The 2026 NBA Finals are finally here as only two teams remain in the playoff field, vying for a chance to raise the Larry O' Brien Trophy. And the New York Knicks stole home-court advantage in Game 1, defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 105-95.
The Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals to reach the championship round for the first time since 1999. They are looking to end a decades-long drought, as they haven't won an NBA Finals series since 1973.
The Spurs, in the finals for the first time since 2014, will rally behind their rising superstar Victor Wembanyama and a cast of young players. They're coming off a contentious seven-game series in the Western Conference finals against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
After each game, our NBA insiders will break down the matchup from both sides, giving takeaways from the arena, judging overreactions to the performances and looking ahead to the rest of the series.
More coverage:
Kram on Game 1 | Playoff results
Bracket | Offseason guides | More
(3) New York Knicks lead (2) San Antonio Spurs 1-0
Game 1: Knicks 105, Spurs 95
Biggest takeaway from the Spurs' performance: San Antonio released its grip on Finals opening night supremacy, falling for the first time in Game 1 after posting a 6-0 record all time in the first game of the final round. Spurs guards Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper struggled mightily against Jalen Brunson, who scored 19 of his game-high 30 points in the second half. San Antonio boasts arguably the league's most impactful defender in Wembanyama, but the visitors destroyed the Spurs in the paint, outscoring the home team 50-42 in that area. -- Michael C. Wright
Biggest takeaway from the Knicks' performance: This team didn't appear to be awed by the atmosphere, nor the specter of Wembanyama. Though New York led for only 19 minutes, 31 seconds of game time, Brunson's takeover in the fourth quarter was a winning formula. He took 30 shots in total for 30 points, with nine attempts in the fourth. Once New York shut down the Spurs' 3-point shooting, it seemed like just a matter of time before the Knicks would take firm control and establish themselves in the series. A familiar formula: Karl-Anthony Towns early, Brunson late. -- Vincent Goodwill
Game 1 overreaction: The Knicks are now the favorites.
Yes, the Knicks have taken home court from San Antonio, and Wembanyama certainly looked like his energy was still sapped from the grueling seven-game slugfest with the Thunder. But Brunson -- though he made some remarkable shots -- was extremely inefficient. San Antonio left a lot on the table, and we have already seen the Spurs win two games in Oklahoma City.
What isn't an overreaction, though? This series is going six games -- at least.
The verdict: Overreaction. -- Tim Bontemps
Stats to know via ESPN Research:
Brunson had his 38th 25-point playoff game with the Knicks -- the second most in franchise history, behind only Patrick Ewing (43). The Knicks are 6-0 this postseason when Brunson scores 30-plus points.
Josh Hart is now the second player with 15 rebounds, five assists and four steals in a Finals game, joining Larry Bird, who did it in Game 3 of the 1986 Finals against the Rockets. Hart's 15 boards are the most in a Finals game by a player 6-foot-5 or shorter since the Lakers' Elgin Baylor grabbed 20 in Game 1 of the 1970 Finals against the Knicks.
The Knicks have now won seven road games by double-digits this postseason, the most by any team in a single postseason in NBA history (surpassing the 2013 Heat).
This was the Knicks' seventh double-digit comeback in the second half over the past two postseasons, by far the most in the NBA. No other team has more than three over that span.
What to watch for in Game 2 (Friday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC):
The Spurs gave away a 14-point lead in front of an exceptional home crowd because their offense fell off a cliff in the second half once the Knicks tightened up their transition defense. Wembanyama could have played a more forceful game, but the Spurs finished with their lowest scoring total this postseason because they couldn't find anyone besides Julian Champagnie capable of consistently hitting 3s.
Champagnie carried over his hot shooting from the end of the conference finals by hitting five attempts from deep, but the rest of San Antonio's rotation combined to shoot 6-for-33 (18.2%) from outside. The Spurs entered the Finals ranked fourth in 3-point efficiency in the playoffs, so they should expect Wembanyama, Fox, Devin Vassell and Castle to show improvement in Game 2 and beyond. -- Ben Golliver