New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the basket during the second half of Game 1 in the Eastern Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
For much of the 1990s, the New York Knicks played into late May and sometimes in June, advancing deep in the NBA playoffs. Although they never won a title, they played in the finals in 1994 and 1999. Once the 2000s rolled around, though, the Knicks were among the league’s most disappointing franchises, struggling on and off the court.
Now, they are back in the finals for the first time in 27 years and facing the same team they played back then. On Wednesday night, the San Antonio Spurs host the Knicks in Game 1 of the finals in a matchup that should generate significant national interest and television ratings.
The Knicks are seeking their first title since 1973 against a Spurs team that has an emerging generational star in Victor Wembanyama, a 7-foot-5 center who won the defensive player of the year award last month and made first team All-NBA.
The Knicks will be back on the court after a nine-day break. They have 11 consecutive victories by a combined 262 points, the largest point differential in an 11-game stretch in NBA history. They won the final three games of their first round series against the Atlanta Hawks and then had consecutive four-game sweeps over the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
