Now that the Knicks have swept the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals and won 11 straight playoff games, they must wait for a winner to be crowned in the West.
In the WCF, the Thunder lead San Antonio Spurs 3-2. In a seesaw series, Oklahoma City struck back last night, when their frontcourt (including the well-compensated OAKAAKUYOAK Isaiah Hartenstein) bottled up a visibly tiring Victor Wembanyama to secure a 127-114 win. A possible close-out game will be played on May 28 in San Antonio. Game
Seven will occur on Saturday in Oklahoma, if necessary.
Covering his bases, coach Mike Brown is combing through tape on both teams as he prepares New York for the big dance. With the 2026 NBA Finals set to begin next Wednesday (ABC, tip-off at 8:30 p.m. ET), the question is: which is the more favorable matchup for our heroes?
The Case for Wanting the Spurs
Don’t believe the record books: the Knicks own the season series with the Spurs. On December 16, 2025, in Las Vegas, New York beat San Antonio 124-113 to win the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks to their first NBA Cup title and earned tournament MVP honors—the first of his two MVP trophies this season, alongside the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP award. Because NBA Cup games don’t count toward the regular-season series (email your complaints to Adam Silver), the official tally is split: the Spurs won the rematch on December 31 (134-132), and the Knicks rolled them at MSG on March 1 (114-89).
Everything starts with Wemby. The 22-year-old Defensive Player of the Year combines elite rim protection, perimeter shot creation, and an absurd eight-foot wingspan into the league’s most impressive two-way force.
Stephon Castle made a massive leap in his sophomore year, averaging 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 7.4 assists while earning All-NBA votes. Devin Vassell remains a valuable floor spacer and secondary creator despite a slight offensive dip this season. Keldon Johnson thrived as a high-energy sixth man, earning Sixth Man of the Year honors. Rookie Dylan Harper has averaged 11.8 points and 3.9 assists, made All-Rookie First Team, and delivered a standout 24-point, 11-rebound, seven-steal performance in the Western Conference Finals. Veteran De’Aaron Fox added 18.6 points and 6.2 assists in his first full season in Texas, although a lingering ankle injury has diminished his explosiveness in the playoffs.
Why would the Knicks prefer the Spurs over the Thunder? First, they’ve already beaten San Antonio twice, record books be damned. More importantly, the Spurs are starting to look tuckered out. This is the longest run of games (83+ regular season plus deep postseason) in their young core’s careers, and the mileage is taking its toll. Wembanyama has carried a massive load, Fox is physically compromised, and fatigue tends to erode discipline. The Knicks, by contrast, have stayed fresh and healthy, thanks to making short work of the Eastern Conference, and they’re well-positioned to capitalize on the mistakes of a tired, young squad.
The Case for Wanting the Thunder
Sure, yeah, the Knicks lost both regular-season meetings with the Thunder in 2025-26. On March 4 at Madison Square Garden, New York pushed OKC to the wire before falling 103-100, with Chet Holmgren dropping 28 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander adding 26 despite Karl-Anthony Towns’ 17-17 double-double. In the rematch on March 29 in Oklahoma City, the Thunder pulled away for a 111-100 win behind SGA’s 30 points, outdueling Brunson’s 32.
That was then, this is now.
In the postseason, New York blossomed into a fast-paced, quick-pass team that ran circles around the Sixers and Cavs. More than that, they’re shooting the lights out, with Landry Shamet and Mikal Bridges seemingly incapable of missing.
Meanwhile, the Thunder are getting beaten up in a demanding WCF against the Spurs. Their accumulated fatigue from a more competitive playoff path would benefit the Knicks in the Finals. The biggest concern is Jalen Williams, who left Game Two of the WCF between the first and second quarters after playing just seven minutes. Now he’s dealing with his fourth hamstring issue, and this latest one is a reaggravation to his left hammy. Then there’s Ajay Mitchell, who bowed out of the Thunder’s Game Three win over San Antonio and is listed as out with a right soleus strain.
Oklahoma City’s frequent use of smaller, switch-heavy lineups creates exploitable opportunities for Towns. When the Thunder downsize for speed and perimeter versatility, they can become vulnerable on the glass and in the interior, allowing Towns to punish mismatches, dominate offensive rebounding, and generate second-chance points. While Hartenstein and Holmgren are excellent defenders, the Bolts lack a singular rim-protecting force on the level of that French delight. Wemby’s elite shot-blocking fundamentally warp offenses by erasing shots at the rim and forcing teams to shoot from farther away. OKC’s defense might be elite, but it lacks that same suffocating interior deterrent.
Conclusion: Bring on the Spurs
The Knicks should root for San Antonio to eliminate Oklahoma City.
A tired, occasionally undersized Thunder team would give Towns and Mitchell Robinson clearer opportunities to dominate the glass and punish mismatches inside. While San Antonio presents a tougher stylistic challenge (Wemby’s defensive gravity, their impressive young talent), Oklahoma City remains the more dangerous opponent overall. Egregious flopper or not, SGA is the MVP, after all, and his team iss the defending champion.
The betting odds agree. FanDuel currently has the Thunder as heavy favorites to win the title at -155, with the Knicks sitting at +230 and the Spurs longshots at +550. Vegas clearly believes New York has a better chance against San Antonio. Who would you rather they face in the Finals? State your case in the comments below.
