Both conference finals openers go to OT

The 2026 NBA conference finals opened with overtime games in both brackets, according to official league and box-score records. San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 122-115 in overtime in Western Conference finals Game 1 on May 18, and New York beat Cleveland 115-104 in overtime in Eastern Conference finals Game 1 on May 19. NBA.com and Basketball-Reference records show both results, while a league playoff page described the Spurs-Thunder opener as a “double-overtime thriller.” ### Which two games put this on the record? Basketball-Reference lists the Western Conference finals opener as a 122-115 San Antonio win over Oklahoma City on May 18 at Paycom Center. The same site lists the Eastern Conference finals opener as a 115-104 New York win over Cleveland on May 19 at Madison Square Garden. (nba.com) NBA.com’s East finals coverage said the Knicks rallied from 22 points down in the fourth quarter before pulling away in overtime. The league’s game summary said New York opened overtime on a 9-0 run and moved within three wins of its first NBA Finals berth since 1999. ### Did both openers really go past regulation? NBA.com’s 2026 playoff bracket says Oklahoma City and San Antonio met in Game 2 after a “double-overtime thriller” in Game 1. (basketball-reference.com) Basketball-Reference’s box score for that May 18 game records San Antonio’s 122-115 victory after extra periods. Basketball-Reference’s May 19 box score records New York’s 115-104 win over Cleveland in overtime. (nba.com) NBA.com’s game summary also says the Knicks “opened overtime with a 9-0 run,” confirming that the East opener also went beyond regulation. ### What happened in the East opener? Jalen Brunson scored 38 points in New York’s Game 1 victory, according to Basketball-Reference and NBA.com. (nba.com) NBA.com said Mikal Bridges added 18 points and that three Knicks scored 13 points, including OG Anunoby in his return from a strained right hamstring. (basketball-reference.com) NBA.com’s East finals page described the result as a “historic comeback” and said the Knicks ended the game on a 44-11 run. The league recap said New York erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit before winning in overtime. ### What happened in the West opener? (basketball-reference.com) San Antonio’s 122-115 road win gave the Spurs a 1-0 lead over the top-seeded Thunder, according to Basketball-Reference and the NBA playoff bracket. NBA.com’s playoff page later said Oklahoma City evened the series in Game 2 after that opener, but it referred back to Game 1 as a double-overtime game. (nba.com) The official playoff bracket now shows the Western Conference finals tied 1-1 after Oklahoma City’s Game 2 response. In the East, Basketball-Reference shows New York leading Cleveland 1-0 entering Game 2 on May 21. ### What comes next on the schedule? Basketball-Reference’s 2026 playoff summary lists Cavaliers-Knicks Game 2 for May 21 in New York and Thunder-Spurs Game 3 for May 22 in San Antonio. (nba.com) The same page lists the NBA Finals as beginning June 3, a date also shown on NBA.com’s playoff bracket.