The 2026 NBA Finals are set. The San Antonio Spurs, the second seed in the West, outlasted the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in a thrilling seven-game Western Conference Finals. They will face the New York Knicks, who swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Western Conference Finals: Spurs Outlast Thunder in Seven Games
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 in Oklahoma City to win the series 4-3. Here is how the series played out:
Game 1: Spurs 115, Thunder 122 (2OT)
- Victor Wembanyama set playoff career highs with 41 points and 24 rebounds, becoming the youngest player in NBA history with 40+ points and 20+ rebounds in a postseason game.
- Rookie Dylan Harper recorded 24 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 7 steals, the first rookie to achieve that stat line in a playoff game since Magic Johnson in 1980.
- Alex Caruso scored a playoff career-high 31 points for the Thunder.
Game 2: Thunder 122, Spurs 113 (Series Tied 1-1)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points to lead the Thunder. Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 25 points.
- Wembanyama recorded 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks.
Game 3: Thunder 123, Spurs 108 (Thunder Lead 2-1)
- The Thunder bench outscored the Spurs bench 76-23. Jared McCain scored a playoff career-high 24 points.
Game 4: Spurs 103, Thunder 82 (Series Tied 2-2)
- The Spurs held the Thunder to 33% shooting. Wembanyama scored 29 points.
Game 5: Thunder 127, Spurs 114 (Thunder Lead 3-2)
- Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points, while Wembanyama shot just 4-of-15 from the field.
Game 6: Spurs 118, Thunder 91 (Series Tied 3-3)
- The Spurs outscored the Thunder 32-13 in the third quarter to force a decisive Game 7.
Game 7: Spurs 111, Thunder 103 (Spurs Win 4-3)
- Victor Wembanyama was named Western Conference Finals MVP, averaging 27.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game in the series.
- Julian Champagnie added 20 points (6 three-pointers) for the Spurs.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 35 points and 9 assists.
Key Context: San Antonio won eight of the 12 meetings against Oklahoma City this season.
Eastern Conference: Knicks Secure Historic Finals Berth
The New York Knicks completed a dominant 4-0 sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers, advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
- Jalen Brunson was named Eastern Conference Finals MVP, averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists in the series.
- Through 14 playoff games, the Knicks have a point differential of +271 (+19.4 per game) , the highest of any team entering the NBA Finals.
Play-In Tournament & First Round Recap
Play-In Tournament
- Charlotte Hornets def. Miami Heat (127-126, OT)
- Portland Trail Blazers def. Phoenix Suns (114-110)
- Orlando Magic def. Charlotte Hornets (121-90)
- Phoenix Suns def. Golden State Warriors (111-96)
First Round Series
- Philadelphia 76ers def. Boston Celtics (4-3): The 76ers became the first team in franchise history to come back from a 3-1 deficit. Joel Embiid returned from an emergency appendectomy and became the first player in NBA history to score 100 points in a playoff series after missing the first three games.
- Los Angeles Lakers def. Houston Rockets (4-2). LeBron James averaged 23.2 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.2 rebounds.
- Minnesota Timberwolves def. Denver Nuggets (4-2).
- Detroit Pistons def. Orlando Magic (4-3), coming back from a 3-1 deficit.
- New York Knicks def. Atlanta Hawks (4-2).
- San Antonio Spurs def. Portland Trail Blazers (4-1).
- Oklahoma City Thunder swept the Phoenix Suns (4-0).
Key Player Notes
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs): In his first 16 playoff games, he accumulated 372 points, 176 rebounds, and 59 blocks.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder): Received his second consecutive MVP award on the day of Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
- Jayson Tatum (Celtics): Missed most of the regular season recovering from an Achilles injury. The Celtics were eliminated in the first round.