2026 NBA playoffs: Conference finals takeawaysNBA InsidersMultiple AuthorsMay 23, 2026, 10:45 PM ET
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The conference finals of the 2026 NBA playoffs are here, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game of the Eastern and Western matchups.
The No. 3-seeded New York Knicks are facing the No. 4-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers after the Cavaliers prevailed in seven games over the No. 1-seeded Detroit Pistons.
In the West, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder clash with the San Antonio Spurs as the top two seeds battle in a highly anticipated series.
With four teams one round away from their shots at the Larry O’Brien Trophy, here’s what matters most in both conferences and what to watch in the series.
Jump to a series:
Knicks-Cavaliers
Thunder-Spurs
More coverage:
Schedules and results | Offseason guides
Eastern Conference
(3) New York Knicks lead (4) Cleveland Cavaliers 3-0
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Game 1: Knicks 115, Cavaliers 104 (OT)
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Game 2: Knicks 109, Cavaliers 93
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Game 3: Knicks 121, Cavaliers 108
Biggest takeaway from Game 3: The Knicks are one game away from the NBA Finals. Usually, they’re the team that has been gasping to the finish line. This time, New York looks fresh, and it played that way — starting with the wings who have to do it all, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby.
Bridges was a blur, at times, going from the starter everyone wanted to replace to being the Knicks’ most efficient starter. Anunoby is showing none of the effects from the hamstring injury that cost him the end of the series with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Cavaliers’ shooters were supposed to show up in ways they didn’t in New York. But they came up short again, at home, shooting under 30% from 3.
The Knicks’ playoff winning streak has reached 10, the longest since that of the 2012 Spurs, who reached that same number before dropping four in a row to the “Baby Thunder.” It’s unlikely that result will repeat itself for what looks like the Finals-bound Knicks. — Vincent Goodwill
Game 4: New York at Cleveland (Monday, 8 p.m., ESPN)
What to watch in Game 4: Do the Cavs have anything left?
Cleveland has played a game every other day since April 29, a high-intensity gauntlet beginning with Game 5 of the first round that has included a pair of Game 7s to save their season from the brink. The Cavs never led on Saturday, and they haven’t led in this series since the second quarter of Game 2. They misfired on open looks — shooting 29% on 3s and going 12-for-19 from the free throw line — and turned the ball over with reckless abandon, leading to easy baskets for the Knicks in transition. Cleveland’s stars haven’t had the juice to take over games the way Jalen Brunson has on the other side.
Falling behind 0-3 has been insurmountable for every team in NBA playoff history, and the Cavs might need a herculean effort to prevent Monday’s game in Cleveland from becoming a celebration for the Knicks and their fans. — Jamal Collier
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder lead (2) San Antonio Spurs 2-1
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Game 1: Spurs 122, Thunder 115
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Game 2: Thunder 122, Spurs 113
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Game 3: Thunder 123, Spurs 108
Biggest takeaway from Game 3:
The Spurs’ 15-0 run to open the game was the second-longest scoring run to start a playoff game in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98), but the Thunder weren’t fazed. Oklahoma City quickly cut the lead to five points just before the end of the quarter. The Thunder took their first lead early in the second quarter and seized control the rest of the game, outscoring the Spurs in each quarter after the first. Oklahoma City overwhelmed San Antonio with its depth. For the second straight game, four OKC reserves scored in double figures. The 76 bench points — led by Jared McCain’s 24 — set an OKC-era franchise record, surpassing the 57 from Game 2 of this series. — Tim MacMahon
Game 4: Oklahoma City at San Antonio (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)
What to watch in Game 4:
The Spurs sped out of the gates in Game 3 with an appropriate sense of urgency and raised their physicality on both ends of the floor, but it wasn’t enough to offset San Antonio’s lack of scoring punch off the bench. Oklahoma City’s reserves outscored the Spurs’ bench 76-23. So, it’s worth pondering whether the Spurs will look to shorten their rotation Sunday for Game 4. Oklahoma’s depth advantage has been striking throughout this series, with the Thunder bench outscoring San Antonio’s reserves 107-41 in the two outings before Game 3.
On the injury front, keep an eye out for the potential return of Thunder guard Jalen Williams in Game 4. Williams was held out of Game 3 because of hamstring tightness and is considered day-to-day. Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, meanwhile, appeared to re-aggravate his high right ankle sprain late in the third quarter and left with 1:09 remaining before returning to start the final frame, clearly hobbled. His return played a huge role in San Antonio cutting down its turnovers while also spelling Stephon Castle, whose usage rate as a ball handler had skyrocketed with Fox sidelined for the first two games. — Michael C. Wright
