{"id":253571,"date":"2026-06-03T10:44:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T10:44:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/253571\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T10:44:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T10:44:21","slug":"how-to-watch-new-york-knicks-vs-san-antonio-spurs-tv-schedule-for-2026-nba-finals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/253571\/","title":{"rendered":"How to watch New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs: TV schedule for 2026 NBA Finals"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2026 NBA Finals might be a rework of the 1999 title tilt<\/a>, but this iteration feels like a singular moment across the sport.<\/p>\n

As conquerers of the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks have whipped all five boroughs into a frenzy. In trying to win its first championship since 1973, New York rallies around Jalen Brunson \u2014 an unlikely superstar who rose from second-round draft pick to \u201cCaptain Clutch\u201d heroics.<\/p>\n

From the West come the San Antonio Spurs, led by game-changing sensation Victor Wembanyama. With the size of Yao Ming and the range of Stephen Curry, Wembanyama is less a breath of fresh air than a vortex of revolution. He stakes his claim on the basketball realm at just 22 years old.<\/p>\n

This is a compelling championship pairing, with ravenous fans<\/a> waiting in both arenas<\/a>. All seven potential games make for appointment television. Here\u2019s how to tune in.<\/p>\n

How to watch New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals
\n GameDateTime (ET)TVStream<\/p>\n

1: @ SA<\/p>\n

Wed., June 3<\/p>\n

8:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

ABC<\/p>\n

2: @ SA<\/p>\n

Fri., June 5<\/p>\n

8:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

ABC<\/p>\n

3: @ NY<\/p>\n

Mon., June 8<\/p>\n

8:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

ABC<\/p>\n

4: @ NY<\/p>\n

Wed., June 10<\/p>\n

8:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

ABC<\/p>\n

5*: @ SA<\/p>\n

Sat., June 13<\/p>\n

8:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

ABC<\/p>\n

6*: @ NY<\/p>\n

Tue., June 16<\/p>\n

8:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

ABC<\/p>\n

7*: @ SA<\/p>\n

Fri., June 19<\/p>\n

8:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

ABC<\/p>\n

*if necessary<\/p>\n

ABC is free over the air. It\u2019s also available with an ESPN Unlimited subscription.<\/p>\n

How the Knicks got here<\/p>\n

The Knicks have been a subject of ridicule for most of the past three decades, only to break through this spring with historic and surreal dominance<\/a>. Mike Brown\u2019s team opened the postseason on shaky ground, though.<\/p>\n

New York dropped Games 2 and 3 of its first-round series versus the Atlanta Hawks; both losses came by a single point and at the hands of sudden heel CJ McCollum. A \u201cfinals or bust<\/a>\u201d campaign looked precipitously close to the latter.<\/p>\n

All the Knicks did after that was rip off 11 straight playoff Ws. New York closed out its three Eastern Conference series with mercy-rule beatdowns: by 51 points against the Hawks, 30 against the Philadelphia 76ers and 37 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. One of the only non-blowout wins was delivered in a franchise-record comeback thriller<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Brunson earned the Larry Bird Trophy for most valuable player of the Eastern Conference finals. After two consecutive sweeps, few teams have entered this fateful last round with such force.<\/p>\n

Accordingly, the Knicks hit the finals as playoff leaders in field goal and 3-point percentage. They\u2019re also No. 1 in offensive and defensive ratings. Brunson is averaging almost 27 points per game. Rangy center Karl-Anthony Towns and steely forward OG Anunoby are both shooting above 57 percent from the floor and 48 percent from behind the arc.<\/p>\n

Mikal Bridges has shed early postseason rust<\/a> to come on as a steadying two-way presence. Josh Hart crashes the glass and initiates inside action far beyond his 6-foot-5 frame. And the second unit has enjoyed lights-out stretches from Landry Shamet and Miles McBride.<\/p>\n

The Knicks will keep their fingers crossed for Mitchell Robinson\u2019s availability. New York\u2019s brick-wall rotation center underwent surgery for a broken pinkie ahead of this finals berth. Sources told\u00a0<\/a>The Athletic<\/a>\u00a0that he\u2019s hoping to return for Game 1. The 7-footer is officially listed as questionable<\/a> heading into Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Even so, hype is peaking and momentum is undeniable for the Knicks. New York cooks up offense around the indefatigable Brunson and Towns\u2019 newfound playmaking chops. The defense is disciplined, squeezing pressure from its trio of wings. After years in the wilderness and a half-century without a title, the Knicks are on the verge of restoring Eden to the Garden.<\/p>\n

How the Spurs got here<\/p>\n

With Mitch Johnson on their sideline and \u201cEl Jefe\u201d in their ears<\/a>, the Spurs rolled past the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves to meet the defending champs for a conference finals clash.<\/p>\n

Game 1 was a Homeric epic<\/a> \u2014 a double-overtime stunner imprinted with Wembanyama\u2019s game-tying 28-footer. San Antonio\u2019s phenom finished that win over the Oklahoma City Thunder with a mammoth 41 points and 24 rebounds.<\/p>\n

The Spurs fell into a 3-2 hole across the next four games, but they rallied at home to stave off elimination. Their defense held OKC below 38 percent shooting in that spirited Game 6 showing.<\/p>\n

From there, San Antonio pulled off a Game 7 road upset thanks to seven double-figure scorers, 17 made 3-pointers and 15 offensive boards. An emotional Wembanyama hoisted the Earvin \u201cMagic\u201d Johnson Trophy as series MVP.<\/p>\n

Wembanyama is a unique talent who continues to reimagine basketball as we know it. He\u2019s averaging a line of 23.2\/10.8\/2.7 with 3.5 blocks this postseason, doing so on impressive 51\/37\/87 percent splits.<\/p>\n

But so much of the Spurs\u2019 spacing and gravity is generated through their two fleet slashers. Stephon Castle is putting up more than 19 points and six assists per playoff game, while De\u2019Aaron Fox follows him at 16.4 points and 5.9 dimes.<\/p>\n

Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell are capable three-level scorers when the high-usage stars need some relief. Julian Champagnie and Keldon Johnson are heat-checkers along the perimeter. And Luke Kornet has emerged as a reliable backup center \u2014 his chase-down block late in Game 7<\/a> felt like a palpable momentum shift. This team is precociously young, but it\u2019s also remarkably deep.<\/p>\n

A generation removed from the five-ring dynastic run of Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich, Wembanyama and Johnson can etch their names into the NBA mountainside, far ahead of schedule at that. The quest began with Shaolin monks<\/a> and southwestern jackals<\/a>. It could end in eternal renown.<\/p>\n

Head-to-head matchups this season<\/p>\n

New York won two of three games.<\/p>\n

Their first duel came in Las Vegas to conclude the NBA Cup, which the Knicks won with a 124-113 final. Anunoby dropped a game-high 28 points, while Brunson added 25 points and eight assists. Wembanyama did not start and was limited to 25 minutes as he recovered from a calf strain. Harper, who also came off the bench, paced the Spurs with 21 points.<\/p>\n

New York chose not to hang a banner to commemorate its in-season tournament triumph. The team was reportedly locked in on a league championship instead<\/a>. It\u2019s now four wins away from completing that final mission.<\/p>\n

On Dec. 31, San Antonio took the regular-season introduction at home in a 134-132 banger. Wembanyama opened on a heater \u2014 31 points in less than 24 minutes, 10-of-12 from the field \u2014 but left in the fourth quarter due to knee hyperextension. Champagnie stepped up with 36 points on 11 made treys.<\/p>\n

The Knicks responded in their gym on March 1. That 114-89 win at Madison Square Garden was spearheaded by Bridges\u2019 25 points, five made 3s and five steals. Wembanyama and his Spurs slumped to 9-for-34 (26.5 percent) from long range.<\/p>\n

Knicks vs. Spurs playoff history<\/p>\n

San Antonio won the only meeting in 1999.<\/p>\n

The lone playoff showdown between these two franchises came in 1999, when top-seeded San Antonio dispatched No. 8 New York in five games for the Spurs\u2019 first title. While the Knicks languished after they lost those 1999 finals, the Spurs forged a championship standard and lifted the Larry O\u2019Brien Trophy four more times.<\/p>\n

That postseason, the Knicks mounted an unprecedented push through the East, but they lost bulwark center Patrick Ewing to an Achilles tear<\/a> during the conference finals. Spurs bigs Tim Duncan and David Robinson were dominant in Ewing\u2019s absence. Duncan, the finals MVP, averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per contest.<\/p>\n

Latrell Sprewell was New York\u2019s leading scorer for the series at 26 points per game. Offense was hard to come by, though \u2014 neither side cracked triple-digit scoring, and the series closeout was a 78-77 grinder<\/a>. Those marks look incomprehensible in 2026.<\/p>\n

The NBA Finals broadcast on ABC<\/p>\n

Back in 1999, Mike Breen was the Knicks\u2019 play-by-play voice for MSG Network. He\u2019s the inveterate voice of ABC\u2019s finals coverage<\/a> this time around. He extends his record with his 21st finals call.<\/p>\n

Breen is flanked by returning commentator Richard Jefferson, who won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, and first-time finals broadcaster Tim Legler. Lisa Salters is the network\u2019s sideline reporter. Steve Javie is the rules and officiating expert.<\/p>\n

After years with TNT, the \u201cInside the NBA\u201d crew makes its championship-round debut for ABC\/ESPN. Ernie Johnson anchors the boisterous desk of Charles Barkley, Shaquille O\u2019Neal and Kenny Smith. They combine for six rings (four from O\u2019Neal with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, two from Smith with the Houston Rockets).<\/p>\n

Four-time champ and current Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green joins \u201cInside the NBA\u201d for Games 3 and 4 in Manhattan. Green\u2019s prior appearance on the show led to some pronounced tension with Barkley<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Game 3 also has an on-site \u201cPat McAfee Show\u201d alt-cast from Madison Square Garden, airing on ESPN. The guests include former hoopers Quentin Richardson and Kendrick Perkins, the latter of whom won the 2008 title with the Boston Celtics.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s to the many Breen \u201cbang!<\/a>\u201d calls to come.<\/p>\n

Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2026 NBA Finals might be a rework of the 1999 title tilt, but this iteration feels like…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":253572,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[21,9,11,1104,10,9138],"class_list":["post-253571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-nba","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-new-york-news","tag-san-antonio-spurs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253571\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}