The 2026 NBA Finals is the upcoming championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2025–26 season and conclusion to the season's playoffs. The best-of-seven series will be played between the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks and the Western Conference champion (Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs). The series is scheduled to begin on June 3, with a possible Game 7 scheduled for June 19.[1]
Background
General
For the first time since the 2009 NBA Finals, a logo version of the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy will be prominently featured on center court, but it will be painted on the court instead of a decal in past years due to player safety concerns. In addition, the NBA Finals wordmarks will return within the court for the first time since 2014.[2][3][4] The jerseys of both teams will also feature a USA 250 patch in recognition of the United States Semiquincentennial.[5][6]
New York Knicks
Main article: 2025–26 New York Knicks season
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
Under the first season with head coach Mike Brown, the New York Knicks finished with a 53–29 record, their highest win total since 2012–13.[7] Their regular season was highlighted by a 124–113 win over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup Final in Las Vegas on December 16.[8] In the third year of the competition, they were the first team to win the NBA Cup and make the Finals. They were led by All-Star and Second Team All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson, who averaged 26 points per game (PPG) and 6.8 assists per game (APG) in 74 games played.[9] Joining him as an All-Star was center Karl-Anthony Towns in his second season in New York, as he averaged a double-double with 20.1 PPG and 11.9 rebounds per game (RPG) in 75 games.[10] Rounding out the starting five was forward OG Anunoby, and Brunson's Villanova teammates from college, guard Josh Hart and forward Mikal Bridges.[11] Under Brown, the Knicks utilized their bench more than under former coach Tom Thibodeau, which featured Miles McBride, Mitchell Robinson (the longest tenured Knick), Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, and midseason trade acquisition, Jose Alvarado.[12]
Although the Knicks finished with an impressive record and a third-seed, they did not peak as a team until the playoffs. In the First Round, the Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks in six games, winning the final three games after being down 2–1. They then swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. They entered the Finals winners of their last 11 games. Their plus-271 point differential across 14 playoff games is the highest scoring margin by any team entering the Finals in NBA history.[13] Noted for the Knicks playoff surge was the team's effort to play through center Karl-Anthony Towns midway through the Hawks series, as the team had been previously too reliant on Brunson for offense.[14]
Since their last Finals appearance in 1999, the Knicks experienced 27 years of frustration and dysfunction. They did not post a winning record from 2001 to 2010, and had a 8–18 playoff record from 2011 to 2022, including missing seven consecutive playoffs from 2014 to 2020.[15] However, since signing Brunson in free agency in 2022 and adding pieces around him,[16][17][18][19] they have made the playoffs every season, winning 50-plus games three straight years for the first time since the Patrick Ewing and Pat Riley led teams in the 1990s. Overall, this is New York's ninth Finals appearance.[20] The only Knicks players with prior Finals experience are Mikal Bridges, who lost with the Phoenix Suns in 2021, and Jordan Clarkson, who lost with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018; Mike Brown lost his only Finals appearance in 2007 as head coach for the Cavaliers, but has won multiple championships as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors.[21] The Knicks are trying to end a 53-year championship drought, currently the fifth longest in the NBA.[22]
Road to the Finals
Further information: 2025–26 NBA season and 2026 NBA playoffs
Eastern Conference
#
Team
W
L
PCT
GB
GP
1
c – Detroit Pistons *
60
22
.732
–
82
2
y – Boston Celtics *
56
26
.683
4.0
82
3
x – New York Knicks
53
29
.646
7.0
82
4
x – Cleveland Cavaliers
52
30
.634
8.0
82
5
x – Toronto Raptors
46
36
.561
14.0
82
6
y – Atlanta Hawks *
46
36
.561
14.0
82
7
x – Philadelphia 76ers
45
37
.549
15.0
82
8
x – Orlando Magic
45
37
.549
15.0
82
9
pi – Charlotte Hornets
44
38
.537
16.0
82
10
pi – Miami Heat
43
39
.524
17.0
82
11
Milwaukee Bucks
32
50
.390
28.0
82
12
Chicago Bulls
31
51
.378
29.0
82
13
Brooklyn Nets
20
62
.244
40.0
82
14
Indiana Pacers
19
63
.232
41.0
82
15
Washington Wizards
17
65
.207
43.0
82
Western Conference
#
Team
W
L
PCT
GB
GP
1
z – Oklahoma City Thunder *
64
18
.780
–
82
2
y – San Antonio Spurs *
62
20
.756
2.0
82
3
x – Denver Nuggets
54
28
.659
10.0
82
4
y – Los Angeles Lakers *
53
29
.646
11.0
82
5
x – Houston Rockets
52
30
.634
12.0
82
6
x – Minnesota Timberwolves
49
33
.598
15.0
82
7
x – Phoenix Suns
45
37
.549
19.0
82
8
x – Portland Trail Blazers
42
40
.512
22.0
82
9
pi – Los Angeles Clippers
42
40
.512
22.0
82
10
pi – Golden State Warriors
37
45
.451
27.0
82
11
New Orleans Pelicans
26
56
.317
38.0
82
12
Dallas Mavericks
26
56
.317
38.0
82
13
Memphis Grizzlies
25
57
.305
39.0
82
14
Sacramento Kings
22
60
.268
42.0
82
15
Utah Jazz
22
60
.268
42.0
82
Notes
z – Clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs
c – Clinched home court advantage for the conference playoffs
y – Clinched division title
x – Clinched playoff spot
pi – Clinched play-in tournament spot
* – Division leader
Playoff results
New York Knicks (Eastern Conference champion)
Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs (Western Conference champion)
Defeated the 6th-seeded Atlanta Hawks, 4–2
First round
Defeated the 7th-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, 4–0
Conference Semifinals
Defeated the 4th-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, 4–0
Conference Finals
Series summary
The NBA announced the Finals schedule on January 20, 2026.[1] The league rearranged the series so it avoids going up against the 2026 FIFA World Cup night game between the United States and Paraguay on June 12. No Sunday game was scheduled for the first time since 1970 (therefore meaning that all games will tip off at 8:30 pm ET vs 8 pm ET on Sundays).[b] Game 5 would be played on a Saturday night for the first time since 2021.[23]
Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. For the winners of Western Conference finals, the local time is also given (CDT, UTC−5). Potential games are marked by asterisk (*) if necessary.
The Finals will be televised in the United States by ABC (including local affiliate WABC-TV in New York City) for the 24th consecutive year. It will called by the team of play-by-play announcer Mike Breen (himself the Knicks' lead television announcer on MSG Network), analysts Richard Jefferson and Tim Legler, and sideline reporter Lisa Salters. Legler replaced Doris Burke on the network's lead announcing team this season.[24]
Notes
^The final game of the Finals could be as early as June 10, if either team wins the series 4–0, or later, if the Finals went to games 5–7, with the final game being played on June 19.
^1999 had no Sunday games played as the series had ended in five games before a potential Game 6 on Sunday night would be played.
