Category: NBA

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Spurs reach NBA Finals with 111-103 win over Thunder in Game 7 of Western Conference Final.

It all comes down to this.

By the end of the night Saturday, May 30, either the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder will represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. The Thunder and the Spurs, the two best teams in the regular season, are battling in a winner-take-all Game 7 of the conference finals Saturday, May 30.

And all eyes are on the two stars in this game: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the two-time consecutive Most Valuable Player for the Thunder, and the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, the young phenom and unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.

Awaiting either squad in the NBA Finals is the New York Knicks, who swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.

Here are live takeaways from Game 7 of the Western Conference finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder:

When the Knicks were down 2-1 to the Hawks in the first round of the 2026 playoffs, things began to look existential for this core, from the bench all the way up to the President. Everybody was under the spotlight, as another two losses would be a catastrophic failure for a team with championship aspirations, after championship-level big swings. 

Firing head coach Tom Thibodeau and bringing in Mike Brown was one, as was the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, but perhaps the most scrutinized move that built this current iteration was the five first-round picks New York sent Brooklyn to acquire Mikal Bridges. He was a vaunted wing they paid a premium to their crosstown rivals to pick up, and he just put up zero points and four turnovers in a pivotal Game 3 loss. 

Many had said he more than proved his worth during the 2025 playoffs, with multiple clutch games and moments to beat the Pistons in round one and upset the Celtics in round two. But this town isn’t big on consolation prizes, and a first-round loss this year would put Bridges on the chopping block and the trade that brought him here under a spotlight. 

But since then, we’ve seen a completely different Bridges, one that’s been instrumental to their 11-game win streak and first NBA Finals berth in 27 years. Since that woeful Game 3, he’s cemented his Knicks legacy and once and for all made those picks an afterthought.

It started with his game-changing defense. He locked in on Nickeil Alexander-Walker, this year’s Most Improved Player. 

Alexander-Walker went from a 20.8 points per game average in the regular season to 13.7 against the Knicks -- his two-point accuracy falling from 52.5 percent to 32.1 -- and Bridges forced nine turnovers in 29 minutes matched up with him. He was also massive off the ball and on switches, helping take All-Star Jalen Johnson out of the series. 

Electric 28.3-points per game scorer Tyrese Maxey awaited Bridges in the second round, and Bridges stepped up to the plate. Bridges held him to an inefficient first two games -- 19 points a night on 38 percent shooting from the field -- and forced eight turnovers in 21 minutes of matchup time.

When OG Anunoby went down with a hamstring injury, Bridges stepped up to take on Paul George to finish the sweep. All the while, Bridges has done the little things on this end as well, boxing out, fighting for boards and running the floor hard.

In the Conference Finals, he had the privilege of guarding James Harden, and once again lived up to the challenge. Harden averaged 16 points on 39 percent shooting from the field and 18 percent shooting from three, struggling to make a real dent in Bridges’ defense. 

There are few wings in these playoffs that have comparable impact to Bridges defensively, and he’s been a different offensive force since his zilch. From Game 6 against Atlanta, he’s averaged 18.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game on a remarkable 71.4 percent shooting from two and 37.9 percent from three.

This isn’t just by way of his usual diet of leakouts, catch-and-shoot threes and mid-range pulls, either. Bridges rediscovered his paint aggression, looking for contact and rim attacks in transition and the halfcourt. 

He’s been creating for himself more in the pick-and-roll as the series have gone on, even bailing the Knicks out at pivotal times. His huge threes in Game 1 against the Cavaliers, including the fading prayer over Evan Mobley, were crucial to the Knicks pulling off the comeback.

New York will need him to continue this tear in the NBA Finals, but no matter how this final round plays out, the black cloud of draft picks that’s hovered above him for two seasons can now dissipate for good. Bridges has more than proven himself these playoffs, and the front office is validated for taking that swing.

The results, when all of those scoring runs stack together, have been blowouts.

Each one for the Knicks — the small spurts, the overpowering tears, the mind-boggling stretches that alter games and series — added together and turned their 2026 postseason appearance into a historic six weeks.

When the Knicks open the NBA Finals on Wednesday, they’ll enter on an 11-game winning streak during which they’ve outscored opponents by 262 points.

Scattered throughout those victories, the Knicks have embarked on scoring stretches that capture a strong momentum team, extending those stretches to the point where they could even end up at 63-11 — like it did in Game 6 of their first-round series against the Hawks.

These runs, OG Anunoby said, are infectious, combining shots falling, ball movement, turnovers, steals, stops and some more shots falling.

“It adds up,” Anunoby added, and the Knicks’ ability to overwhelm opponents has become a defining trait ahead of their first Finals appearance since 1999.

“It’s great when you can kinda have those moments in the game where everything’s clicking,” Karl-Anthony Towns said Friday after the Knicks practiced in Tarrytown, “and I think what’s great about us and what this run has shown is that when we get on those runs, we continue to extend those runs for a long period of time. 

“So our ability to stay focused and stay in that zone has helped us tremendously in this playoff, and it’s a lot of the reason why we’re sitting here in this chair today talking about NBA Finals.”

Game 6 against the Hawks served as the most ridiculous instance of a scoring run for the Knicks, allowing them to construct the largest halftime lead in playoff history and score the franchise’s most points in a postseason game.

But they also used a 44-11 tear to close Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cavaliers after trailing by 22 points.

That stretch featured 15 points from Jalen Brunson, and it also included Landry Shamet’s forever shot from the corner — the game-tying 3-pointer to force overtime — and nine points from Anunoby in overtime.

The Knicks produced an 18-0 run in the third quarter to break open Game 3 against the Cavaliers and a 20-0 run in the second quarter to all but decide Game 4 before it even reached halftime.

There were also smaller moments that flew under the radar, like a 17-5 run in the final frame of Game 2 against the 76ers that turned a four-point lead into a 16-point advantage and allowed the Knicks to avoid a close finish.

And Brunson always possesses the ability to construct his own spurts.

These windows can be delicate, too.

They take connectivity and belief in everyone and sacrifice, head coach Mike Brown said, because someone could be on the bench when a run begins and won’t make it on the floor.

“There are maybe times when you’re open during those runs and somebody misses you and you can’t get pissed,” Brown said Friday, “because if you get pissed, now your emotions and your energy are someplace else or focused on something else as opposed to what you need to do defensively and all that other stuff.”

At some point in the Finals, the Knicks could get hit with a counter punch.

They might not be able to sustain runs and orchestrate blowouts and rest starters in fourth quarters.

But until then, they’ve mastered the art of momentum — of creating it, of sustaining it, of using it without seemingly anything, or anyone, being able to interrupt their flow.

“Anything and everything out of the ordinary can happen [during runs],” Brown said of being a momentum team, “and you gotta rely on those intangibles to make sure you stay locked in.”

I was never a fan of the Jalen Green trade, and this past season illustrated the problems I anticipated. The Suns were exceeding all expectations while Green was out with injury, but then fell to earth when he returned. If it felt like they were worse after he came back, you’d be right. The team was 17-15 (.531) when he didn’t play, and 28-22 (.560) when he did. When you consider Booker’s injuries, the Suns were 24-13 (.648) when Booker played, and Jalen Green didn’t.

To put it in perspective: taking Jalen Green out of the picture, and a little better health by Booker, could have put the Suns in a position to compete for the 4th seed in the West. This would have given them a real shot at making the second round instead of getting splattered by the Thunder in a four-game sweep.

On the surface, this doesn’t seem to make much sense: why would the Suns be worse with their second or third-best player on the court? The short answer is that when he’s on the court, it forces the Suns to play lineups that are very sub-optimal. When he’s sitting on the bench, that’s $36.3 million in wasted salary. This puts the Suns in a position where there is no good answer other than to move him for a player who can play as a power forward.

Thinking through the lineup permutations, if the Suns play a lineup of Booker and Green in the backcourt, plus a “normal” frontcourt rotation with a small forward (Brooks) and a power forward, then they don’t have a true point guard running the offense, and Booker is being used sub-optimally. Booker’s best play has always been next to a point guard, whether Rubio, Chris Paul, or Collin Gillespie.

If the Suns play Gillespie, Green, and Booker, it puts Booker at small forward (he’s not a small forward) and then forces the Suns to either play Brooks at power forward (where he’s outmatched size-wise) or sit him (which puts your second or third best player on the bench). Again, this forces the Suns to either play people out of position or put their best players on the bench.

You theoretically could put Green on the bench as a super-Sixth Man, but that’s $36.3 million in salary coming off the pine, while the Suns also have great guards competing for those same bench minutes in Jordan Goodwin and Grayson Allen. Both of whom have far smaller salaries, meaning that the Suns spend less money (and less salary cap) on them when they’re sitting on the bench. When Green is on the bench, he has the same on-court value as Bradley Beal’s cap space dead money. This is just another form of inefficiency.

When you dive further into the statistics, you see the same observations playing out.

The table below shows the net +/- per 48 differential for all the main Suns players at the end of the season. What jumps out is how middling Green’s effect on the court was, and how playing a real power forward, even a journeyman like Isaiah Livers, improved the team immensely compared to throwing small forwards like Brooks, Dunn, or O’Neale at the problem. Note that the Suns’ small forwards all played significant minutes at power forward, and all had negative differentials in part due to playing out of position.

Again, the solution to the problem is blindingly obvious: trade Green for a decent power forward, and you end up with a balanced rotation, while taking minutes away from the player who’s become the “pigeon” on defense (O’Neale), and probably should never have been playing power forward in the first place.

When you look at net ratings for various lineups on the Suns, you see the same pattern emerging. Lineups with Booker and Gillespie had a +7.0 net rating, and Booker/Green was a +4.1. Interestingly, Gillespie/Fleming lineups had a +8.7 rating, and Booker/Fleming lineups were a +10.4. The conclusion that satisfies Occam’s Razor here is that the Suns are best when playing a balanced lineup, and that Jalen Green’s presence on the roster directly interferes with this necessity.

This is not calling Green a bad player (though his shooting efficiency is pretty lackluster) or a bad teammate. It’s simply to say that he’s a bad fit because he only plays one position, and it’s the same position as the Suns’ best player (Booker). With Green on the roster, the Suns are faced with the choice between playing lineups with a relatively low ceiling (a little over .500 winning percentage) or sitting their second-best player and his $36.3 million salary.

Note that the Suns had the worst point differntial of any team in the NBA after Jalen Green came back from injury as well.

We all know that the “Moneyball” era of the NBA is here: like layups and three pointers as the only shots teams want to take. Every little advantage is crucial. Winning is all about maximizing the efficiency of your shots, your possessions, your lineups, cap space, and anywhere else that contributes to winning. There is no conceivable way to maximize the value of Jalen Green while he’s on the same team as Devin Booker. This inefficiency and wasted cap space on a player that doesn’t help on the court dooms the Suns to mediocrity until he or Booker is gone.

Suns fans were howling for Jordan Ott to give Rasheer Fleming some playing time in the playoffs as OKC mercilessly exploited the Suns’ lack of size. However, the reason Fleming didn’t get any was due to the conundrum created by Green’s presence on the roster. His presence makes even less sense than that when John Gambodoro is saying the Suns’ top two priorities this offseason are re-signing Gillespie and Goodwin.

If the Suns want to take the next step to being a team competing for home court advantage in the playoffs, rather than just a play-in team that gets unceremoniously annihilated in the first round, they must move Jalen Green elsewhere, preferably for a power forward. The logic is inescapable, and the quantitative evidence backs up the eye test.

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It’s the 101st game of the season (82 regular season games, 18 playoff games, and the NBA cup championship¹) and there’s nothing to say that hasn’t already been said. It’s been an incredible series, with each team making adjustments and turning small strategic advantages into winning margins, until the other team responds and forces another round of adjustments. It’s been an emotional roller coaster for the fans of both teams, and they aren’t even playing the games. It’s hard to imagine how stressful this is for the team and staff, but they seem to be handling is well so far.

The Spurs stepped up with their best defensive effort of the season in the second half as they held the Thunder scoreless for eight minutes as the Spurs ripped off a 20-0 run and put the game away early. Victor Wembanyama and the starters had a long rest to finish the game and that should work in favor of the Silver and Black tonight. If Victor can have one of his high energy games tonight, that might be the key to winning the series and advancing to the finals. Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle have been great, with Harper looking at full strength in Game 6 after being hobbled for much of the series. De’Aaron Fox has been injured all series long, which has affected his scoring, but he’s making contributions in other ways as turnovers have been way down since he returned to the lineup. He could be the deciding factor tonight, but he’s also unlocking the games of his teammates, so I wouldn’t mind having Champagnie having a great night again. It’s a team effort. LET’S GO SPURS!

If the Spurs win tonight, they’ll play on June 3rd against the Knicks at the Frost Bank Center, and if they lose they have a whole off season to think about getting the best record in the league and locking up home court advantage for the playoffs.

1. That game is hard to remember that game since it didn’t count in the standings, but if the Spurs win tonight, I have a feeling that people will be talking about it a lot.
2. I wrote this whole thing about how Wembanyama is Superman (because he’s an alien) and Caruso is Lex Luthor (he’s bald, duh), but decided to edit it out because it was to comic-nerdy. Maybe next time.

Game Prediction:

We have a repeat of Game 1, with a double overtime thriller won by the Spurs with Wemby scoring 40+.

San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma Thunder, Conference Championship Round, Game 7
May 30, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT
Streaming: Peacock
TV: NBC
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

Spurs upset Thunder in Game 7 to advance to NBA Finals against Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Now they’re really gonna party like it’s 1999.

The San Antonio Spurs have advanced to the 2026 NBA Finals, where they’ll face the New York Knicks in a rematch of the championship series from 27 years ago.

The Spurs on Saturday defeated the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 on the road in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, sending Victor Wembanyama to the Finals for the first time in his young career.

The 22-year-old, in just his third season since being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, was named MVP of the series. Wembanyama, in his first career postseason, had 22 points and seven rebounds in the clincher as the Spurs reached the Finals for the first time since 2014.

“It means everything,” Wembanyama said on NBC after the win. “We want four more [wins]. We’re not done yet.”

The Spurs had seven players in double figures after shooting 17-for-40 overall from deep, with Julian Champagnie scoring 16 and Stephon Castle adding 16.

The Spurs got out to a quick start by shooting efficiently — led by Castle, who had nine early points — to take a 27-13 lead midway through the first quarter. The Thunder, who shot 3-for-13 from deep in the first and commit six turnovers, responded with a 7-0 run and pulled to within seven by the end of the first at 32-25.

The Thunder – behind a big quarter by Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 19 first-half points —  pulled even with 2:15 left in the half on a 3 by Lu Dort that made it 49-49 and then took their first lead on a jumper by Jaylin Williams. The Spurs closed the half on a 7-0 run to take a 56-53 lead into the break.

The Spurs went on a 16-2 run midway through the third, capped by a Wembanyama 3, to open a 76-65 lead.

Early in the fourth quarter, De’Aaron Fox and Wembanyama hit back-to-back 3’s during a 13-4 San Antonio run to open a 97-86 lead with eight minutes remaining. The Thunder pulled within six and were on the fast break when the Spurs’ Luke Kornet, with Wembanyama on the bench, blocked Isaiah Hartenstein at the rim. Castle then followed with a jumper at the other end to push the lead to eight, and Champagnie followed with a 3 to make it 102-91.

Carson Wallace drained back-to-back 3’s to pull the Thunder within 107-101 with just over two minutes left. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a chance to make it a one-possession game on the ensuing possession but missed a 3. Castle then converted a putback at the other end to push the Spurs lead to 109-101 with one minute left to all but seal the win.

The Thunder, who swept the first two rounds of the playoffs, were denied the chance to become the first team since the 2017-2018 Golden State Warriors to win back-to-back titles. Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning back-to-back MVP, had 35 points in the loss. Chet Holmgren had just four points on 1-for-2 shooting.

The Spurs will have homecourt advantage in the NBA Finals, hosting Game 1 and Game 2, and if necessary, Game 5 and Game 7. Game 1 is set for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Game 2 is Friday before the series shifts to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4 on June 8 and 10.

The series will be a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals, in which Tim Duncan and David Robinson led the Spurs to a 4-1 series win over Allan Houson, Latrell Sprewell and the Knicks.

The Spurs return to the NBA Finals for the seventh time, and first since 2014 when they defeated the Miami Heat for their fourth title in 15 years (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014). The Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the East and enter the Finals on an 11-game winning streak. They reach the Finals for the first time since 1999 and are seeking their first championship since 1973.

The series between the Spurs and Knicks is also a rematch of December’s NBA Cup final, which the Knicks won 124-113. The Knicks and Spurs split the regular-season series 1-1.

Spurs upset Thunder in Game 7 to advance to NBA Finals against Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Now they’re really gonna party like it’s 1999.

The San Antonio Spurs have advanced to the 2026 NBA Finals, where they’ll face the New York Knicks in a rematch of the championship series from 27 years ago.

The Spurs on Saturday defeated the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 on the road in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, sending Victor Wembanyama to the Finals for the first time in his young career.

The 22-year-old, in just his third season since being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, was named MVP of the series. Wembanyama, in his first career postseason, had 22 points and seven rebounds in the clincher as the Spurs reached the Finals for the first time since 2014.

“It means everything,” Wembanyama said on NBC after the win. “We want four more [wins]. We’re not done yet.”

The Spurs had seven players in double figures after shooting 17-for-40 overall from deep, with Julian Champagnie scoring 16 and Stephon Castle adding 16.

The Spurs got out to a quick start by shooting efficiently — led by Castle, who had nine early points — to take a 27-13 lead midway through the first quarter. The Thunder, who shot 3-for-13 from deep in the first and commit six turnovers, responded with a 7-0 run and pulled to within seven by the end of the first at 32-25.

The Thunder – behind a big quarter by Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 19 first-half points —  pulled even with 2:15 left in the half on a 3 by Lu Dort that made it 49-49 and then took their first lead on a jumper by Jaylin Williams. The Spurs closed the half on a 7-0 run to take a 56-53 lead into the break.

The Spurs went on a 16-2 run midway through the third, capped by a Wembanyama 3, to open a 76-65 lead.

Early in the fourth quarter, De’Aaron Fox and Wembanyama hit back-to-back 3’s during a 13-4 San Antonio run to open a 97-86 lead with eight minutes remaining. The Thunder pulled within six and were on the fast break when the Spurs’ Luke Kornet, with Wembanyama on the bench, blocked Isaiah Hartenstein at the rim. Castle then followed with a jumper at the other end to push the lead to eight, and Champagnie followed with a 3 to make it 102-91.

Carson Wallace drained back-to-back 3’s to pull the Thunder within 107-101 with just over two minutes left. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a chance to make it a one-possession game on the ensuing possession but missed a 3. Castle then converted a putback at the other end to push the Spurs lead to 109-101 with one minute left to all but seal the win.

The Thunder, who swept the first two rounds of the playoffs, were denied the chance to become the first team since the 2017-2018 Golden State Warriors to win back-to-back titles. Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning back-to-back MVP, had 35 points in the loss. Chet Holmgren had just four points on 1-for-2 shooting.

The Spurs will have homecourt advantage in the NBA Finals, hosting Game 1 and Game 2, and if necessary, Game 5 and Game 7. Game 1 is set for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Game 2 is Friday before the series shifts to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4 on June 8 and 10.

The series will be a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals, in which Tim Duncan and David Robinson led the Spurs to a 4-1 series win over Allan Houson, Latrell Sprewell and the Knicks.

The Spurs return to the NBA Finals for the seventh time, and first since 2014 when they defeated the Miami Heat for their fourth title in 15 years (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014). The Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the East and enter the Finals on an 11-game winning streak. They reach the Finals for the first time since 1999 and are seeking their first championship since 1973.

The series between the Spurs and Knicks is also a rematch of December’s NBA Cup final, which the Knicks won 124-113. The Knicks and Spurs split the regular-season series 1-1.

Then today is Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. The San Antonio Spurs are at the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tip off is at 8 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)

The winner advances to the NBA Finals to face the New York Knicks, who swept the Eastern Conference Finals over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Enjoy the game!

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Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals is a gift from the Roundball Gods.

Before this series between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, we all prayed for a thrilling back-and-forth battle between the NBA’s top two teams.

And while most of the games haven’t been competitive, the WCF has been like watching two heavyweights trade haymakers heading into the final round.

My Spurs vs. Thunder same-game parlay likes Oklahoma City to land the knockout punch Saturday, with 7-footer Chet Holmgren delivering the deciding blow after a bit of a “rope-a-dope” effort in the opening six games.

Here are my NBA picks and Spurs vs. Thunder predictions for May 30.

Our best Spurs vs Thunder SGP for Game 7

SGP leg #1: Thunder moneyline

It’s Game 7. Let’s not get the spread involved and keep this clean with a moneyline leg. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been excellent at home all season and while their offense gets a boost from the friendly confines, their defense has been especially disruptive versus the San Antonio Spurs at home in this series. 

Oklahoma City is forcing almost 20 turnovers in the past three homestands with San Antonio, flipping those follies into 25 average points off turnovers. The big-game nerves will get the better of the young Spurs while OKC’s experience leads them back to the NBA Finals.

SGP leg #2: Chet Holmgren Over 13.5 points

After an up-and-down start to the series, Chet Holmgren has put in two solid efforts in Games 5 and 6. Solid but not standout. Holmgren’s scoring is down due in large part to the last four games being blowouts.

That’s limited his minutes and usage in the second half, leaving his prop total for Game 7 suppressed. Chet came up big for OKC in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year after struggling and projections stand as tall as 16+ points on Saturday.

SGP leg #3: Chet Holmgren Over 8.5 rebounds

Holmgren has been very active on the glass in the last two contests of the Western finals, snatching 11 boards in both outings. He’s been in position for 36 total rebounding chances in those games and has got after it on the offensive boards, with seven total offensive rebounds boosting those results.

His impressive rebounding numbers have also been dulled by diminished floor time. With a tight game script in this do-or-die Game 7, Holmgren will log major minutes and make the most of that. Projections call for 9+ rebounds Saturday.

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Get Jason Logan's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Spurs vs. Thunder predictions for Game 7.

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Mike Breen, the MSG Knicks announcer and NBA play-by-play man for ABC and ESPN, including the upcoming NBA Finals, makes the call to do some championship Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby. 

Q: Why does New York love the Knicks so much? 

A: It’s always been a basketball town. This is why I fell in love with basketball, and I’m certain a lot of Knick fans, too. There’s just something about the team aspect of the sport. Five players working together. The whole is better than the sum of its parts — I’ve always loved that phrase. And this Knick team is exactly that. And there’s just something special about that building, whether you’re there watching or you’re watching at home. There’s an electricity to that place that’s just truly amazing. … And I think this particular Knick team, because there were so many years of darkness, that to feel this way about a team, knowing that they have a legitimate shot of winning a championship, these fans have been just so hungry for so many years and stayed loyal despite that, they just feel like they’re being rewarded. The electricity in the city about them and the vibe in the city about ’em is crazy. It’s incredible the joy that the Knicks fans have. And the fact that all three games on the road that they clinched, in Atlanta, in Philadelphia, in Cleveland, the thousands of Knick fans at each of those games, shows you how much they care and how long they’ve waited for a team like this to root for. 

Q: What makes this team so likable? 

A: How connected they are, and how well they play together, and how they’ve sacrificed, they’re unselfish. And the other thing, too, is you hear them all talk after the games, and they don’t like to talk about themselves, but ask ’em about a teammate and they’ll go on and on and on and on. They’re so happy for each other’s success. 

Q: What is the essence of Jalen Brunson’s greatness? 

A: He has an iron will. He’s not tall, he’s not fast, he’s not overly athletic. But he’s one of the mentally strongest players I’ve ever been around. They talk about Michael Jordan, they talk about Kobe Bryant … in terms of mental toughness, I’d put him up there with anybody. He has a great basketball mind, and he always figures it out. He just figures out what the defense is doing and how to beat them. I love the humility that he has. When he has a bad game, he puts it behind him. When he has a good game, he puts it behind him, and he just goes on to the next game, just like he does every possession, he just goes on to the next possession. An iron will. 

Q: Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Patrick Ewing are your two greatest Knicks. If Brunson leads the Knicks to the championship, does he belong in that group? 

A: Absolutely. And even if he doesn’t win a championship, I think he’s already in the conversation and this is just his fourth year with the team. You have to take everything into account — obviously his talent, his leadership … but he has changed the direction and the perception of the franchise. 

Q: What did you know about coach Mike Brown, and why did you think he could be a good fit? 

A: He’s a great people person, and I knew that he was one of those guys that wasn’t afraid to try things … he wasn’t afraid to take others’ opinions. And that’s exactly what he’s done, he’s tried things, he’s tweaked things, he’s changed things, and he has sought ideas and opinions from his assistant coaches and his players. It’s the most collaborative coaching staff I think I’ve ever been around, and you have to give him all the credit. He’s so secure in himself that he’s willing to take ideas from anybody on his staff or anybody on his roster, and he’ll try them. And if it works, he gives them the credit. And if it doesn’t work, he says, “I need to do a better job.” He treats his coaching staff and his roster like it’s a big family, and everybody has a seat at the table and everybody has a say. And it’s worked to perfection because they had a lot of growing pains this year, and they had their ups and downs, but he never panicked and just kept trying to figure out what’s the best way for this team to play. And he said right from the start, “I don’t have all the answers, and I’m gonna need time to figure them out, and they’re gonna need time to figure me out,” and that’s exactly what happened. 

Q: He figured out how to use Karl-Anthony Towns as a facilitator. 

A: They’re down two games to one against Atlanta, and Towns went to him and talked to him about that, and it has completely taken their offense to another level. 

Q: What were your thoughts when they acquired KAT? 

A: I hated to see [Julius] Randle and [Donte] DiVincenzo go. I know Julius Randle wasn’t always the fan favorite, but Randle’s a big part of the turnaround, Randle and Tom Thibodeau started the turnaround. Those were two important pieces to get the franchise going in the right direction. But Towns is one of those special talents, and in today’s game, what he brings is so important, and you knew that he was gonna love coming to New York, being from the area, and the Knicks were his team. Besides his talent, it’s his willingness to sacrifice. He’s gone through these playoffs, and he’s not averaging the kind of points that made him an all-NBA player, but he doesn’t care because he knows right now his role as a facilitator and a playmaker is the best way for then to win, and that’s what I love most about Karl-Anthony Towns, is he just wants to win a title. 

Q: Why is OG Anunoby so invaluable for this team? 

A: He’s the head of a snake on the defense. I think he’s in the top five defensive players in the league ’cause he can guard anybody. And he cares so much about defense, and he watches a lot of film. He can guard a point guard, he can guard a center, he could be an on-ball demon defensively, he’s great off the ball. He changes a team’s defensive dynamic, he is just an elite defensive player. And now, he has turned into a consistent offensive force. And it’s not just 3-pointers, it’s drive to the basket, and it’s a direct result of an insatiable work ethic to get better. 

Q: Why is Josh Hart such a fan favorite? 

A: ’Cause he wears his heart on his sleeve — no pun intended. He’s a loose-ball lunatic, dives for every loose ball, rebounds in traffic, does all the dirty work, and he’s got his fingerprints on pretty much everything during the course of a game. And nobody plays harder. 

Q: With three Villanova guys on the team, is that more appealing to your wife, Ro? 

A: Well, my wife and my daughter are Villanova grads. So, in order to keep the peace in the family, I’m required to mention Villanova at least three times per Knick telecast. … But no, it’s very cool for them to see them excel like this, and I think Knick fans all need to thank Jay Wright because they will all tell you the influence Jay Wright had on them in terms of the kind of players and competitors and men that they’ve become. 

Q: Mikal Bridges was not a fan favorite for a while, but is now. 

A: He took criticism ’cause he was inconsistent. But he has started every game for the last two years on a team that went to a conference finals for the first time in 25 years and an NBA Finals in 27 years, an instrumental part of that. His ability to raise his game in the playoffs has been essential. Everybody gets so caught up in how many first-round picks they had to give up [five], but that was the price of getting a good player at the time, and it wasn’t his fault. And he’ll be the first person to tell you he was inconsistent, but he’s playing his role perfectly now. I have such admiration for the way he handled the ups and downs. 

Q: Is it true you are Mitchell Robinson’s foul shooting coach? 

A: (Laugh) I think if you really want to know, I’m a great free-throw shooter. I’m not one to brag very often, but I’ll brag about my free-throw shooting. 

Q: Well, maybe you should help. 

A: No, Peter Patton, the shooting coach, has worked so hard with him, and Mitchell has really worked so hard to get better. You can see, like, he looks more comfortable at the line, his form is better, his foundation in terms of his stance is better. … It’s just a matter of time before he starts hitting them on a regular basis. 

Q: How important will he be in the Finals? 

A: He’s a game-changer. The best offensive rebounder in the NBA. If he started and played 25-30 minutes, he’d be first-team All-Defense. His instincts defensively are off the charts, he’s a lob threat now, he’s become a really smart player, has a great feel for the game. For him, it’s always been about health. 

Q: What’s gotten into Landry Shamet? 

A: He’s always been like this. Since he came to the Knicks, he just kept getting hurt. And one of the reasons he gets hurt is ’cause he fights over screens so hard, he’s hurt his shoulder a couple of times. But he’s a guy that no matter where he’s been, he’s contributed to his team. He’s played for six teams in eight years and he’s one of those guys where you say, “Why would the five other teams let him go?” Because when you watch him play, he’s a great 3-point shooter, and he competes so hard defensively. He fights over screens as well as anybody in the league. 

Q: Miles “Deuce” McBride. 

A: He works so hard on his shot, and he now has become a lethal 3-point shooter and competes defensively. A great two-way player. 

Q: Describe the job team president Leon Rose has done. 

A: He came in and he said, “Be patient.” Because he wasn’t gonna just try and hit the home run. He wanted to build something that’s sustainable, and he slowly did that. He’s done a masterful job. They were one of the worst teams in the NBA for a number of years. It was almost an impossible job, and he’s done that. He really has worked magic. I know the fans all want to say thank you to him. 

Q: Two weeks before your ninth birthday, the Knicks won their first NBA championship, May 8, 1970. It was blacked out in New York, correct? 

A: Yeah, it was on tape delay. My dad was a crazy sports fan so he rooted for all the New York teams, so me and my brothers followed suit, we were all Knick fans. 

Q: What do you remember when they won it? 

A: I thought it was the coolest thing because if you remember, the Mets won in ’69, and we were huge Met fans. And I’m thinking, “All my teams win championships all the time (laugh).” 

Q: What do you recall about the ’73 Knicks winning their second NBA championship? 

A: I do remember that I loved that Earl [Monroe] got to win a championship as well. And I also remember that they got revenge because they had lost [to the Lakers] the year before. I was a big Clyde and [Dave] DeBusschere fan, those were my two favorites. 

Q: Who were you in the schoolyard? 

A: Kind of both of them, actually. Clyde was my favorite, but I was not cool, so there’s no way I could be Clyde (laugh), so I was all of them. What I used to do all the time is I had a Nerf basketball in my room, and I would take jump shots and try to mimic the form of all the Knicks when I was doing that. 

Q: What was it about DeBusschere you liked so much? 

A: I thought my dad was the strongest man in the world, and then I thought Dave DeBusschere was the second strongest. I just thought he was so tough and so strong and hit so many big shots. 

Q: And Clyde? 

A: He hit every big shot. I was always surprised when he missed a shot. The word ‘cool,’ it’s not really around anymore, but he was the epitome of cool. He just never looked like he was in a rush, and always seemed to make the big play either with a basket or a steal. 

Q: Your most painful loss as a Knicks fan growing up? 

A: When they lost the title in ’72 [to the Lakers]. I just remember being so disappointed ’cause I thought they were gonna win again, and that’s why the ’73 team was so good. But losing in ’72 was hard as an 11-year-old. … The thing that hurt me the most was when they traded Clyde. That was devastating. He came back either six games or six days later in a Cavalier uniform, and I remember being so upset seeing him in a Cavalier uniform. 

Q: Describe the 1994 Knicks. 

A: They played with such a physical force. They overwhelmed you with their force, and then they had one of the greatest skilled big men of all time [Ewing]. I remember those games, it seemed every single possession mattered during the Finals of those games. Every single possession was like a street fight the way they defended. Pat Riley had a complete different type with the Showtime Lakers, and was able to adapt the style because of the personnel, that’s why I always thought he was such a great coach, and he knew he couldn’t play the same way with the Knicks as he did with the Lakers. 

Q: The Game 7 loss to the Rockets in ’94. 

A: I called the game on radio with Clyde, ironically. What I remember is Game 6, when [John] Starks had a chance to win it with a 3-pointer at the buzzer. … My radio location is courtside next to the Knick bench down the other end of the floor — Starks’ shot was at the far end. And when he got the ball to shoot, from my vantage point, ’cause I was kind of blocked out in the corner, I didn’t know if his foot was behind the 3-point line or not. The ball’s in the air, and I don’t know if that shot is to win the championship or tie the game to send it into overtime. It could have been a disaster if it went in (laugh). … If it goes in, it’s one of the greatest shots in the history of the NBA. 

Q: How did you feel after Game 7 when the Knicks lost? 

A: Awful. I remember going back to the hotel after the game, and because it was such a wonderful emotional ride, and you really thought they were gonna win, especially since they were up 3-2 in the series, that there was no way they were gonna go back to Houston and lose two games, they were such a good, tough road team. … It was very funeral-like. I remember going to the airport in Houston, and just trudging through the Houston airport thinking, “I can’t believe they lost.” 

Q: The 1999 Knicks. 

A: ’99 was so much fun because it was a bit unexpected. They were the 8 seed, they struggled during the season but then caught fire late enough to get into the playoffs, and here they are playing against their arch-rival, the Miami Heat, and it comes down to one shot, an Allan Houston shot propelled them all the way to the Finals. And Jeff Van Gundy always talked about that, he thought if Allan Houston’s shot doesn’t go in, he’s gonna get fired. That shows you how one shot going in, or one shot missing, can make such a difference in the narrative and the legacies of teams, players, coaches. It’s crazy how one shot can make that difference. 

Q: Did you have any clue that Van Gundy the coach would become Van Gundy the television broadcasting character that he became? 

A: When I first started, he was an assistant coach, and I learned more about the NBA from him than anybody because assistant coaches have more time to talk to the radio people or TV people or media people. And he was hilarious. … Then he gets the job, I would tell people, “He’s so funny.” They couldn’t believe it ’cause he didn’t show that when he did his press conferences. I thought he’d be great at it because he had that great sense of humor and a great basketball mind. We just had to work on his on-cameras. ’Cause when he first started (laugh), we’d put him on camera, he’d just blankly stare at the camera, like he was doing a hostage tape. Eventually he got more comfortable, but he was a natural from the get-go. 

Q: Before the Game 1 tipoff, what do you think will be going through your gut with the Knicks playing in these NBA Finals? 

A: I feel the same way before every Finals. I feel it’s the ultimate honor, it’s the ultimate privilege and a responsibility, and I can’t believe that I’m in that position, and I can’t believe that I’ve been doing it all these years. So I will feel the same way, but I’ve always wanted to broadcast the Finals on TV that the Knicks are in, so it’s a bucket list checked off. 

Q: How confident are you that you will be able to be neutral in the eyes of the public? 

A: Very confident. I learned from the best. When I first started, Marv [Albert] did so many big Knick games on national TV, and he was the perfect one to watch and emulate because he handled it beautifully like he always did, and I’ve always wanted to uphold the standard that he set, and I think I’ve done that. There will always be people who disagree, but every year I do the Finals, if it’s Boston-L.A., the Boston fans think I’m rooting for L.A., and the L.A. fans think I’m rooting for Boston. 

Q: Your mother, Mary, will be watching. 

A: My mother has watched more of my games than anybody on earth. She watches every game. She doesn’t watch to the end all the time because she’s 93, but she watches every single game. 

Q: Does she critique you? 

A: She tells me that I did a nice job every time. She just wants to watch the open when we’re on camera, so she sees her son and then she’s OK, she doesn’t watch the rest. When we played in high school, she went to all the games, road and home. She’s seen as much basketball as anybody I know. 

Q: Would you take the Long Island Railroad to Game 3 at the Garden? 

A: I used to take it almost every game, but I won’t for that because I’ll probably be staying in the city for Games 3 and 4 rather than go back and forth because we have a lot of obligations in between games the day of … but I still do take the train a number of times during the season. 

Q: What happens when you’re recognized? 

A: On the way in, rarely get recognized. On the way home, if I take the first train back after the game, there’s a lot of Knick fans, and they’re all so wonderful. I always find those very flattering and humbling. 

Q: Describe your first NBA Finals in 2006? 

A: It was the most nervous I’d ever been before I went on the air … without question. I was doing the games with Hubie [Brown], and I had received instructions from one of my bosses at ESPN to tell me that I had to broadcast this game differently because I was now broadcasting to many casual fans who hadn’t been watching the NBA, and I was trying to figure out, “Alright, how do I do this?” And I think I started explaining the most obvious things like I was talking to somebody who has never seen a basketball game. And I was nervous about it ’cause I wanted to make sure I did it the right way. And, Hubie Brown, God bless him, grabbed my arm during the first timeout, and he said: “Hey kid, just call the game the way you always do. We’ll be fine.” And from then on, I felt relaxed and calm and did my job. 

Q: The challenge that Oklahoma City presents. 

A: Their defense is smothering. It’s so physical, they make it difficult to run your offense, and they come at you in waves because they’re deep. So if the first five gets a little gassed by playing hard defensively, they got another five to come in and come right at you the same way. And then they have a special, special player who whenever they really need a bucket, this guy gets it for ’em. [Shai] Gilgeous-Alexander, he’s not a high-flying dunker, he’s not knocking down 3s from 30 feet, he just finds a spot, gets to a spot and knocks down shots. 

Q: He’s a foul-baiter? 

A: That’s a big narrative now because he gets to the line and he draws a lot of fouls. He drives to the basket more than anybody in the league, so of course he’s gonna get fouled more. But he gets criticism because he falls down a lot. Does he sell it to try to get calls? Yes. But so do, oh, about 250 other players in the league. And because they’re at the top, people want to poke holes in the best team and they go after him. He’s just a great player, and he’s a great teammate and he’s a great ambassador to the game, in my opinion. 

Q: The first time you watched Victor Wembanyama play. 

A: The first time you see him in person, you can’t believe how tall he is. Then, after you get over the fact that this guy is this big and you watch him handle the ball, and you see his agility running up the floor, and then you watch his beautiful jump shot, you can’t believe this one tall man like this has all of this. He’s the compete package, and he is far, far from the finished product. That’s the scary thing. As long as he stays healthy, he has a chance to be one of the greats of all time. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

Q: Thunder or Spurs: Which matchup is more problematic for the Knicks? 

A: Both present tremendous problems. 

Q: How much of an advantage will rest be for the Knicks? 

A: I think it’s great. At this point of year, everybody’s banged up. The more difficult challenge for the Knicks is they beat the Hawks and they beat Philly and they beat Cleveland. None of those three teams you would consider elite defensive teams … solid defense, but not elite. The Spurs and the Thunder are two elite defensive teams, so that’s gonna be an adjustment. 

Q: How does it feel to be known nationwide as the Voice of the Knicks, and a Hall of Famer? 

A: Some days it’s difficult to process. God has blessed me in so many ways. The sport that I love, a team that I love, to be able to call these games, it’s incredible. But I realize that the only reason that I’m able to do it is for the help of so many people. This is gonna sound corny, but I fell in love with basketball ’cause it’s a team sport and you need good teammates, I’ve had nothing but amazing teammates my entire life. And for the Knicks, I have to give specific credit — Mike McCarthy was the executive who hired me to call Knicks radio, and that completely changed my life. 

Q: Your current teammates: Tim Legler. 

A: He eats, sleeps, drinks everything basketball. He’s in love with the game as much as anybody I’ve met. He’s worked so hard for so many years at ESPN that for him to get this opportunity, I’m so happy for him, and I think he has taken the opportunity and I think he’s had a brilliant season. He’s so much fun to work with, he’s so knowledgeable, and his enthusiasm for the game comes through the television every night. 

Q: Richard Jefferson. 

A: He has such a great perspective of what it’s like to play in every type of game because he had a great career, and he had a lot of different roles in his career so he understands the different roles that different players have. He’s got a great sense of humor, and you need to entertain, not just inform when you’re doing a telecast, and he’s really good at the entertainment part. 

Q: Lisa Salters. 

A: The ultimate pro. One of my favorite people I’ve ever worked with. She has a special way of presenting stories when she’s telling stories. She has a great sensitive way when she’s interviewing people. Just has a great big heart and it’s an honor to work with her. 

Q: Do you allow yourself to fantasize about standing on a Canyon of Heroes float? 

A: No, I don’t. I don’t. What I think about is how wonderful it would be for the city, and how wonderful it would be for these loyal fans who have waited a long, long time for this. I think of when the Rangers won, and Sam Rosen had that just all-time great call of expressing the feeling, “This one will last a lifetime.” It meant so much to the city and it meant so much to the fan base. It would mean so much to so many people who have been cheering and caring and loving this team for however long they’ve been alive, whether for some it’s decades, for some it’s years. … That’s what I think of if they ever won.

He’s one heavenly VIP.

Late Knicks superfan and Celebrity Row mainstay John F. Kennedy Jr. is cheering on his beloved Knicks from a courtside seat in the sky, a pal told The Post.

“I bet he’s cheering from somewhere,” said his close friend and chief of staff, RoseMarie Terenzio.

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If John John was still alive today, he’d not only be at Madison Square Garden for the NBA finals — he’d be the most popular and best dressed person there, she added.

“John was the one New Yorker cool enough to make MSG even cooler — and he’d still be the most famous person in the building,” she said.

Kennedy, who lived in Tribeca, was known to sport a tie and button-down shirt for games at the World’s Most Famous Arena when he was going there straight from his Midtown office.

“Whether he was at a sporting event or riding his bike around the city, he always looked sharp, but he never looked like he was trying,” she added.

Kennedy, who owned two pairs of Knicks tickets, one on Celebrity Row and one behind the basket, was at MSG for the 1999 NBA Finals, the last time the Knicks made the championship.

He was even filmed during Game 4 between the Knicks and the Spurs on June 18, 1999.

He died in plane crash a month later at the age of 38.

“He was a huge fan. Whenever he was in town and if he could, he would always go,” she said.

Terenzio, a Bronx native, recalled how her boss presented her with the lavish gift of a courtside seat to watch the Knicks take on the Chicago Bulls in January 1996.

“He took me to a Knicks game for my birthday on Celebrity Row. It was insane,” Terenzio, 60, said.

“And I remember Patrick Ewing waving to him from the Knicks bench, and I looked at him and I went, ‘Are you kidding me?! Did he just wave to you?!’ And he just started laughing.”

She recalled how Kennedy first presented her with the priceless present.

“He said to me, ‘What are you doing for your birthday? . . . Do you want to go to the Knicks game with me?’ And I remember, I said, ‘You don’t have to take me. Just give me the tickets. I’ll go.’ And he was like, ‘No, I want to go!’ It was really funny.”

Kennedy’s wife, style icon Carolyn Bessette, even offered to help her choose what to wear for the big game.

“She’s like, ‘If you’re going to sit in Celebrity Row with John, we’ve got to figure out your outfit,'” she said.

“I wore black APC pants and a white T-shirt because she was like, ‘You don’t want to look too dressed up. You want to look cool, like a sports fan.'”

Bessette was more of a music fan, and wasn’t interested in accompanying her husband to the Garden, so “he would take his nieces, friends, people who were huge fans,” she said.

Terenzio penned the memoir “Fairy Tale Interrupted: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Loss,” about the “unlikely friendship between America’s favorite First Son and a blue-collar girl from the Bronx.”

The two tickets on Celebrity Row Kennedy split with the CEO of Hachette Filipacchi, David Pecker, publisher of Kennedy’s magazine George.

The other two, which were located two rows behind the basket, he shared with his fraternity brother at Brown University, music supervisor Randy Poster.

“So if he was going to sit in Celebrity Row, he would give the other pair to someone at George or to a friend or somebody he knew,” recalled Terenzio, who worked for the Knicks as an assistant before she landed the job with Kennedy.

JFK Jr. was so generous with his courtside tickets that security at MSG once assumed the ones his friends were holding were fake, Terenzio said.

“John gave Sean Neary, an editor at George, the floor seats. And they thought Sean had fake tickets, like, ‘Wait, you’re not him!'”

Spurs upset Thunder in Game 7 to advance to NBA Finals against Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Now they’re really gonna party like it’s 1999.

The San Antonio Spurs have advanced to the 2026 NBA Finals, where they’ll face the New York Knicks in a rematch of the championship series from 27 years ago.

The Spurs on Saturday defeated the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 on the road in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, sending Victor Wembanyama to the Finals for the first time in his young career.

The 22-year-old, in just his third season since being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, was named MVP of the series. Wembanyama, in his first career postseason, had 22 points and seven rebounds in the clincher as the Spurs reached the Finals for the first time since 2014.

“It means everything,” Wembanyama said on NBC after the win. “We want four more [wins]. We’re not done yet.”

The Spurs had seven players in double figures after shooting 17-for-40 overall from deep, with Julian Champagnie scoring 16 and Stephon Castle adding 16.

The Spurs got out to a quick start by shooting efficiently — led by Castle, who had nine early points — to take a 27-13 lead midway through the first quarter. The Thunder, who shot 3-for-13 from deep in the first and commit six turnovers, responded with a 7-0 run and pulled to within seven by the end of the first at 32-25.

The Thunder – behind a big quarter by Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 19 first-half points —  pulled even with 2:15 left in the half on a 3 by Lu Dort that made it 49-49 and then took their first lead on a jumper by Jaylin Williams. The Spurs closed the half on a 7-0 run to take a 56-53 lead into the break.

The Spurs went on a 16-2 run midway through the third, capped by a Wembanyama 3, to open a 76-65 lead.

Early in the fourth quarter, De’Aaron Fox and Wembanyama hit back-to-back 3’s during a 13-4 San Antonio run to open a 97-86 lead with eight minutes remaining. The Thunder pulled within six and were on the fast break when the Spurs’ Luke Kornet, with Wembanyama on the bench, blocked Isaiah Hartenstein at the rim. Castle then followed with a jumper at the other end to push the lead to eight, and Champagnie followed with a 3 to make it 102-91.

Carson Wallace drained back-to-back 3’s to pull the Thunder within 107-101 with just over two minutes left. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a chance to make it a one-possession game on the ensuing possession but missed a 3. Castle then converted a putback at the other end to push the Spurs lead to 109-101 with one minute left to all but seal the win.

The Thunder, who swept the first two rounds of the playoffs, were denied the chance to become the first team since the 2017-2018 Golden State Warriors to win back-to-back titles. Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning back-to-back MVP, had 35 points in the loss. Chet Holmgren had just four points on 1-for-2 shooting.

The Spurs will have homecourt advantage in the NBA Finals, hosting Game 1 and Game 2, and if necessary, Game 5 and Game 7. Game 1 is set for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Game 2 is Friday before the series shifts to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4 on June 8 and 10.

The series will be a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals, in which Tim Duncan and David Robinson led the Spurs to a 4-1 series win over Allan Houson, Latrell Sprewell and the Knicks.

The Spurs return to the NBA Finals for the seventh time, and first since 2014 when they defeated the Miami Heat for their fourth title in 15 years (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014). The Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the East and enter the Finals on an 11-game winning streak. They reach the Finals for the first time since 1999 and are seeking their first championship since 1973.

The series between the Spurs and Knicks is also a rematch of December’s NBA Cup final, which the Knicks won 124-113. The Knicks and Spurs split the regular-season series 1-1.

De'Aaron Fox, Mike Brown to face off in NBA Finals season after Kings departures originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

A few years ago, the Kings and their fans had hoped Mike Brown‘s arrival in Sacramento to join forces with star point guard De’Aaron Fox would lead to an eventual NBA Finals trip.

Despite an incredible 2022-23 NBA season that saw the Kings earn the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed with 48 wins and end a 16-season playoff drought, those dreams of making the Finals with the duo were dashed last season.

Brown was fired on Dec. 27, 2024, after the Kings began the season 13-18. Six weeks later, Fox was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team deal that netted the Kings All-Star guard Zach LaVine.

One year later, in a cruel twist, Fox and Brown indeed are going to the NBA Finals … as opponents.

Brown, hired as the Knicks’ coach last summer, has guided New York to its first Finals appearance since 1999.

Fox and the Spurs sealed the marquee Finals matchup by stunning the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 on Saturday night at Paycom Center.

San Antonio’s 111-103 victory was a spirited effort that saw seven Spurs players score in double figures, with Fox adding 15 points, five assists and three steals to help punch his team’s ticket to the NBA’s biggest stage.

The Knicks won 53 games this season, and as the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed, beat the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals and swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference finals.

In the first round against the Hawks, the Knicks were down two games to one, putting Brown’s job in jeopardy. But he righted the ship and has New York on an 11-game winning streak entering the NBA Finals.

Fox, on the other hand, was an All-Star for the second time this season, averaging 18.6 points and 6.2 assists in 72 games.

The 28-year-old has battled an ankle injury this postseason that has limited him to 15 playoff games, but surrounded by superstar Victor Wembanyama and blossoming star guard Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, Fox has the supporting cast to keep things going while he sat out.

A turbulent couple of months last season have given way to brighter days for Fox and Brown.

Fox and Brown speak fondly of their time in Sacramento, but their departures might have been just what they needed to maximize their potential.

Now, one of the two will raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy in a few weeks.

Kings fans surely will be happy for whoever becomes a champion in the near future, but they will always wonder about what could have been if things had worked out for Fox and Brown in Sacramento.

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As we continue to navigate the offseason, there are plenty of names worth looking at and analyzing as potential fits for the Phoenix Suns. We know this roster most likely is not going to experience a ton of turnover, which naturally makes some of the unrestricted free agent options feel more like pipe dreams than realistic additions.

That being said, if we’re talking pipe dreams, there is one player expected to hit the market soon who I’d absolutely like to see Phoenix explore, and that’s sixth-year big man Jonathan Isaac out of Florida State. The Orlando Magic are rumored to have interest in buying him out this offseason, and if that happens, a high-level defensive big is suddenly available.

And I know how this goes. Every time a player becomes available, everybody races to their keyboard and starts firing off reasons the Suns should go get him. If you know me, that’s usually not something I lean into. I try not to chase every shiny new name that pops up on the market.

With Isaac, though, this feels different. Drafted 6th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, he is somebody I genuinely think the organization should take a long look at. The 6’10”, 230-pound Isaac is certainly more intriguing than a lot of the names likely to be available in unrestricted free agency.

I don’t view him as a starting-caliber power forward at this point in his career. I do see somebody who could help with size and depth at the four, which is an area Phoenix could absolutely use more of. Spot rotational minutes feel like a realistic fit if he were to land in the Valley.

Isaac has always had an interesting career. He’s flashed his defensive ability plenty of times, and there were stretches in Orlando when he and Jalen Suggs came off the bench together and the Orlando Magic looked downright suffocating on that end of the floor. Just two seasons ago, he came in 9th in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

The challenge has always been consistency, both with his health and his offensive game. He played in 52 games last season, averaging 10 minutes, 2.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks. He’s a career 31.6% shooter from beyond the arc, so floor spacing is not what you’re bringing him in for. The value comes on the interior, where his length, rebounding, and defensive instincts can still impact a game.

The Orlando Magic appear ready to move on from the 28-year-old big, and as they continue trying to climb out of the Eastern Conference mud, parting ways with Isaac creates an opportunity for them to fortify other areas of the roster.

That’s where Phoenix could benefit. The Suns would not need to bring Isaac in on a massive deal. They could offer the taxpayer a mid-level exception at $6 million for up to two years. Sure, the non-taxpayer mid-level exception at $15 million exists, though that would hard cap Phoenix at the first apron, and Isaac simply is not worth that number. At $6 million, though? That feels like a solid price for a back-end rotational power forward. Sure, that most likely means the Suns are moving off of another contract (if they plan on staying below the luxury tax line), but all possibilities should be explored.

And if we’re talking about players who fit the mold of the identity Phoenix built last season, Isaac checks plenty of boxes. He’s physical, he plays with an edge, and he brings the kind of defensive mentality that helped define the 2025–26 Suns. That’s why he’s somebody I’d absolutely like to see Phoenix explore.

His addition would be a targeted depth addition tied directly to the identity the Suns spent all of last season trying to establish. More size. More length. More defensive versatility. More players willing to make life miserable on the other end of the floor.

The health concerns are real, and they always will be with Isaac. That risk doesn’t disappear. At the right number and in the right role, though, Phoenix wouldn’t need him to be a savior. They’d need him to defend, rebound, and strengthen the kind of gritty, physical rotation that quietly became part of the Suns’ personality last season.