As the 2nd seed in the Western Conference, the Spurs went through three series to reach the NBA Finals. Portland, Minnesota, and Oklahoma City: the top seed in the entire NBA, beaten in Game 7 on their home court. A journey that was far from obvious and tells a powerful story about this team.
The final series against the Knicks is underway (0-2 for New York). But before looking ahead, here’s how San Antonio conquered the Western Conference.
First Round: Portland cleanly eliminated (4-1)
The Trail Blazers, 7th seed, were not favorites but had surprised during the regular season. San Antonio took control of the series from the start, dropping only one game out of five played.
Conference Semifinals: Minnesota shut down in 6 games (4-2)
Minnesota had created a surprise by eliminating Denver in the first round. The Wolves came in with momentum and confidence. San Antonio responded with its two most dominant playoff performances: 133-95 in Game 2, then 139-109 in Game 6 to close the series. Margins that leave no doubt about the hierarchy.
Western Conference Finals: the 7-game upset against OKC (4-3)
Oklahoma City had the best record in the entire NBA during the regular season. The Thunder had swept the Lakers and Los Angeles 4-0 in the previous round. San Antonio had to go and beat them on their home court in Game 7. And that's exactly what happened.
This series best tells the story of what the Spurs are this season.
Winning a Game 7 on the court of the team with the best record in the league is one of the toughest feats in the NBA. San Antonio did it calmly, without collapsing despite two consecutive losses mid-series. This journey explains why the Spurs deserve to be in the finals.
Where the series stands against the Knicks
The 2026 NBA Finals pit San Antonio (seed 2 West) against the New York Knicks (seed 3 East). New York eliminated Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Cleveland again before reaching the finals.
The Knicks lead 2-0. No NBA team has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit in the finals to win the title. 0-2, however, has happened before. Game 3 in New York is the pivotal match: lose here, and the mission becomes nearly impossible. Win, and the entire momentum of the series changes.
Game 2 (105-104) perfectly illustrates the two faces of this final: San Antonio had victory within reach, one possession to play. The outcome swung by a hair. Such a close game shows that the Spurs have a say in this series, despite the score.
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