Knicks Are Big Winners on Saturday No Matter How Game 7 Ends

The WCF could not have gone much better for the Knicks. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Just one more game stands between the Knicks and finding out their NBA Finals matchup. Many in New York likely have a preference on who emerges from the West, though the cracks are starting to show on each side as the Thunder and Spurs go through their toughest series yet.

No matter one's feelings about both teams, it's impossible to overlook the consequences of the WCF going seven games, and how that puts the Knicks in an even better position regardless of who ultimately emerges.

Knicks benefit greatly from Thunder-Spurs series no matter how Game 7 wraps up

The impact of OKC and San Antonio being forced to go the distance is wide-ranging for each side, as well as for New York.

For the Knicks, they've been gifted six games of intel to use against either team in the Finals. It's one thing to scout a team based on regular-season matchups or even early rounds of the playoffs. It's something entirely different to see what either dangerous squad is doing right before the title, and what tricks they have up their sleeves when their backs are against the wall.

That latter element is a sneakily big advantage Mike Brown has over either opposing coach. With consecutive sweeps, Brown hasn't been forced to empty the clip, which allows him to catch either the Spurs or Thunder off guard with a new wrinkle.

He has all the time in the world to focus on exploiting his potential opponent's weaknesses, too, while they've only been able to focus on trying to win the next game in this series. This will make it more difficult for the other coaching staff to have a foolproof plan for New York, allowing more margin for error.

Brown has seen who each team favors when the lights are brightest, and who they could dust off the bench for a game-changing spark. And he'll get an even better idea of this in Game 7, where both West finalists have to leave no stone unturned to keep their playoff run alive.

Mike Brown says it doesn't matter who the Knicks will face in the NBA Finals but...

"If we played San Antonio, it would save me some money because my family lives in San Antonio. I don't have to buy airline tickets" 😂 pic.twitter.com/PvtusH5GyV

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) May 28, 2026

Then there are the effects on both San Antonio and Oklahoma City that come with needing all seven contests. Top of mind is the fact that neither side could create extra rest, while the Knicks secured a week-long break with their sweep.

This is notable considering things were tied 2-2 heading into Game 5, which ended in a Thunder win. OKC could've wrapped things up on Thursday, leading to five full days of downtime before Game 1 on June 3. Instead, the Thunder or Spurs will get just three days before the start of the Finals.

That's enough to recharge some batteries, but the toll of a tightly contested seven-game series also hits differently. New York's seen this firsthand with both the 76ers and Cavaliers having nothing left to close out games despite flirting with upsets early in those series.

Also, this is another long playoff run for Oklahoma City on the heels of last year's championship, which adds more miles. Conversely, San Antonio is now gearing up for its 18th game of this postseason before even touching the Finals. Rest would greatly benefit either team, but they're now going to get the bare minimum, which they could've prevented by not letting this series drag on.

There's also the fact both WCF rosters have injuries plaguing them, and a seven-game series does nothing to help them on that front.

Mark Daigneault said they will see how Jalen Williams feels about playing Game 7. Said considering the circumstances, he looked relatively good tonight. It’ll be an ongoing process though to decide his status

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 29, 2026

Ajay Mitchell, the Thunder's third-best scorer this playoffs, has missed three straight games with a calf strain. Jalen Williams, their No. 4 in PPG, is up to nine games missed this postseason due to a hamstring injury he can't shake. The latter even returned in Game 6 and looked like a shell of himself with a single point, two turnovers, and a -18 in just 10 minutes.

For the Spurs, third-leading scorer De'Aaron Fox missed two games against OKC and has seen his point total decline each contest with 15, 12, 9, and 5. Dylan Harper is also pushing through an adductor problem, and it's clearly affecting him, as he's logged single-digit scoring in three of four appearances since getting hurt in Game 2.

Those are major scoring threats on both sides who aren't at 100% right now or even able to have a positive influence on games. This leads to less help for the main star on either team and makes life even easier for New York if fewer guys can beat them. Though either duo will have some rest before Game 1, playing through what they currently have going on will only make recovery for the Finals that much harder.

All of this equals out to a much deeper meaning for Game 7 than just crowning the West's Finals representative. It requires two laboring teams to give any remaining energy they have left, puts them even further behind in planning for the Knicks, and forces any secret weapons or tactics they may have wanted to save to be utilized as they stare directly at elimination.

That works entirely against whoever survives on Saturday and makes them much more vulnerable in the Finals, which delivers New York about the best thing it could hope for from the WCF.