The San Antonio Spurs marched to the NBA Finals, where they fell to the New York Knicks. If the Spurs and Knicks meet in the championship series again, the Spurs are expected to win their sixth title.
The biggest storyline from the 2026 NBA Finals was the fact that the San Antonio Spurs blew multiple double-digit leads, giving the New York Knicks their first title in over five decades.
Of course, the fact that De'Aaron Fox was playing with an injured ankle, the general inexperience of the Spurs' roster, and the fact that their lackluster finishes were uncharacteristic aren't often brought up. Those aren't excuses, but they do all point to the collapses being flukes, not trends.
This summer, the Spurs got healthy, added a veteran presence, and improved internally. The Knicks are still favored in the East, even with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown joining Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey on the Philadelphia 76ers, but if fans are treated to a Finals rematch, they should expect a different outcome.
How Knicks' Timing Was Perfect
The expectation in basketball circles is that San Antonio and the Oklahoma City Thunder will run the NBA for the next decade or more. Sure, young teams like the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards are expected to be on the rise, but they aren't proven winners yet.
The Spurs and Thunder are, and their rise may have closed the title windows for 28 other teams. The Knicks, it seems, timed their postseason run perfectly, as both conferences improved this summer.
"They ran into an absurdly young San Antonio team that was just not ready to win the title," summed up Andrew Schlecht on the Athletic NBA Daily podcast. "So if they run into San Antonio again, I don't think they're beating San Antonio."
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and the rest of the Knicks are all incredibly talented players, but none of them are working towards their peak. Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and especially Dylan Harper are all getting much, much better, and even without the addition of Tobias Harris, the Spurs were expected to be one of the best teams in the NBA.
The Knicks do have the Spurs' number, having beaten them in the Finals and the NBA Cup, but the clock is ticking.
New York got their title, but experts and fans alike only expect Madison Square Garden to add one banner. For them, that should be enough.
