NBA Finals 2026: Intel on Knicks-Spurs, Giannis and a flopping fix - ESPN

Wednesday night's unforgettable Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs might make it a bit difficult to remember that the rest of the league's business continues unabated.

But while the basketball world waits to see whether the Knicks can end their 53-year championship drought Saturday in Game 5 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), the league calendar continues to barrel toward the draft and free agency.

After speaking with league insiders over the past few days, here's a quick look at where things stand in the championship round, as well as other topics floating around the league at the moment:

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What's next in these wild Finals?
Latest on the Giannis-Bucks saga
NBA coaching carousel updates
How soon could Silver fix flopping?

With four heart-stopping finishes in this series — all featuring San Antonio's lead evaporating in the final two minutes — these Finals have delivered in every way. «Every single night, there's been something you've seen that's made you go, 'Did you just see that?'» an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN.

The Knicks are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, and they'll face the same opponent they did then, the Spurs. Watch the NBA Finals on ABC and the ESPN App.

Game 1: Knicks 105, Spurs 95
Game 2: Knicks 105, Spurs 104
Game 3: Spurs 115, Knicks 111
Game 4: Knicks 107, Spurs 106
Game 5: June 13 at Spurs
Game 6*: June 16 at Knicks
Game 7*: June 19 at Spurs

* if necessary
All games tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET.

But after the absolute gut punch the Spurs took by blowing a Finals-record 29-point lead, the obvious question is how this young team responds in a must-win Game 5 at home.

«This is going to be a real test of the Spurs' resolve,» a Western