Why Spurs will end Knicks’ dream ride with 7-game 2026 NBA Finals victory

The San Antonio Spurs recently clinched a berth in the NBA Finals with a Game 7 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs will now face the New York Knicks, who haven’t lost a game in well over a month, in the NBA Finals.

Still, despite their dominant run thus far, the Knicks will have their hands full, and ultimately, there are reasons to believe that the Spurs will have enough to defeat New York in seven games.

Rest vs rust factor

The Knicks will have been off for nine days by the time Game 1 of the Finals rolls around, and while they certainly have the huge rest advantage over San Antonio, it wouldn’t be a shock to see them come out flat after so many days idling.

This was the case for New York in Game 1 of the last matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the Knicks fell behind by 22 points in the series opener. While the Cavs’ ineptitude allowed New York to fight back and steal that game, they won’t be able to rely on that against a much more stable and complete Spurs team.

No answer for Wemby

While no one in the league can stop Victor Wembanyama, some teams are better suited to deal with the big man than others. In the starting lineup, Wembanyama figures to take full advantage of Karl-Anthony Towns’ well-documented foul troubles in the postseason, especially if he is aggressive and looks to punish New York around the basket.

While Mitchell Robinson has the size and wingspan to theoretically give Wemby some problems, the big man hasn’t been able to stay on the floor for New York consistently in these playoffs due to his free throw issues, and it remains to be seen how effective he can be after recently breaking his finger.

Spurs’ defense for Jalen Brunson

The Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers both have weak defensive backcourts that Jalen Brunson was able to take advantage of, but that certainly isn’t the case for the Spurs, who just forced two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into arguably the worst playoff series of his career, thanks largely to the defensive play of Spurs guard Stephon Castle.

Dylan Harper is also a menace on that side of the ball, and De’Aaron Fox is good for a steal or two a game, even if he isn’t known as a defensive stopper. Having the game’s best shot blocker in Wembanyama behind them allows the Spurs’ guards to be ultra-aggressive on the perimeter, which will make life difficult for Brunson in this series.

Of course, the Knicks are still a very formidable foe and have the horses to make this a seven-game slugfest, and it will be interesting to see how many fans they are able to get into the seats for their road games in San Antonio, which has been a theme throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs.

However, ultimately, the Spurs’ superior size and matchup advantages will prevail in this series.

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