Category: Sports News

Another former Arizona Wildcat is heading to the NBA Finals. The San Antonio Spurs beat defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in game seven of the Western Conference Finals, which means Carter Bryant will be heading to the finals in his rookie season.

He becomes the third Arizona alumni to reach the finals in his rookie season since Luke Walton did it with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004. The other player was Richard Jefferson with the New Jersey Nets in 2002.

This is now the 12th consecutive season that an Arizona Wildcat will participate in the NBA FInals. Last season, it was T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin with the Indiana Pacers to make the finals, but unfortunately they could not get the job done. 

Aaron Gordon and Zeke Nnaji were the last Arizona Wildcats to win the NBA Finals when they won with the Denver Nuggets in 2023.

Bryant was drafted by the Spurs in last year’s NBA Draft with the 14th overall pick. His rookie season has given him a bit of everything.

Earlier this season, he participated in the NBA dunk contest and was beaten in the championship by another former Wildcat in Keshad Johnson. Fast forward and Bryant will now be playing on the NBA’s biggest stage.

The conference finals did bring a lot of struggle but in typical Arizona fashion he responded. From being chewed out by his coach to having some of the loudest plays, Bryant has taken big steps in his basketball development.

He only played three minutes in game seven but in those three minutes he was able to score a bucket on an NBA all-star and not make any mistakes. 

Bryant also had an authoritative dunk in game six to help force a seventh game.

It’s one thing for your coach to stick by you, but when you have one of the best players in the world continuously supporting you, the work ethic can never fade. Victor Wembanyama, along with the rest of the Spurs, have never lost faith in Bryant.

The New York Knicks were the team from the eastern conference awaiting their NBA Finals opponent. This is a team that not only San Antonio has struggled against, but Bryant has seen major struggles.

In the two regular season games between New York and San Antonio, Bryant played a total of 11 minutes and did not score. It will certainly be interesting to see how much he will be played in his first finals appearance. The first opportunity he could have will be next Wednesday in game one.

The New York Knicks are playing the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals after their opponent pulled out a gutsy Game 7 win on the road to get back to the Finals for the first time in 12 years.

For the Knicks, it’s a rematch of their last Finals appearance in 1999, when they lost in five games to Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and the Twin Tower Spurs. This time around, they won’t face two towers in the paint, but they are facing off against one of the most unique big men in league history in Victor Wembanyama.

Here’s a look at the schedule for the series between the Knicks and Spurs:

• Game 1: Wednesday June 3, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) – Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
• Game 2: Friday June 5, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) – Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
• Game 3: Monday June 8, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Game 4: Wednesday June 10, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Game 5: Saturday June 13, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) – Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX (if necessary)
• Game 6: Tuesday June 16, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)– Madison Square Garden, New York, NY (if necessary)
• Game 7: Friday June 19, 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) – Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX(if necessary)

Posting & Toasting community, what are you most looking forward to in the series between the Knicks and Spurs? Let us know in the comments section below.

On Monday I asked the staff this simple question (then forgot to run the post for a week): what is something regarding the NBA Draft that you’ve talked yourself into?

Tyler: I’ve talked myself into believing that the Mavericks will be making at least one draft night trade in round one. At pick nine, it could be that they see value in moving back and drafting a guy they didn’t feel was worth it at ninth. It could be wanting to acquire an extra first-round pick (think OKC or Charlotte). Or, it could be trading pick 30 for cap relief, or even attaching a player to pick 30 to move up in the order. I don’t know which will be the case, but I’m convinced at least one will happen.

Sudarshan: Maybe not since the Lottery, but I’ve talked myself into being somewhat accepting of the Masai Ujiri hiring.

Regarding the draft itself? We’re going to get a polarising prospect which will inspire many a heated debate about fit & future.

Bryan: I’ve talked myself into Brayden Burries being the best guard option available after the top 4 (Brown, Wagler, Acuff, Flemings) are off the board. There is still a solid chance that Aday Mara goes 8th to Atlanta and one of the lead guards falls to us, but if not, we could do much worse than Burries at 9.

Joe: Something I’m convincing myself of more and more is that Dallas is going to have more options at 9 then a lot of people originally let on. When the season ended on April 12th, the entire fanbase was online complaining and pouting that winning 26 games in a season wasnt good enough because they wouldnt be able to have a good chance at a top 4 pick and that they would have less options to draft an all world prospect. I think as we get closer and closer, we see the consensus uncertainty and near guaranteed chaos that is almost surely going to happen throughout the top 10 picks of this upcoming nba draft. I think that between the different taste in the teams favorite prospects and depth of upper echelon talent, there are going to be teams who make some interesting and consensually bizzare decisions. I think a team like the Nets, the Kings, or the hawks, can reach or take someone that pushes one of the Mavs guys to them at 9

Brent: Bracing for changes this summer. Maybe on or before draft night. No one outside of #32 is untouchable and we have a new brain trust in place who will shake things up in ways we will not see coming. Expect the unexpected. So much ink is being spilled right now on what might happen and I feel like we are about to get a curveball or two that will reshape the face of this roster.

Michael: I’ve talked myself into actually remembering that I have no idea what will happen. Early on, I took to believing the Mavs would target a guard, then got on the hope train that we’d still get a good one despite falling a spot in the draft order. Now I’ve all but eliminated most of those thoughts in exchange for hopeful optimism and expecting the unexpected.

I trust Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz enough to do the right thing, but the “right thing” is now colored against a much different background. It seems evident that a massive roster overhaul is at least plausible, so with that, I no longer have any expectation we’re going for a guard. In fact, I expect something unexpected that will begin to make sense as the offseason really begins to play out. If anyone on the current roster could be moved, anyone in the draft could reasonably fill a need. Therefore, I’m expecting the front office to make intelligent moves, but no longer predicting what those moves might be.

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The New York Knicks are back in the NBA Finals.

After rolling through the Eastern Conference behind Jalen Brunson’s playoff brilliance, the Knicks now face the San Antonio Spurs after Wemby & Co. eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.

Despite New York’s dominant postseason run, NBA Finals odds immediately opened the Knicks as series underdogs, saying everything about how highly the betting market views OKC.

Before Game 1 tips off, here’s a full breakdown of the opening Knicks vs. Spurs NBA Finals odds, Finals MVP markets, and the best early betting angles.

Knicks vs. Thunder NBA Finals odds

Market	Knicks	Spurs
Series price	+170	-205
Game 1 spread	+5.0 -110	-5.0 -110
Game 1 moneyline	+170	-205
Game 1 total	Over 217 -110	Under 217 -110

Odds as of 5-30 via bet365. 

The New York Knicks may have entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed, but New York hasn’t looked like an underdog for weeks.

After sweeping both the 76ers and Cavaliers in back-to-back series, the Knicks punched their ticket to the NBA Finals behind Jalen Brunson’s playoff brilliance and one of the most physical defensive identities left in the postseason.

Still, sportsbooks opened San Antonio as the favorite entering the series.

The betting market clearly respects the Spurs' depth and versatility, but the Knicks have already proven throughout this playoff run that they’re more than capable of controlling games with defense, rebounding, and clutch shot-making.

NBA Finals MVP Odds

Player	Odds
Victor Wembanyama	-175
Jalen Brunson	+210
Karl-Anthony Towns	+2000
Stephon Castle	+6000
OG Anunoby	+7500
De'Aaron Fox	+10000
OG Anunoby	+12500

Odds as of 5-30 via bet365. 

Jalen Brunson opened as the clear betting favorite on the Knicks side after carrying New York through the Eastern Conference playoffs, while Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby also remain intriguing long-shot options entering the NBA Finals.

Still, the market continues to lean heavily toward Oklahoma City.

Victor Wembanyama opened as the overall Finals MVP favorite at -175, reflecting both the Spurs' status as series favorites and his dominant postseason run. Meanwhile, players like Stephon Castle continue to draw respect because of San Antonio’s depth and defensive versatility.

If the Knicks are going to pull off the upset, though, it’s difficult to imagine anyone other than Brunson winning the award.

Knicks vs. Spurs series prediction

The Knicks bring physicality, depth, and defensive toughness, but this series ultimately comes down to a question they may not be able to answer: how do you consistently contain Victor Wembanyama over seven games or less?

San Antonio’s ceiling is simply higher. Wemby’s two-way dominance warps matchups on both ends, and if the Spurs get even steady secondary production, they’ll be difficult to slow.

The Knicks can grind games into the mud and steal a couple with their rebounding and half-court execution, but they lack the singular superstar force to tilt a tightly contested series.

Expect a competitive, physical Finals with multiple close finishes, but San Antonio’s star power and defensive versatility give them the edge late.

Prediction: Spurs to win NBA Finals (-205)

Early Knicks vs Spurs Game 1 prediction

We saw New York look a little sluggish in this same scenario for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, coming off an extended rest while their opponent just finished a seven-game series.

The Knicks trailed by as much as 22 points in the fourth quarter, but rallied back as Cleveland utterly collapsed.

The Spurs will not implode like that.

I don't think San Antonio will be up by 20+ points either, but if New York has to shake off rust in the Finals opener, the Spurs are too talented to not take advantage.

Prediction: Spurs -5 (-110)

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The NBA Finals matchup is official as the San Antonio Spurs will take on the New York Knicks for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Victor Wembanyama continues Wemby-mania with Stephon Castle and rookie sensation Dylan Harper as he marches into his first NBA Finals with the Spurs. The center has already had an outstanding postseason with the most blocks in a game, and, at 22, he was the youngest player to have a 40-point, 20-rebound in playoff history.

The stage is set for the 2026 NBA Finals.

The New York Knicks will face the San Antonio Spurs in what is sure to be a thrilling best-of-seven series for the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Victor Wembanyama was emotional after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 of a heated Western Conference finals. This will be the San Antonio center's first Finals appearance after a historic playoffs run where he broke several records, including most blocks in a game and, at 22 years of age, the youngest player to notch 40+ points and 20+ rebounds in a competition.

The Knicks punched their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 by sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks' dominance was marked by an average margin of victory of 23.7 points.

Now the attention shifts to the NBA Finals, which tip off on Wednesday, June 3. Below is the complete schedule for this year’s championship series.

More: New York Knicks NBA Finals ticket prices reach unprecedented levels

The San Antonio Spurs survived an epic Game 7 in Oklahoma City, and are going back to the Finals after 12 years. The team’s record is now 5-7 all-time in Game 7s.

The Spurs seemed to be unaffected by nerves, starting off making their first five shots and each starter scored within six minutes. Victor Wembanyama didn’t have the highest scoring night (22 points, seven rebounds, two assists), but he was leading the charge defensively.  Stephon Castle also stepped up (16 points, six rebounds, six assists) as if he’d been there before and maintained his edge even while in foul trouble.

The Thunder being absent Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell didn’t have enough help around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when he was seeing multiple bodies. He still went on a wild spree, but the Spurs’ pressure made the half-court as nasty as a mud wrestling match, and it had OKC’s players shaky, missing easy ones behind the arc.

Observations

• This marked the second time in NBA history that a Game 7 featured the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. Both stars were true to their nature with SGA doing a boatload of scoring, and Wemby blowing up a lot of sets. This time, the edge this time goes to SGA because he gave the opposing defense fewer breaks, but history will remember that detail less because OKC lost.
• The Spurs had more ball handlers, and for a while, their motion created extra breakdowns to unlock the 3-point line. Then OKC, sensing desperation, raised its intensity and nothing came easy for the rest of the game as they scored just 34 in the lane. Keep in mind that their season low, which includes the playoffs, was 32 points.
• SGA’s conditioning is next-level because he was OKC’s only capable high-usage ball handler, and he wasn’t as tired as one normally would be seeing a defense as sharp as San Antonio’s He was doing everything for them in his 43 minutes.
• The first non-Wemby minutes started with the Spurs ahead by 10 points and they were up nine when the substitution came. Stephon Castle had a big part keeping the offense rolling in that span. The biggest weakness of that rotation was getting beat twice in transition. The next critical non-Wemby minutes were a short stretch in the third, and the Spurs maintained their nine-point lead. Then Luke Kornet had a huge chase down block (play of the game) on Isaiah Hartenstein in the last one after Wemby picked up his fifth foul.
• Chet Holmgren was guarded by Devin Vassell plus other perimeter players, and he spent the game invisible. Some might call this one of the most embarrassing disappearing acts of all time.
• Julian Champagnie had his best moment of the season in the third quarter, scoring 11 points while the game was for the taking. It was also a big emotional boost for the team, and so were Keldon Johnson’s consecutive treys and fastbreak layup early in the fourth.
• The Spurs defense was fierce and unrelenting. They had six steals in the first quarter, with two belonging to De’Aaron Fox, as they swiped at drives and intercepted passes. Additionally, they did a decent of guarding without fouling.
• The Thunder had the edge in second-chance scoring, but the Spurs closed the distance in the second half, and there was no bigger tip-ins than Dylan Harper’s to put the team up 11 with fewer than five minutes to go, and Castle’s with under a minute left.

The New York Knicks have their mark for the NBA Finals.

After winning Game 7 at the Paycom Center, the San Antonio Spurs have completed their comeback and will face off against the Knicks in the NBA Finals.

For the Spurs, it’s their first visit to the NBA Finals since 2014 after they beat LeBron James and the Miami Heat in five games. That was San Antonio’s sixth Finals visit in a 15-year span, which began back in 1999 when they faced off against the Knicks, whom they beat in five games.

For the Knicks, they have not been back to the Finals since that trip back in 1999, but they come into this series extremely well-rested after sweeping both the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers in back-to-back series. Their last game came back on Monday, when they beat the Cavs by 37 points in Game 4 inside Rocket Arena.

The Knicks could come in with a big advantage with not as much mileage as the Spurs in the playoffs. The Spurs are coming off a brutal seven-game Western Conference Finals bloodbath against the Thunder, while the Knicks will have over a week of rest. However, the Knicks will start the series on the road and must win at least one game in San Antonio in order to win the franchise’s first title since 1973.

Posting and Toasting community, what do you think of the matchup between the Knicks and the Spurs? Let us know in the comments section below.

For large parts of this season, many wondered if the Oklahoma City Thunder had any weaknesses. One thing the reigning champions didn’t have was Victor Wembanyama, who led the San Antonio Spurs to a Game 7 victory in the Western Conference finals.

The Spurs’ 111-103 victory on Saturday night means they will face the New York Knicks in the NBA finals, with Game 1 set for Wednesday in San Antonio.

Related: Relentless Knicks sweep Cavaliers and return to NBA finals for first time since 1999

It would be a disservice to Wembanyama’s teammates to say the result was solely down to the 7ft 4in Frenchman, though. Julian Champagnie scored 20 points, including six three-pointers, Dylan Harper looked dangerous whenever he came off the bench and Wembanyama’s backup, Luke Kornet, pulled off a brilliant block at the rim in the fourth quarter as the Thunder threatened a comeback. Wembanyama finished the game with 22 points and seven rebounds.

“They don’t know how much I love them, and everyone stepped up tonight,” the 22-year-old said of his teammates.

The Thunder, who were without Jalen Williams due to a hamstring injury, fought hard even as the clock ticked down but they were forced to take hopeful threes from well outside the arc and the Spurs had the final say with a breakaway dunk.

Wembanyama was named the series MVP and was in tears at the end of the game.

“Realizing that some part of a childhood dream is going to come true,” said Wembanyama when he was asked why he had been so emotional as his team clinched their place in the finals. “We’re still hungry, we want more. This feeling is so powerful, I can’t explain it”.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, was typically brilliant for the Thunder, scoring 35 points and dishing out nine assists. But none of his teammates scored more than 20 as they relinquished their title.

“You have to grow from every experience, including the tough ones,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “And it’s the NBA – there are tough ones. We can also be really disappointed ... There’s nobody that we don’t think we can beat, respectfully.”

As for the Spurs, they are confident of the road ahead. They may also be cheered by history: the last time the Knicks made the NBA finals, in 1999, they faced the Spurs, who won the series 4-1.

“We never knew if we were going to get this far but when you’ve got the greatest player in the world things happen,” said Champagnie after the game.

It was hard to disagree.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs started the Western Conference finals with a win in Oklahoma City, then ended the series the same way.

The champions are dethroned. Wembanyama and the Spurs are headed to the NBA Finals.

Wembanyama scored 22 points, Julian Champagnie got 18 of his 20 off of 3-pointers and the Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 on Saturday night — bucking heavy odds to win a Game 7 on the road.

Stephon Castle scored 16 points and De’Aaron Fox had 15. Dylan Harper added 12 and Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell each finished with 11 for the Spurs, who are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.

They will host the New York Knicks in Game 1 on Wednesday night.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 35 points, but for the eighth consecutive season the NBA will have a new champion.

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