 would be back in San Antonio on June 13, Game 6 in New York on June 16 and Game 7 in San Antonio on June 19. (nba.com) ABC’s coverage begins June 3, the league said in an announcement on NBA.com, and all Finals games are scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET. Yahoo Sports and other schedule roundups published Tuesday matched the league’s game dates and host sites. (nba.com) ### Why is this matchup drawing so much attention? New York’s return ends a 27-year wait for the franchise’s next Finals appearance, with its last one also coming against San Antonio in 1999. Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports both described the series as a direct rematch of that championship meeting, when the Spurs beat the Knicks 4-1 for the franchise’s first title. (nba.com) ESPN’s preview of the matchup said New York enters Game 1 after 11 straight playoff wins, including sweeps of the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers. The same preview said San Antonio reached the Finals after beating the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference finals. (si.com) ### Which players are at the center of Game 1? Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson sit at the center of most early series previews. ESPN’s matchup coverage framed the Finals around how New York can slow Wembanyama and whether Brunson can continue driving the Knicks’ offense on the biggest stage. (espn.com) NBC Sports said the teams split their regular-season series 1-1. That leaves Game 1 as the first Finals meeting between the clubs since June 1999, when the last championship game at Madison Square Garden came in the previous Knicks-Spurs series. ### What does the television setup look like? (espn.com) ABC is the exclusive broadcaster for the 2026 NBA Finals, according to the NBA’s official schedule page and the league’s broadcast announcement. Yahoo Sports said Game 1 and every other game in the series will air on ABC, with streaming available through ESPN’s app and affiliated services. (nbcsports.com) Mike Breen will call his 21st NBA Finals for ABC, the league said, joined by analyst Tim Legler in his Finals debut, Richard Jefferson and reporter Lisa Salters. The NBA also said Finals media-day programming in San Antonio was scheduled for June 2 ahead of Wednesday night’s opener. (nba.com) ### What happens next after Wednesday night? Game 1 is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, with tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The next milestone comes two days later, when the Spurs host the Knicks again for Game 2 on Friday, June 5, before the series shifts to New York on Monday, June 8. (nbcsports.com) (nba.com)