*Update*: Finals tip-off draws closer – Robinson questionable, Hammon speaks

The 2026 NBA Finals are casting their final shadows. Knicks coach Mike Brown has updated the injury status of center Mitchell Robinson: the big man is banged up and his participation in Game 1 remains uncertain according to Bleacher Report. Robinson is considered a key factor in the rebounding battle against San Antonio's frontcourt – if he sits out, the situation shifts further in the Spurs' favor.

On the other side, Becky Hammon steps in front of the cameras. The Spurs coach spoke emotionally about her team's entry into the Finals according to Yahoo Sports UK – a historic moment that goes far beyond basketball. Hammon would be the first woman to win the NBA Championship as a head coach.

Veterans and Betting Odds

Another subplot comes from Kelly Olynyk: the veteran is back in the Finals, as The Slipper Still Fits notes – a career arc that surprises many. Olynyk was already in the Finals in 2013 with the Miami Heat, back then as a young rookie on the sidelines.

The sportsbooks see San Antonio ahead. New York opens as a road underdog for Game 1, according to Sports Illustrated – despite the Knicks' NBA Cup victory over these same Spurs at the start of the season. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer also emphasizes this context: New York has already beaten San Antonio, but a tournament win is not a title.

Historic Matchup and Broadcast Schedule

The matchup is historically charged anyway. The Press Democrat recalls that the Spurs and Knicks last met in the Finals in 1999 – San Antonio won in five games back then. Now these same franchises face off again, this time with reversed fortunes: the Knicks are hungry for their first title since 1973, the Spurs are the structurally superior team.

Game 1 will be played at the AT&T Center in San Antonio and airs on ABC, as the network confirmed in its schedule. Those hoping to see Jets receiver Garrett Wilson as a prominent Knicks fan in the MSG box will be disappointed: Yahoo Sports reports that Wilson is not expected at away games.